Great Pyrenees not motivated by food

[KIMBERLY MANITT]

Hello,

I have a 2 yr old Great Pyrenees, neutered male that I got from a "owner rehome" he didn't have much if any training except he was house broken.

She let him "graze" feed.

I've since put him on a feeding schedule. I've cut back on the amount I feed him so he's hungry and will work for his food, train.

He's not food motivated I've tried any treat I've seen recommended and he's not motivated, I've tried fresh cooked chicken breast, beef liver, rabbit, super food meal toppers, lamb and cheese. I try very hard not to be frustrated but I'm at my wits end.

He will refuse to do simple commands, like sit before we let him out in the back yard and he loves to be outside.

I know he's a very smart dog I just need him to show me he is. I'd like to train him as my medical alert dog.

If you have any help regarding training an Great Pyrenees that is not food motivated I'd appreciate any help.

 

Thank you

Kim

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums! Thank you for opening your heart and home to a rescue! 

This breed already has a rep for being not much motivated by food due to a slow metabolism, add to that being "free-fed" leaving food out to graze all as day as wanted, and you have the perfect recipe for a dog who sees little value in food. 

I am glad you have put him on a feeding schedule and were able to attain results. It may feel like "tough love" at first, but it's worth it in the long run. Putting down the food bowl and removing it if not eaten within 15 minutes can help increase motivation to eat since they won't see any food until the next meal. 

Since you mention he's hungry, I assume your method has worked so far in making his food attaining some value, so that's great!

If he's getting hungry, maybe you can try to use a portion of his meals to train as a starting point, at least indoors?

Many dogs perceive their food as more valuable when they "work for it. " For instance, rather than putting the food in the bowl, when you know he is hungry and more motivated, you can use it for training.  You can test him before hand. For example, when you know he's getting hungry closer to meal time, if he follows you when you prepare his meal and waits for you to put the bowl down, rather than doing so, put a portion of that in your pocket and use it to train. Use a kibble to reward every behavior and give several kibbles as a jack pot for extraordinary performances or to end a training session. 

Start with something very easy, like look into my eyes.

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/look-into-my-eyes/

Once you get him into "operant mode" you can then make this a daily routine. Once dogs realize they must "earn their food" that often gets the ball rolling. 

Other ideas that come to mind:

-You can try clicker training, using his food, starting with the easy exercise of "charging the clicker:"

 https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/clicker-training/

Often the clicker yields  a more enthusiastic response to training since the reward system of the brain is more strongly activated and the food's value may increase since it's fun. 

-Make the sessions short and fun and always end them on a positive note. 

-When he's hungry and ready for his meal, hide behind a furniture nearby when he's standing and call him in a happy tone or make a use a silent dog whistle, if he comes to you, praise happily and drop several kibble to the floor. Rinse and repeat hiding in different places. This game is a good starting point for recalls!

-Try to not be frustrated and don't feel pressured, he doesn't have to learn everything in one day. He's a livestock guardian and not a Lab. If he senses your frustration, that risks putting a dent in his attitude towards training, and by association, also the value of the food. With these independent thinkers, training needs to be upbeat and fun-basically think about it as a game! Often as our behavior changes, their behavior changes too.

-Think that he needs to eat to survive. So if he eats his meals, you can use that food for training, at least as a starting point indoors. 

-Use other forms of rewards. Think what your Pry finds reinforcing. The last Pyr I trained, she was eager as your Pyr to go outside. I therefore only opened the door once she sat in front of the door. You may need to use "capturing" for this. In other words, any time you catch him sitting on his own, praise and rush to the door to let him out as a reward. Once he does this more and more, "name it" saying "sit" right when he's about to sit. You may need to be patient with this as initially you may not get many sits, but once he recognizes a pattern of "every time I sit, I am praised and let outside" you should see more and more sits. Only problem with this: he may ask to be let out too often and may even bark if he doesn't get your attention right away, so you may need at some point to put those sits on cue and make it clear that you open the door only when you decide it's time to go out and ask him to sit beforehand. 

You can also use this method for downs. Sit with him on leash nearby the door and wait for him to tire and lie down (this is easier with Pyr as they are a little lazier than other dogs). Once he lies down, praise and take him outside immediately. Timing is important, the praise and being let outside needs to happen right after they sit/lie down. 

-If he likes a tug toy see if you can use it to get her to sit or lie down in lieu of a treat and then praise and let her tug. For stays, you may not even need any food, as being freed from the stay is reinforcing on its own, but still try to toss something to reward her and see if he'll eat it. 

Some high value foods you may have not tried yet:

• Baked calf liver (fresh and baked in the oven and cut into trips)
• Liverwurst (Braunschweiger)
• Freeze dried liver
• Green tripe treats (stinks to high heavens but many dogs go bonkers for it)
• Cheez-its
• Cheerios
• Shredded rotisserie chicken
• Low sodium organic beef hot dogs
• Cut up mozzarella stick
• Zuke's mini training treat salmon
• Ziwi air-dried dog foods
• Air dried beef lung treats 

Of course, everything in moderation. Cut off treats in small bite-sized pieces so to reduce calories and discuss with your vet if your dog is prone to digestive issues or other medical problems. 

Pry are very smart dogs, it's just these dogs were selectively bred to work independently without much human interference and they may need extra motivation to find learning certain tasks valuable to them. They tend to want to save their energy for what they feel matters the most- protecting their turf and their people/animals. 

I hope this helps,

Happy Training!