They are also called the Pyrenean Mountain dog and they are one of the most famous livestock guardian dogs (or LGD) in the States. Their innate guarding and watchdog instincts make them very popular guard dogs, no matter if you have other animals or not.
They look fluffy, calm, and lovable. However, as always, it’s important to know your breed before getting one.
Great Pyrenees Size
The Great Pyrenees is a big dog. They were bred to protect the farm animals from wolf or coyote attacks, so they had to be muscular and sturdy.
The average size is:
- Male height: 27 to 32 inches
- Male weight: 100 pounds and more
- Female height: 25 to 29 inches
- Female weight: 85 pounds and more
They also have a medium double coat that makes them bigger, especially when the winter coat starts to show. The area around the neck has a longer coat and more loose skin for protection purposes, which especially comes in handy when they fight coyotes.
Great Pyrenees Color
There is only one coat color recognized by the American Kennel Club, and that is white. However, a Great Pyrenees dog can have different markings, such as:
- Badger markings
- Gray markings
- Tan markings
- Reddish brown markings
The markings can appear on the head, ears, tail, and on the body, but only as a few spots. The outer coat markings should not cover more than one-third of the body. The eyes are almond-shaped and are a dark shade of brown.
Great Pyrenees Trainability
When it comes to training a Great Pyrenees, you have to remember what they were bred to do. These dogs are purposely bred to be independent.
That means they do not need constant approval from their owners. They roam alone with the herd, protecting it with their lives.
This might cause some problems for people who are used to other, more people-approval dependent dog breeds such as Labradors or Border Collies.
Your desire for a Great Pyrenees to act like a Labrador leads to mislabeling this amazing LGD as “slow learner” or “hard to train”. They are just bred differently.
They won’t come back straight to you if you call them and they are not very food motivated. So, you’ll need more patience.
They might not quickly learn to come when you call their name, but they will be ready to guard whatever needs to be guarded from a very young age.
Great Pyrenees Social traits
These big dogs are great family dogs. They are laid-back, protective, and patient. Another amazing characteristic of the Pyrenees dogs is that they rarely bite. They prefer intimidation through deep barks and a firm stance rather than actual attack.
So, if you are thinking of getting a guard dog that will also be a family dog , the Great Pyrenees can be a good choice:
- Great with children
- Good with other dogs
- Great with other animals
- Very protective of its family
Oh, but there is one thing you have to be aware of – they bark a lot. And, to make things a bit more complicated, they do it at night.
Yes, some Great Pyrenees owners will say their dog didn’t bark at all, but generally speaking, they do. Why? Because, once again, they were bred to do it.
These dogs were bred to protect the herd during the day and especially during the night. When they sense danger or anything suspicious, they bark to scare the intruders and alert other animals.
Of course, as with any other dog breed, they need to be properly socialized from an early age with all kinds of animals and situations for the best results.
Great Pyrenees Activity needs
A lot of people take the Great Pyrenees to do what they do best – protect the farm animals. But, you can have a LGD even if you don’t live on a farm or you don’t have animals that need protection.
Great Pyrenees is a moderately active dog. They have plenty of endurance rather than outbursts of energy. That means they don’t need a lot of exercise, but they need some piece of land to patrol.
Farms and homes with a yard are the best options, of course, but if you live in an apartment, my suggestion is tog et the dog tired after dinner or before bedtime because otherwise you will have a dog that barks all night long. Neighbors won’t like it, you won’t like it.
You can play a game, but the best option is a one-hour walk to the park or around the neighborhood where they can sniff and patrol.
Just remember, even if they do get tired, that doesn’t guarantee they won’t bark at night if they hear something they consider suspicious. You have been warned.
Great Pyrenees Feeding Requirements
If you search the web or look at the feeding instructions on the back of the kibble bag, you will see instructions to feed an adult Great Pyrenees 4 to 6 cups of kibble every day.
But there is a problem.
If you ask owners, they have different experiences. Why? Once again, because of the way this dog was bred a long time ago. They have a low metabolism and great endurance. That means they can roam and protect the herd without needing too much food.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should keep your dog hungry. It means you will need to pay attention to how much your dog eats, sleeps, runs around, and then decide what’s best. Consult your vet to see if the dog is underweight or overweight.
Most owners say an adult Great Pyrenees needs around 2 cups a day of high-quality kibble food for large dogs (e.g. Hill’s Science Diet for large breeds). One in the morning and one in the evening.
Great Pyrenees Grooming Needs
Great Pyrenees dogs have a medium double coat. They shed normally throughout the year, except for the shedding seasons (twice a year) when they blow their coats. That is the time when you need to do extra work.
Most owners agree the Great Pyr needs combing twice a week with a good combing hand-brush. This is the case if you have a dog in your home and you need to keep the fur away from, well, everything.
If you have a farm dog that guards the farm animals, once a week is alright.You shouldn’t bathe your dog too often either. Once every 4 to 5 months is OK. These dogs have a natural way of keeping the dirt away from their fur. If you bathe them too often, they will lose this natural protection, and it might also lead to skin problems.
When the shedding season comes, the best option is a professional groomer. If you can’t do that, the next best option would be to buy one of the Neabot pet grooming vacuum kits. They are more expensive, but they will save you money in the long run.
Great Pyrenees Possible Health Issues
Through responsible breeding programs promoted and protected by the Great Pyrenees Club of America, most Great Pyrenees are healthy dogs with a few health problems.
Like any other big dog breed, they can suffer from bloat and joint issues:
The breeding dogs should also be tested for eye problems, luxating patellas, as well as some immunological disorders.
In The End
The Great Pyrenees dog breed is a wonderful guardian dog and a great family dog. They were bred to protect the livestock, so giving them something to patrol and guard is very important for their well-being.
However, if you want to have a Great Pyrenees just as a family dog, be prepared for shedding during shedding seasons and for barking – especially at night.
They are also not the quickest to train, and they will often follow their noses and not come back immediately when you call them.
But having a dog is a great responsibility, no matter the size or the breed group they belong to. They are our friends and responsibility for a lifetime.
