Advise on training a puppy?

We just got a great white pyrenees/akbash puppy, she stays outside and when we try to put her away at night she doesn't want to go inside because she was raised outside. We have been picking her up and putting her away, but we won't be able to do that for much longer, leashes don't work either. Any ideas?

Try some training classes.

You need to take yourself and this puppy to any kind of puppy classes ASAP. Now, before she increases in size and cannot be picked up without causing you some serious injury .You need to be the Alpha, but for now, this puppy is being the dominant one.

Enroll in an obedience class - It will help you learn how to give her commands and help her to understand them.

Definitely enroll in obedience classes. But in the mean time, make going inside something enjoyable. Right now your dog is looking at going inside as punishment for something. Use treats, a favorite chew toy that is only allowed to be used inside and a positive attitude, not brute force and stressful tones because you don't want your puppy to continue thinking you are punishing her.

The first step in puppy potty training requires that you learn the clues that indicate your puppy needs to potty. These clues are: restlessness, sniffing the floor, or returning to a previously soiled spot. Your pup will need to potty about 5-20 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. When you take your puppy outside to potty, to to the same spot each time and don't play. You want your puppy to focus on one thing only during puppy potty training -- going in the right area. As soon as your puppy potties, praise enthusiastically. Give your puppy a small food treat to reinforce the positive behavior. While your puppy is going potty, praise very softly so you don't interrupt the behavior. Be enthusiastic after your puppy is done. While you're puppy potty training, you must keep the puppy close to you always so that the puppy does not have the opportunity to fail. This means starting the puppy out in a small area of the house and following the puppy nonstop. Alternatively, attach one end of a leash to the puppy and the other end to you, so that the puppy is no farther away from you than the end of the leash. When you are not able to watch the puppy, put the puppy into a kennel. Or, if you have a fenced yard and the weather is good, you can put the puppy outside. However putting the puppy outside when you aren't watching means you lose the opportunity to reward. The kennel is a preferable training tool. A young pup 7-9 weeks old should be in a kennel for no more than two hours at a time. A puppy cannot control itself for longer than that. http://www.freewebs.com/bringing-pet/

Brandi, she's a guardian dog and just trying to "do her job".If you live in the country, it's ok to leave her out at night, but you need a well fenced yard area for her to be in. Join one or both of the pyr groups at Yahoo below and talk to others who have pyrs. They are the best pyr groups at yahoo.My female was sold too young to know her job well, but my male was just like your girl. I finally let them both out at night so they can ward off coyotes and other predators. They are much happier.If you can let your dog out at night, make sure you have or make a shelter they can go inside of to stay out of the weather. Always have water available for the dog, inside or out. Leashes DO work. You have to learn to train a pyr differently. Put the leash on and let the dog initially choose when and where to walk. I found that letting my dogs choose where to go and when to stop and sniff made a BIG difference in their willingness to be on leash. Once acclimated to the leash, I could lead them just fine on it. They know when on leash, they are not supposed to be in guardian mode.I hope you have learned a LOT about BOTH the pyr and akbash breeds. This will be a REALLY LARGE dog and you REALLY NEED to know what you are in for. You MUST be a strong Alpha Pack Leader! See the two links below on how to do so.Neena's answer had little to do with your actual question, but it was an EXCELLENT commentary on several important things, including potty training. Obedience classes are excellent with any pup. Pyrs are harder to train because they were bred to be independent guardians for the shepherds at night, when they must make decisions on what to do to safeguard their charges without any help from any human. Below are also links to Pepper (raised with goats as new pup) and Sabrina (his backup and guardian partner). They stay out all night and come in during the heat in summer days.You didn't say if your dog will be a house pet or a livestock guardian. Pets still need to work, so if they don't have livestock or chickens to guard, they will be YOUR guardians. If you have livestock, they are excellent guardians, and mostly need training when they guard birds. In most cases, they were taught much of what they need to know by their birth mama. Remember that dogs are pack animals. They protect the pack. You MUST be a good strong Alpha Pack Leader starting NOW! The pup will challenge you as it grows into it's teenage years, which will be anywhere between 5 mo and 15 mo. Having a mixed breed animal, you MUST know both parent breeds. A BIG difference between the Akbash side and the Pyr side:Pyrs are much more social and may befriend dogs who are NOT members of the family (pack).Akbash are much LESS social to other animals.A pyr will bark to ward off an intruder rather than fight with it.An Akbash prefers to attack and fight the intruder.You will have to learn what kind of blend your dog has in it's personality.Not everyone should get a pyr or an Akbash. Read a lot on both breeds. Make sure you are comfortable with both breeds' traits. Learn how to be Pack Leader.As to being outside at night, the main reason your dog might not be able to stay out at night is if you're in a city where the dog barking will disturb neighbors. If your dog is not a working livestock guardian, and IF barking at night becomes a problem, you'll have to train her to sleep inside. RIGHT NOW! Train her to the leash as I said above.. . . . . . . . . . . . Start training her to accept you as Alpha!stop worrying about leaving her outside at night so long as you have her properly fenced and provide her with shelter from the weather. Pyrs LOVE cool and cold weather! She was trained by her birth mama to be an outdoor livestock guardian. She can become a good pet if that's what you need, but it takes patience and guidance.