In my completely *biased* opinion… Great Pyrenees are the best breed of dog on this green earth.
I’ll be going into all of the amazing qualities they have, but first, I must bring to attentiontheir particular qualities that make them different from your regular house dog.
One of the most heart-breaking things I see today is the amount of people buying these cute adorable white fluffy puppies without knowing a thing about them, and then giving them up because they can’t handle their particular needs and characteristics. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people adopt a dog without doing any research prior. I hope this post can help you find out if you are in the position to adopt one of these beautiful loyal and fun creatures (which I hope you can!).
A Little History
Known as the Pyrenean Mountain dog outside of America, they originated in the Pyrenees Mountains. They are said to be one of the oldest livestock guardian dog breeds.
They made their start as a mountain shepherds dog, over this long period of time the Great Pyrenees developed a special relationship with the shepherd, its family, and the flock.
In 1675, they were adopted as the Royal Dog of France by the Dauphin in the court of King Louis XIV, and subsequently became much sought after by nobility. Having a precocious sense of smell and exceptionally keen eyesight, each dog was counted equal to two men, be it as guard of the chateaux, or as invaluable companion of shepherds.
While their royal adoption is interesting, the dogs main fame was from their ageless devotion to their mountain flocks, shepherds, and shepherds’ family. When not working the flocks, you would find “Patou,” as he is lovingly called, laying on the mat in the front doorway of the shepherds’ humble dwellings (Great Pyrenees Club of America).
What Makes Them Different?
Great Pyrenees are livestock guardians. Due to this, they have natural instincts and think for themselves. If you train them and show them love they can evolve into very well behaved dogs. However, no matter how well they may respect and listen to their owner, if they see something as a perceived threat to their livestock, human, or home, they will go after it.
This is why it is so important to have a large fenced-in area for them. For one, this will keep them from running off after something. Secondly, this gives them an outdoor area to guard and do their jobs, while providing plenty of space to run around and get their exercise.
Another thing I suggest is to get a strong sturdy fence, and not an electric one. Great Pyrenees have very thick fur that will get in the way of the electric fence collars, and most importantly, they have a very high pain tolerance. If something is threatening their loved ones they will go through extremes to make sure it does not come near.
If you have a small apartment and have no way to let your Great Pyrenees outside, I do not suggest getting one. Not only because of the small space, but because of their most famous traits, their barking. They bark.. a lot. There is no denying this trait. It is their first line of defense against predators, they are warning them to stay away. My girls tend to do most of their barking at nighttime, since Great Pyrenees are more of nocturnal animals (since for the most part, more threats come out at night).
I actually enjoy hearing my girls bark, my family has come to know their different barks, we can distinguish their regular bark at something in the distance from a ‘close threat bark.’
If a Great Pyrenees loud barking would cause an issue for you, or those around you, they may not be the right dog for your home.
Training
Training is very important with Great Pyrenees, which is why it is important to start right away. Pyrenees are very loyal, they want to please their owners, however, they can be very independent and think for themselves, as their breed has had to throughout history. Showing them kindness and love, but also showing them that you’re the alpha is important.
“They want you to be the leader, but if there is a void in leadership, they will step in to fill it, and that’s when problems often arise” (National Great Pyrenees Rescue).
There are many things you can train your dogs to do, for instance, my dogs know basic commands, such as sit, lay-down, come, and they know when I say the magic word to go back into the barn after they have been out.
In every expectation I have of them, they almost always fulfill. However, this is because I only have expectations for them that are in the realm of their breed. I never expect them to not bark when they see something (there is no way to train this instinct out of them). I never expect them to stay with me off their leash 100% of the time, because I know if they see something as a perceived threat, they will go after it.
You have to understand their instincts, and learn ways to manage them. For example, my dogs are almost always on the leash when we go for walks, however, when we are just hanging out with family outside, they seem to stay near while off their leash. If I notice them start to wander more, I put the leash back on. You can’t train natural instinct out of Great Pyrenees.
That Gorgeous White Coat
The next thing you should know before you consider whether a Great Pyrenees is right for you, is that big beautiful coat of theirs. Pyrenees have a double coat, with a fine undercoat that serves an insulator against both heat and cold (pretty cool huh). As you probably deduced yourself, all this fur has to go somewhere.. so yes they do shed a lot. They need to be brushed a few times a week, if not more.
On the bright side, their top coat seems to shed dirt and mud after it dries. I have taken my girls for long walks where their whole head almost turns to black from digging, and a few hours later they are white again!
We have our dogs groomed every two months. When I say groomed I mean a bath, and nails clipped. We do NOT cut or shave their hair. Great Pyrenees should never have their hair cut or trimmed, as their coat was made perfectly for them and can adjust to weather on its own. Their skin under that pure white coat is almost pink! They would burn so easily if it weren’t for their fur. The only place we have trimmed is near their lady parts when they start to get in the way.
With Great Pyrenees you definitely have to stay on-top of their grooming. If you go extended periods of time without brushing them they may become matted. Fur being matted can be painful for them, and it is extremely hard to brush out.
If you want to know some different techniques and brushes that are catered to Great Pyrenees fur, click here.
Now, What Are Some Their Amazing Qualities You Ask?
They call them “Gentle Giants”for a reason.
My girls have never and would never dare to bite or hurt a person. I can get right in their faces when they are eating or chewing on a bone and they just keep on chewing away, without a care. They are especially great with children as well, they will never get mad at a child (or anyone for that matter) for pulling their hair or tail, or brushing too hard.
They are very calm and extremely intelligent. They know what is best. My dogs would be eating cattails and burdock and I would get so worried. I asked my vet, and turns out they have natural nutrients in them that are great for dogs!
Another thing my dogs have, and I am sure every other Great Pyrenees owner would agree, is what I call “knowing eyes.” You just look into them and you know how they are feeling. They show their expressions very well, which is great, because you can tell when they are happy, when they like something, and when they just aren’t feeling well.
Also, maybe I’m crazy, but I feel like when I look into their eyes and see them staring right back at mine, I can feel the love they have for me. Which leads me to my next point.. they are very loyal. You are a part of their pack. Their mission is to love, and protect you. My girls are very protective of my family. Once when my mom was out taking them for a walk, she slipped and fell. One of my girls immediately went and stood over her, and the other one stood right next to her like she was looking out for any danger that would come near.
If there was any threat to you, they would risk their life for you.
Here Are Some Other Fun Things I Learned From My Two Great Pyrenees:
1. They LOVE attention.
If both of your eyes aren’t on them, and both of your hands aren’t petting them, they will stick their big paw on your lap telling you to! I think that is a reason I see a lot of Great Pyrenees as therapy dogs, they really make you feel wanted!
2. They also LOVE to dig.
Whenever they sense something is in a pile or under the ground, they put their noses down and stick those pretty fluffy butts of theirs up in the air and dig away. I think it’s great because its such great exercise for them! And hey! if you need a hole dug just call you Great Pyrenees right over 😉
3. They play.. but don’t fetch.
They will run after the ball you threw in the air if they are interested, but they are not going to bring it back. My girls will also play fight with each other. They jump around and run after one another, its honestly one of my favorite things to watch, they can be so goofy with how they play.
I also give them toys that they like to put in their mouth and shake around like crazy, they also do this with bones. They get so excited that they can’t sit still and eat them until they get all their excitement out!
4. This next one may be a positive or a negative based on who is reading this.
They will kill snakes. The first time I ever saw my girls do this, I was afraid they would get bit by it! Turns out, for the most part they know what they are doing…
5. Most importantly, they each have their own unique personality.
My girls are sisters and they have very different distinct personalities! My girls are sisters , but couldn’t be more opposite when it comes to a lot of things. But that is what makes it fun 🙂
I hope this post was helpful! If you have the necessities and the love and patience in your heart to adopt a dog from this beautiful breed I highly suggest it!
My girls stole my heart from the day I met them and I wish everyone could experience that with their own dogs!
If you have any questions feel free to comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
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