Great Pyrenees Breed Facts and Information

Coat & Grooming: Great Pyrenees have a soft, downy undercoat with thicker, coarser hair on the outside. Though this double coat may cause them to shed fairly heavily, the Great Pyrenees is not a particularly difficult breed to care for. Their coat is generally smooth and easy to brush, and does not need to be brushed every day. Around 30 minutes of brushing a week should be sufficient to keep a Great Pyrenees looking sharp. Dirt and grime usually becomes trapped on the outer coat and brushes off easily, so it is only necessary to bathe a Great Pyrenees around once a month.

Shedding: Great Pyrenees have a double coat of fur, so shedding is going to be an issue. They tend to shed more heavily at different times depending on the climate they live in, so be prepared to deal with unexpected extra hair. It is important to set boundaries with your Great Pyrenees when it is still a puppy; do not allow it to play on furniture when it is small if you don’t want a full grown dog doing the same thing. By training your Pyrenees to stay in certain areas of your home, you can minimize the amount of hair that accumulates.

Training: Great Pyrenees are intelligent, loyal animals, but they can be a real challenge to train. The breed has a definite stubborn streak, so teaching them new commands will take time and patience. Great Pyrenees are accustomed to thinking for themselves and feel protective of their territory and family, so they can get into trouble if they are not closely monitored. As with all large breeds, training and socialization should begin early. By exposing your Great Pyrenees puppy to many different places and people, you will teach it to be confident and well-mannered around strangers. When training a Pyr, it is important to keep things interesting and positive. These are working dogs, and they thrive when they are made to feel useful or given a challenging task. An owner should never be too harsh towards their Pyrenees when it is disobedient. Instead, work on forging a strong bond with your animal and consistently enforce the rules that you expect it to obey.

Barking: If they are not properly trained, Pyrs can be prolific barkers, especially at nighttime. The breed is quite territorial, and they strive to alert their owner to any possible threats that might be lurking in the dark. A Great Pyrenees should be exposed to plenty of different people, animals, and places while it is young so it can develop confidence and the ability to distinguish between real threats and ordinary occurrences.

Personality: The Great Pyrenees are naturally suspicious and protective dogs, but are also extremely playful and affectionate. If they are properly socialized, they should be calm and friendly towards other dogs and people.

Temperament & Behavior: Great Pyrenees are sweet, affectionate companions that develop a strong bond with their owners. Though they enjoy independence and thinking for themselves, they do best when they are allowed into the home and are included in the everyday life of their family. Training and socialization are particularly important for this breed because some of their herd-dog instincts can become problematic if left unchecked. They will need to learn to limit their barking, and can be a real challenge to walk without a leash. However, these instincts also make the Great Pyrenees incredibly gentle towards certain smaller creatures and young children. A properly socialized Great Pyrenees is a calm, confident, and kind companion. They have the endurance and energy to join their family in all kinds of activities, and they are sure to make friends wherever they go.

Behavior with Kids: Known to be tolerant, calm, and affectionate, the Great Pyrenees is an incredibly kid friendly dog.

Protection: Pyrs are naturally protective of their family and the area that they consider to be their territory. They are somewhat wary of strangers, but will warm up quickly after an introduction.

Life span: On average, Great Pyrenees live to be about 10 to 12 years old.

Inherited Health Issues: Many conditions have been identified in the Great Pyrenees that are either inherited or occur at increased frequency in the breed. Of these conditions, many are associated with joints of these large dogs. These conditions may include, but are not limited to, the following: Tricuspid valve dysplasia, Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, Hip dysplasia, Panosteitis, Patellar luxation, Shoulder osteochondrosis, Congenital deafness, Entropion, Micropapilla and Multifocal retinopathy.

Preventive Care: Many of the more common conditions occurring in Great Pyrenees are associated with their joints. While nothing can definitively prevent conditions such as hip dysplasia, panosteitis, or osteochondrosis from occurring, steps to minimize the risk of onset including maintaining a healthy body weight and feeding large breed puppy food during growth. If joint problems do occur, fish oil supplements can be helpful to decrease inflammation within the joint.

Genetic testing is available for some of the more common conditions in Great Pyrenees. Responsible breeders typically perform many of these tests on animals prior to breeding in an attempt to decrease the incidence of health problems within the breed.

If overfed, Great Pyrenees can readily become overweight. Pyrs should be offered portion controlled meals of a high quality balanced food, while avoiding table scraps and limiting treats. As a large breed, Great Pyrenees continue growing until they are about 18-24 months old, whereas most small to medium sized breeds have finished the majority of their growth by 12 months of age. As a result, it is typically recommended to continue feeding your Great Pyrenees large breed puppy food until they are between 18-24 months old.

Daily Consumption: Average daily consumption for an adult Great Pyrenees is 3-5 cups

Energy Level: Frisky, energetic breed that is always ready for action

Exercise: Great Pyrenees are strong animals with enough endurance to accompany you almost anywhere you wish to go. Historically, they roamed with a flock of animals over rugged terrain, and to this day the breed is known for its graceful movements and regal bearing. Great Pyrenees get along fairly well with other dogs, but they can be difficult to handle at a dog park because of their propensity for wandering. If you are going to play with your Pyr before they are fully trained, you should be sure that the area is secure and safe in case your dog decides to go exploring. Great Pyrenees do best when they are walked on leash. They should receive around an hour of exercise per day to keep them healthy and entertained. Many mature Great Pyrenees become fairly mellow companions who enjoy spending time lounging in the company of their owner, but they are still fully capable of spending the day hiking or roaming through a city.

Climate: The heavy coat of the Great Pyrenees is well suited to colder climates, but can cause overheating if the dog is left out in the sun for too long.