Great Pyrenees: Your Complete Guide

The great Pyrenees, shortly known as the Pyrs, is a large, robustly built dog breed originally kept as a livestock guardian. A fair number of these dogs still work as livestock guardians, especially in cold, mountainous regions, but most enjoy life as pets for families with property to guard.

Known as the Pyrenean mountain dog in Europe, the great Pyrenees in the United States have distinct qualities different from those in other parts of the world. Our article will go through the breed characteristics of this large white dog breed, covering their physical features, temperament, intelligence, trainability, and more.

Continue reading to the end to find out if the great Pyrenees is an ideal dog breed for you and your family.

Quick Look at the Great Pyrenees

The table below gives a quick summary of this breed’s characteristics.

What Is the History of Great Pyrenees?

The great Pyrenees originate from the Pyrenees mountains, but the breed is more associated with the French part of the mountain range. From the 17th century, the great Pyrenees and similar dogs were utilized by the French for various purposes, from guarding livestock and farm animals to protecting the château of the nobility.

Known as the Patou in France, it is believed that the great Pyrenees descend from the Pyrenean mastiff, the Maremmano/Abruzzese sheepdog, and the Hungarian Kuvasz.

The first examples of this powerful dog breed arrived in the United States in the early 20th century. However, the breed didn’t gain much popularity until 1930. After appearing in various dog shows, the breed became well-known among the public.

The American Kennel Club first recognized the great Pyrenees in 1933. However, the AKC adopted a new breed standard for the great Pyrenees in the following years. This new breed standard included physical features that would be unfavorable in France, mostly due to exaggerated features that limit their functionality as livestock guardians.

Nowadays, the great Pyrenees is a breed that’s mostly utilized as companions and watchdogs.

What Do Great Pyrenees Look Like?

The great Pyrenees is a large dog breed with a white coat, but not all are solid-colored. Pyrs may have badger, tan, gray, or reddish-brown markings throughout the body, most commonly around the head and ears. Great Pyrenees with markings tend to have a white forehead, giving them a distinct look.

What Size Is a Great Pyrenees?

The great Pyrenees is a large dog, weighing between 85 and 165 pounds. They can stand anywhere from 26 to an impressive 31 inches tall, making them one of the biggest dog breeds.

Because Pyrs are large dogs, they need big spaces to roam around. They aren’t the best dogs for people living in apartments without access to a yard.

What Is a Great Pyrenees’ Coat Type and Length?

The great Pyrenees is a double-coated dog breed with a thick undercoat that sheds year-round and a bit more during seasonal changes. However, managing shedding at home and their living quarters isn’t too demanding. Weekly brushing is often enough to keep the coat of a great Pyrenees well-maintained.

Since these dogs were bred to endure the harsh winters of the Pyrenees mountains, they enjoy spending time in the snow. It wouldn’t be uncommon for a Pyrs to refuse to get inside after the first snowfall of the year.

What Is a Great Pyrenees’ Temperament?

The great Pyrenees is the ultimate definition of a gentle giant around people and animals they know. They are calm dogs with a very affectionate nature that can’t get enough of pets and attention.

However, great Pyrenees are just as determined and confident dogs that won’t back down if they spot a threat to their territory or family. Great pyrenees are naturally good guard dogs and tend to be wary of strangers. They are basically a gentle giant with their family and a fierce protector against those who intend to cause harm to their pack.

While their instincts make them prone to some aggression, Pyrs can become friendly and outgoing with proper socialization. Below, we’ll dive deeper into this breed’s temperament.

Are Great Pyrenees Good With Kids?

Being such a gentle giant around their family members, the great Pyrenees is a dog breed that gets along well with children of all ages. Parents experienced with guard dog breeds won’t have any worries with a great Pyrenees acting harshly towards their kids.

However, the breed’s size must be a consideration despite their calm personality. They are very large dogs that can hurt children unknowingly during playtime. As with any other dog breed, an adult’s supervision is essential.

While the temperament of Pyrs makes them great with quiet children, they also pair well with energetic kids. Great Pyrenees are fairly playful dogs that typically don’t turn down play, especially younger dogs.

Are Great Pyrenees Good With Other Animals?

Like other breeds with a history of protecting flocks of animals from predators, the Great pyrenees tend to be wary of strange dogs by default. However, when socialized properly, they are usually well-behaved dogs that don’t consider other dogs a threat.

This particularly goes for well-rounded dogs that are smaller than them. Pyrs have a tendency to take smaller dogs under their wings and act as if they are their protectors.

The great Pyrenees may also act this way towards any animal they were raised together with. They have a low prey drive, which makes them behave well around small animals, including prey animals like rabbits and Guinea pigs.

Yet, their size may make Pyrs dangerous to be around for small animals. Just like with kids, supervision is essential when small animals and great Pyrenees coexist.

Are Great Pyrenees Aggressive?

Due to their long lineage of guarding livestock from predators, great Pyrenees may have some aggressive tendencies. These acts are usually towards unfamiliar people and animals invading their space. Around everyone they know, great Pyrenees tend to keep their cool and rarely act aggressive, even when they feel the need to assert dominance over other animals.

Due to these traits, proper socialization is highly important with these dogs. Taking them out for regular walks and letting them interact with strange people and dogs is essential to managing their natural aggression.

Do Great Pyrenees Bark?

Great Pyrenees tend to be barkers with a loud, deep voice. These dogs bark at nearly anything that gets their attention, especially when their guarding instincts kick in.

While this can be a great trait for those looking for a watchdog, as it will make intruders think twice, it may create conflict with neighbors. Due to this, Pyrs don’t make ideal dogs for people living in apartments with noise restrictions. Besides, most apartments don’t offer much space, and small living spaces can make a great Pyrenees feel claustrophobic with their massive size.

Are Great Pyrenees Affectionate?

Great Pyrenees are one of the most affectionate dogs among livestock guardians. They are lovey-dovey dogs that enjoy receiving any kind of attention from their people.

Most Pyrs don’t tend to be aware of their size and make attempts to get on their owners’ lap. As puppies, it’s best to limit the time they spend on your lap. Otherwise, a great Pyrenees may demand it too often as an adult, which will be difficult to endure, as they can grow up to 165 pounds.

Properly socialized great Pyrenees tend to warm up to strangers rather quickly. However, it still takes a while for these dogs to get used to the presence of new people. They won’t accept new people immediately like a golden retriever, but it won’t take much for friendly strangers who know how to greet a dog to earn their trust.

Are Great Pyrenees Intelligent?

The great Pyrenees is a very intelligent dog breed. They keep an alert eye on their surroundings but aren’t the most eager to please. They have an independent side to them, which goes against their intelligence in training – more on the trainability of this breed below.

With great Pyrenees, expect a dog that understands your emotions and body language. They do well in social situations and can recognize the intentions of other dogs and people.

Are Great Pyrenees Energetic?

The great Pyrenees is a low-to-medium energy dog breed. They can sleep for long periods and don’t move around much unless they have something to do. Since they were utilized as livestock guardians for centuries, great Pyrenees usually save their energy for something important.

Despite being low-energy guard dogs, Pyrs benefit from daily walks of half an hour to an hour. Taking them out for calm walks, with some playtime, is ideal to keep these dogs fit.

Pyrs also require a fair amount of mental stimulation to prevent boredom. Letting them sniff in nature and incorporating mentally stimulating activities in their routine are excellent ways to keep a great Pyrenees engaged.

Are Great Pyrenees Easy to Train?

Training a great Pyrenees for basic obedience doesn’t take much time and effort as they are intelligent dogs. Using high-value rewards, you can finish basic commands in a couple of weeks with daily training sessions.

However, great Pyrenees aren’t the most eager to please. It takes a lot of motivation for these dogs to learn complex tricks. Due to this, knowing what your Pyrs consider high-value is essential to get advanced tricks right. While most enjoy a tasty treat, some may have a higher appreciation for praise or play.

Are Great Pyrenees Good Watchdogs?

Great Pyrenees are naturally good watchdogs. They are alert and keep a watchful eye over their territory. If an intruder, whether human or animal, invades their territory, they will let you know by barking continuously and confront them if necessary.

The ability to guard any given territory makes the great Pyrenees an excellent pet for families living in rural areas. Even if you don’t have farm animals, they are sure to keep invasive animals away from your property.

Are Great Pyrenees Good Service Dogs?

The size and strength of the Pyrs could make them such an excellent service animal for individuals with a physical disability. However, they are quite difficult to work with for service animal trainers. Socializing these dogs to let go of their suspicion towards strangers and other animals takes a lot of training.

With all these, the great Pyrenees isn’t a popular service dog breed. Still, they can become hardworking mobility assistance animals for individuals with a physical disability, provided they receive proper service animal training from an experienced dog trainer.

How to Care for a Great Pyrenees?

Taking care of a Pyrs doesn’t take much. They are low-maintenance dogs that don’t demand a lot from their owners as long as they are fed a high-quality diet, regularly exercised, and provided opportunities to put their minds to work.

Below, you’ll find an overview of how to care for a great Pyrenees, focusing on the breed’s grooming, health, and feeding needs.

Do You Need to Groom a Great Pyrenees?

Pyrs don’t have high grooming needs. Brushing their coat weekly using a slicker brush with metal pins is enough to keep it spotless. If shedding becomes unmanageable with weekly brushing, you can increase the frequency to two to three times.

The coat may not require daily brushing, but brushing these dogs may be time-consuming due to their large size. On average, expect each brushing session to take 30 to 45 minutes.

Do Great Pyrenees Shed?

The great Pyrenees is a breed that sheds moderately year-round. While weekly brushing is enough for most Pyrs owners to maintain shedding, they aren’t an ideal breed choice for people with pet allergies. If you really like this breed but have pet allergies, consider adopting a pyredoodle instead.

Although not related to shedding, Pyrs also tend to be quite droolers. However, they are average in this regard considering their size – a great Pyrenees drooling won’t be anything like a Saint Bernard or bloodhound.

What Health Problems Do Great Pyrenees Have?

The great Pyrenees is generally a healthy dog breed, but they are subject to a few common health conditions large dogs are prone to develop. These are orthopedic ailments, such as elbow and hip dysplasia, eye problems (entropion and cataracts), luxating patella, and neurological disorders.

Additionally, great Pyrenees are at risk of bloat, a life-threatening condition that all Pyrs owners should educate themselves about.

Since a great Pyrenees can inherit some of these health conditions, working with a responsible Pyrs breeder is essential to ensure your dog isn’t predisposed to develop them. When speaking to a great Pyrenees breeder, asking the necessary questions before adopting, especially if they screen their breeding stocks for health problems, is a must.

How Long Do Great Pyrenees Live?

The great Pyrenees have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. However, genetics, environment, diet, owner’s care, and many other factors can impact a dog’s life expectancy.

What Should a Great Pyrenees Eat?

You should feed a great Pyrenees high-quality commercial dog food appropriate for their age, size, and activity level. You may also opt for a homemade or raw diet, but it should be checked by a licensed vet to ensure your great Pyrenees gets all the nutrients they need to live a healthy life.

Is a Great Pyrenees the Right Dog for Me?

The great Pyrenees is a large dog breed with an affectionate, loving, yet very protective and alert personality. As you can expect, Pyrs are driven naturally to protect their homes and people.

This can be an excellent trait if you have experience with guard dogs, especially the ones as big as the great Pyrenees, but not so great for first-time dog owners. These dogs require an experienced owner who will guide them through life.

The great Pyrenees enjoy colder climates with their thick undercoat, so mountainous regions with plenty of snowfall make the best places to exist for these dogs. If you live in a warm place, a great Pyrenees may not be able to adapt well to the climate.

Pyrs also require a lot of socialization and training at an early age to ensure they become well-behaved dogs.

Overall, the great Pyrenees is an ideal breed for experienced owners looking for a large dog that can uphold guarding capabilities. They flourish with guidance from a human leader and will become affectionate and loyal companions that put their family above all else.