The Breed | nga-pyrenees

Why We Love The Great Pyrenees Breed

There are many reasons why we decided to become a Great Pyrenees owner many years ago. Before our first Pyre, we had owned a Collie, German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, American Eskimo, and Golden Retriever over a period of years. While we enjoyed each of those breeds, we have found through years of experience that the Great Pyrenees breed best suits our needs and desires in a dog. We have listed below (in no particular order) a few reasons why we own a Great Pyrenees and also what our experience has been with them through the years:

Our Needs:

We wanted a larger dog that would scare away bears, coyotes, and other predators that might prey on our chickens, rabbits, and other animals. For this need, there is not a better dog to have than a Great Pyrenees.
We wanted a large dog that would be intimidating to strangers but not one that we would have to worry about being too aggressive and biting people for no good reason. For this need, there is not a better dog to have than a Great Pyrenees. You can trust them to intimidate people quite well when needed (only strangers and those who deserve it - and they will instinctively know) due to their large size and deep bark, but biting is something they will not do unless a member of their family is physically attacked. In such a situation, we believe a Great Pyrenees would do anything to defend us, and if necessary, risk their life without hesitation in the process. Nonetheless, one should not consider owning a Great Pyrenees strictly for security of people or property. Their are other breeds more suitable for that task. However, if you have other animals, room to roam, or just want a great canine companion, you cannot beat a Great Pyrenees.
We wanted a dog that would be good around children. This breed has proven to us that there is no better dog to have around children. They truly love children and are extremely calm, careful, and attentive to them and their needs. Even though as adults they are somewhat serious and reserved, we have never seen them get annoyed with a child. However, we firmly believe if a Great Pyrenees ever got tired of being around a few rowdy children, they would simply walk away and find a nearby place to lay down and watch the kids from a distance (with protection always in mind).

Our Experience:

They have great instincts to protect their home and family (not with aggression/biting but rather through intimidation and barking) and we have found them to be very quick to pick up on the "rules" of our homeplace. Our experience has been that they require very little training to learn what there job is and what they are supposed to do. Once they understand the rules and expectations, they are reliable and can be counted on to follow them consistently.
As adults they are not very active, especially during the day. For this reason, we have found them to eat less than most large breed dogs.
They are not "hyper" dogs as adults (but can be rambunctious as puppies - like all puppies). When full grown, they are very calm, reserved, and seemingly contemplative during the day. We have often seen them sit for extended periods of time just watching, listening, and seemingly thinking about important matters. Personally, we like this kind of temperament in a dog; one who is part guardian, part loyal friend, and part philospher.
They are very affectionate; not in your face rowdy, but instead affectionate in more subtle ways. Frequently they will walk up and slowly lean their body against our legs so we will notice them and pet them. This is quite common with this breed.
Great Pyrenees have excellent manners (instinctively) as adults. No training is needed when it comes to manners. Their calm, reserved nature allows them time to think before they act. They are certainly not impulsive dogs, except as puppies of course.

Keep in Mind...

They shed quite a bit and need frequent brushing.
Adults are generally all white in color, regardless of markings as puppies. The mother of our current litter had markings on her ears as a puppy but they have faded with age and are now barely visible.
They will grow up physically in about a year but do not behave as adults until around year two.
Adult males will reach up to 3.5 feet tall and can weigh up to 140 lbs. Females will usually be a little shorter and weigh a few pounds less.
The average lifespan of this breed is 10-11 years.
They bark a lot at night. This is by instinct, bred into them through the centuries as a means of warding off predators before they come near to do any harm. Sometimes it seems that they bark just about all night; but when they do we know there is a good reason for the barking. We have learned that they never bark without a purpose (as adults). While the barking was annoying to us at first, we have grown accustomed to it; learning to simply "tune it out." Are neighbors are not close, so nighttime barking is not a problem for anyone but us. We just remind ourselves that they are barking for a specific reason; we may not can see it or hear it, but we have full confidence that they do. We also trust them to know when to bark and when to be quiet; and when they do bark at night we consider it to be better than having coyotes or bears coming near our house and other animals. In fact, we have found them to literally patrol our property at night; circling our house slowly and repeatedly (and sometimes barking as well). Even though the barking can be somewhat annoying, they have so many other wonderful characteristics that far exceed that of other breeds (our opinion based on experience) that we gladly tolerate the barking because we know they bark with purpose. Nonetheless, if you have close neighbors who won't appreciate this natural instinct as much as we (or you) do, this breed could present a problem in more urban areas. As a side note, however, we have found that when keeping them inside for the night (which we don't do very often), they are usually extremely calm and quiet; never making a mess on the carpet other than hair.
Some of them drool, especially in the summer months. This makes them appear a little sloppy; however, drooling is common with many large breed dogs. It is their white coat that makes this characteristic a little more noticeable with this breed.
Their white coat will remain white only with regular brushing. Otherwise, their white hair will gradually take on a slight red tint from exposure to the Georgia red clay.
They are not water dogs. Some dogs love to jump, swim, and play in water. Great Pyrenees, however, (from our experience) would rather wade in slowly, stand around for a few minutes to cool off, and then get out.
They will not play fetch or go catch a frisbee. They save their energy for more important tasks. Guarding is always job one for the Great Pyrenees and they continually display a "business before pleasure" attitude.
As adults, they are (mostly) all business 24/7. Affection is important, but they do not crave it constantly like other dogs. Often, they will come around in the mornings to get their daily dose of petting and affection, but after a short time of it, they wander off and are good to go for several hours.
They are very job oriented, and desire a large area (multiple acres) to patrol. Anything less could potentially make them feel unhappy and useless. You don't have to own a Texas sized ranch to make a Pyrenees happy, but a half acre lot in a subdivision is not suitable for this breed.
You will never train a Great Pyrenees to do tricks (fetch, roll over, etc.). They have a job, they understand what it is supposed to be, and to them entertainment is not part of it.
A Pyrenees will learn its name but will seldom come when called. Their independent nature, bred into them a long time ago to guard flocks of sheep alone and make decisions without adults being there to tell them what to do, makes them seemingly stubborn at times. However, this behavior is not to be interpreted as disobedience. It is instinct. They have a mind of their own, just like people. They generally decide for themselves what they will do and when they will do it. Fortunately, we have found that our priorities quickly become their priorities with very little training needed.
You cannot scold a Great Pyrenees. Speaking harshly to them when they do something you don't want them to do simply does not work. They are very sensitive and seem to consider scolding as an act of disrespect on your part which they will not quickly forget. Treat your Pyr more like a person than a dog and you both will get along quite well.