Monday, February 9, 2026

Pyrenees, OK, not Great!



Well, Campers, another week down the tubes.  A lot of phone calls between the contractor and us.  This was followed by another phone call to one of the "Powers that Be" aka  a desk warming bureaucrat, by us to get it done.  So, nothing to report on the housing project.

But... on to the subject of this week's post.  I don't know if I've properly introduced y'all to our adopted "children". 

A little back ground, when my sister passed away, she left two Great Pyrenees (GP) Dogs that we adopted.  Atticus and Gryndll.  

(L) Atticus, (R) Gryndll

We were still living on our 30+ acre property near Fredericksburg.  They had plenty of room to run around and howl at the cattle, deer or other beasts that got near our property.  Sleep was generally not interfered with.

The only downside we've discovered yet in our move to CStat is the rental house we're in is 1) small. 2) Quite close to the neighbors and 3) Near a highway and a Railroad track.  Did I mention there are a lot of trains going by, many after dark.

All of those actions cause an "equal and opposite" reactions from the GP's.  They are doing an excellent job of keeping the "bad guys" away from the house.   Unfortunately, they are also disturbing our sleep.  Bad enough!

But...it's also disturbing our neighbor's sleep.  Apparently last Friday night, one of them couldn't take it anymore. About 10:30, Gryndyll was scarring off a deadly enemy squirrel or other animal when someone came knocking at the door.  Mrs J and I were in our bed clothes and headed toward the bed.  I turned around and went to the door.  

It was a Police Officer.  He explained that someone had complained.  We explained our predicament with the trains and freeway noise keeping them alert.  He was very nice about it after having been introduced to the twosome.  However, he said we had to keep them inside at night.  We explained the dogs also bark inside the house.  

About this time, one of them kicked off barking, behind the closed door.  The officer was impressed, but said we'd need to find a cure.    Haven't found one yet.  That night, Mrs J slept out in the living room with them.  After a while, they quieted down quite a bit.  We'll have to see how they'll handle it if they're alone in the living room.

Why don't they sleep in our room also?  Well, we also have a cat.  The Cat and Gryndll don't get along.  So our room is the Cat's Kingdom while Gryndll primarily is limited to the rest of the house.   Unfortunately, Atticus is also prohibited from the Master Bedroom.


 
Unfortunately, we're in a conundrum.  When they're in the back yard, the house minimizes the loudness of that barking inside the house (obviously not enough to please the complainant) and Mrs J and I can get some sleep.  The Police Officer ruled that option out. 
 
When they're in the house at night and some sound gets them stirred up and barking, well, sleep is not an option. We're trying to train them.  They don't like to be wet, so we've got a spray bottle with water.  When they bark indoors, they get squirted on the head (no, not the eyes or any other part that could be injured).  The problem is that when they're barking in the house and we're asleep, it involves getting out of bed, finding the squirt bottle, figure out who's barking, squirt him or them, and go back to bed.
 
Two things there.  One, it's difficult to get back to sleep and two, something else will set them off.
 
Oh, and by the way, sleep for them during the day? No problema!!!
 

 
 
The real solution is moving in to the new house.  Nobody is close enough to care about barking in the country.  
 
I wonder if our construction supervisor can be talked into boarding them in his house....
 
House would be moved WAY up on the priority list.
 
But...we'll just have to gut it out.  Now that my Monday post is published,  I think I'll stop B,M,& C-ing and go take a nap!
 
Peace (and quiet) out, all y'all! 

34 comments:

  1. A friend of mine is now alone - it comes with age, eh? He finds his house and garden now much bigger than he needs. But he won't sell until his dogs die because they need lots of room indoors and out.

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    1. I can understand that. Other than the night barking, they’re pretty good dogs, The Police Officer liked them and understood the issue, but had to do his job. But, he didn’t give us a ticket.
      juvat

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  2. Well juvat, I'm no help with any advice. Any anti-barking training might interfere with the pup's natural tendency to bark when you want that ability. Maybe fellow Chanters can come with something.

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    1. Well, the plan is inside at night for now for now. There are other night barking dogs in the neighborhood. If we get another police visit, I’ve got video ( sound is the important part) I will play it for him and give him a pair ( new) of ear plugs to the complainant. With a little luck there will be a dog barking in their yard when he arrives.
      juvat

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  3. We lived with a pyr for 10 years. She barked at birds, bees, butterflies, planes, the wind, smells, seeing a trend here? Inside at night was normally fairly quiet as we have a very quiet neighborhood. I found that some white noise (quiet TV running the weather channel) helped. Pyrs are really meant for acreage.

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    1. Ralph,
      Thanks for the tip and the “been there, done that” tale. We’re going to try a white noise machine tonight. I pray it works.
      Thanks
      juvat

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    2. The noise machine would be my suggestion, as that has worked with our 5 yr old Good Pyrenees. Ours has multiple sounds, if yours does you might need to experiment to find what works. Ours does not like the thunderstorm, at all. But the surf sounds seem to soothe her and drown out outside noises that set off the barking.

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    3. Thanks for the info. Mrs J regularly uses the Thunderstorm noise. Took me a while to get used to it.
      juvat

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  4. That sucks, it's tough being the neighbor from hell because of your barking dogs. Good luck.

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    1. As mentioned above, we’re not the only “neighbor from hell” in the neighborhood.
      juvat

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  5. They make ultrasonic doodads that fire off for a few seconds to discourage barking. OF's won't hear hit but RinTinTin will. Get you some of that for the house. I used one, and it worked a treat. I've even used a tone on the der fone to do the same thing to dogs that came to visit. If it works, you are most welcome!!!

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  6. Juvat, had a similar when youngest son moved from Calif. to Alabama. He and the family, including dog, made the trip by car stopping over with us for a couple of days. When they were out shopping here in the 'Burg, ole Stanley went in his crate in the bedroom they were using. Thought was being close to their "stuff" would keep him calm. That was a massive failure. So, I turned on the bedroom TV at low sound setting to some talk program and problem was solved. Don't know if all tv talk show idiocy drove him into silence, but the result was all that mattered....we were happy.
    Cletus

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    1. Glad that worked out for you. Our problem is nighttime. The TV would probably replace the barking and we’d have the same issue.
      juvat

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  7. Juvat, similar to what STxAR suggested, my sister and brother in law used some form of collar/device for specific times. The dog (who, to be fair, is a very good boy) learned pretty quickly when barking was okay and and when it was not.

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    1. THBB,
      Immediately after reading STxAR's comment, I ordered one of those devices. Should be here in a couple of days. I think our dogs are smart enough to get the message. I certainly hope so.
      juvat

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    2. I hope that works out for you, after I found myself with a barking dog when we were not there I went to a device to teach the dog, it did work.

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    3. I hope so. Should be delivered in a couple days.
      juvat

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  8. Replies
    1. Yes, unfortunately, it always is!
      juvat

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  9. Replies
    1. Good point, gotta appointment for our little dog this afternoon. I'll ask. Thanks!
      juvat

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  10. Looks like the good suggestions have already been suggested. The collar and the doodad were going to be mine. I wouldn't worry about training the bark out of them permanently- if someone broke in and actually scared them, no training will keep that at bay. And how likely do you need them to be actual watch dogs, preventing break ins and such? Probably not very.

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    1. Tuna,
      Hmmm! Agree with all but the next to the last sentence. We'll be living out in the country. Should somebody unwanted "stop" by, we'd like the Dogs to let us know and warn the bad guys that they know they're here and let us know in enough time to take preventative action. I do agree that that is a small probability it'll happen, but...you can never be too careful.
      juvat

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    2. Still have the legacy security system though right? AKA other dogs.

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    3. Well, we've got Annie a Chihuahua, Dachsund, Rat Terrier mix. She's pretty vociferous when things aren't going as expected, but she's gettin gon in years.
      juvat

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  11. Love dogs, but understand how barking can drive folks nuts (owners and neighbors both). Good luck with sprayers, white noise and shock collar. I think there is some sort of doggy prozac used for those who are triggered by thunderstorms,but don't think that is an option for daily use.
    JB

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    1. JB,
      No good answers. I'd like to be able to sleep, but would like them to warn us if something bad is happening. Don't know how to train them that way. Our little dog has a vet appointment this afternoon. Think I'll as him for ideas.
      juvat

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  12. Oh, boy. First off, let me say I don't have an immediate solution, but I do admire your problem. (grin)
    Yes, I know, not helpful.
    Ok, long time 10 year GP owner. Love the breed.
    First, barking. GP's are a working, specifically protective breed. Usually put them out with the critters (sheep, goats, etc.), they bond with the herd and are 24/7 security.
    Even if they've bonded with humans, like yours, that protective barking is not a *learned* behavior, it's built right into their basic operating code. I'm not aware they can be trained out of it and if excessive methods are used, you're going to get a messed up, neurotic dog. In an unfamiliar situation, they're bark at /everything/ just for good measure. Our big boi when first in our home barked at the 'fridge icemaker dumping and filling!
    So they will mellow out...some. But the barking never really goes away. Threats, real, or imagined. You should hear our guy when we have the evening 'yotes singing out at the end of our subdivision. Again, it's a fundamental thing.
    Second, they have few internal boundaries. Gotta give them a fence or pasture. Some will still manage to move around, we had one locally decided he liked the goats a little farther down the road and moved in with them. My guy takes me for a walk (on leash) and he has two patrol routes thru the subdivision where he looks, notes, and posts on DogBook throughout. Without a leash he will cut through a backyard if something looks interesting.
    So saying... I scarce doubt the bark training will work. Barking will abate, some, with familiarity. My personal solution is I would get a smaller travel trailer and put on property as an Observation Post. If you know where the barn, etc. is going to be, get a large section of fencing done there, now. Spend time camping out there with the doggos through the year. Bring them back to your current housing (you can't camp forever) and maybe they'll be a little more chill couple days before you go back out.

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    1. Alan,
      Thanks for the info. Your description sounds VERY similar to ours. We’ve taken them in at night, and while not a total shut down of the barking, has reduced it significantly (at least for the last week or so) reduced the decibels and duration thereof. So…progress.
      juvat

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  13. Bark collar cured my Irish Setters of their NEED to bark at every bird, shadow, squirrel, deer, raccoon and falling leaf... They still say hello and goodbye at the fence as I come and go but it's a momentary thing. Took about a month and neither of them are still wearing the collars but, I do have them hanging next to the leashes, just as a reminder. The boys see 'em, know what they do and are not eager to get 'em put back on. YMMV.

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    1. Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. The inside at night seems to be working. A couple of growls and maybe a bark or two seems to be the barking load. Of course if the moron with the Mustang with very loud, or maybe no, mufflers and an early morning show time always sets them off. When I get to start driving again....
      juvat

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  14. Replies
    1. StB,
      They ARE good dogs! And...We haven't seen any "Bad Guys" in the area. If you exclude evil squirrels from that classification. The inside the house sleeping arrangement is a bit of Touch and Go. Some nights they're wonderful, completely quiet all night. Other nights, well, the bark switch is turned on full blast. I can't figure out what's different.
      juvat

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
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