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Tell me about Great Pyrenees

If you are wondering what is the right dog for you, this is the place to be. In this introductory forum we talk about topics such as breed vs. mix, size, age, grooming, breeders, shelters, rescues as well as requirements for exercise, space and care. No question is too silly here. This particular forum is for getting and giving helpful, nice advice. It is definitely not a forum for criticizing someone else's opinion, knowledge or advice. This forum is all about tail wagging and learning.

  
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Toto, CD,- RN, CGC

We don't do- doodles!!!
 
 
Barked: Fri Aug 24, '12 8:47am PST 
I'm with Jewel... any pyrs I've known are NOT good family pets and those who've tried to make them that way ended up with MEGA problems...biting children's friends, overprotective, and generally unaccepting of ANY stranger in the home.
Which is EXACTLY what the breed is bred for... staying out with their herd and protecting it day or night!
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Calamity- Jane

1139619		 
 
Barked: Fri Aug 24, '12 11:47am PST 
Hmm...it is definitely odd how much of a difference there seems to be between the pets that I have known and the working dogs that others have knownthinking. All of the purebred Pyrs I have known were rescue, if that means anything.
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Guiness- (~9/2002-3/2- 7/13)

Big Mush
 
 
Barked: Fri Aug 24, '12 1:13pm PST 
We have 3 Pyrs currently, two males who were rescued from rural shelters, and a female who was a show dog reject. Their temperments vary a bit - our older male Guiness is on the shy side and is slow to warm up to strangers but just avoids them until he realizes they're "okay" while our two younger ones, Winston and Venus, readily accept and greet anyone we allow into our home and will go right up to anyone for affection and hopefully treats. But out in the yard is a different story - their job is to guard the home and flock (us) and they take it seriously. They bark up a storm at every perceived intruder including the deer walking in the field behind us or someone walking their dogs up the road. We have to be diligent to not let them stand outside barking their fool heads off and annoying the entire neighborhood (thankfully our closest neighbors are away quite a bit and have told us they can't hear the dogs when they're in their house). They cannot be trusted off leash and brushing and vaccuuming is a way of life. But they are all wonderful family dogs and they accompany us to the dog park, community functions, and family events. Our dear Rainy who we lost to cancer earlier this year was also a therapy dog and we visited the local nursing homes. So if your dad is okay with a large, shedding, barking dog who must have a physically fenced yard then maybe a Pyr is for him. Unfortunately there are a lot of them in rescues needing homes!
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Tika

Little Fox		 
 
Barked: Sun Aug 26, '12 2:29pm PST 
One of the dogs at work (doggie daycare) is a Great Pyrenees. He was born and bred on a farm, so he's from working lines, but his owners adopted him as a pet.

When he first started coming he wasn't quite mature yet, and he was GREAT. Playful, social, super tolerant--he would just lie down and let the other dogs jump all over him. For some reason he was really popular with the bullies--all the pitties and Boxers and Bulldogs loved him.

Unfortunately, now that he IS maturing...he's becoming a different dog. He still has a select few doggie buddies that he plays with, but he is MUCH less tolerant than he was. He will now single out certain other dogs and stalk them before running over to bark and push them to the ground, so we have to watch him closely. He doesn't get into any actual fights, and I wouldn't call him aggressive, but he is being a bully. I'm actually thinking of moving him in with the small dogs, because they don't seem to bother him.

Attitude wise, he's pretty aloof, even with his owners, but he does tolerate a lot of cuddling and man-handling from them. And he sometimes come over to me for a butt scratch...after which I look like I'm wearing furry white gloves. laugh out loud
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Member Since
08/17/2012		 
 
Barked: Sun Aug 26, '12 2:35pm PST 
Well i have got just one line for them, they surely go for and become great fun loving pets.... hi5
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Darcy

I have just met- you and I love- you		 
 
Barked: Fri Aug 31, '12 6:22pm PST 
My Darcy is only 1/4 Pyr, but her personality is very similar to the breed from what I know.

The thing you have to remember is that this IS a working breed. They are not the ideal city or apartment pets. They are not a very active breed, UNLESS their flock or property is threatened in any way. It is amazing to see the switch in their temperament whenever there is some "Danger" such as someone walking a dog past our house. This is a guarding breed and they may not always accept strange people such as the mail man. They are not quite as intense as say an anatolian shepherd.

They are genuinely sweetheart dogs. Such dears. smile They can be quite stubborn, and when it comes to recalls, it may take about 5 minutes for them to come plodding over to you, unless you have food of course. laugh out loud

They really are lovely dogs, but not for the faint hearted. They are very large dogs and take a lot of socializing and training.
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Romeo *adopted*

1259859		 
 
Barked: Sat Sep 1, '12 1:51pm PST 
I'm glad that Tika brought this up; some, though not all, of the Pyrs that I've known were not very good with other dogs. Romeo was very iffy about what company he kept when it came to other dogs. My brother-in-law also knew a Pyr that his parents owned, and she apparently became quite aggressive with other dogs once she reached adolescence. So, socialization is a must with this breed, and one must be prepared to deal with problems like this should they arise.
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Zues

The Gentle Giant		 
 
Barked: Sat Nov 10, '12 9:27am PST 
Great Pyrenees who guard are a little different than those who are indoor pets, but they all take their "jobs" very seriously. Working Pyr's who guard farms and farm animals are more prone to barking (especially at night), but that is to let predators know they are on the job. Pyr's who are house pets are fantastic guard dogs and very protective of their family. However, all Pyr's I've known are very intelligent and perceptive, calm and independent (as they were breed to guard and work without human intervention). If you want a "maintenance free" dog this is NOT the breed for you. If you want a loyal companion who almost seems human at times, this is the perfect dog! I would suggest if you want a Pyr as a house pet you have a large, fenced (6 ft) yard and you should be familiar with LGD traits. Pyr's need to understand that their owner is "the boss" or they tend be a little dominant!
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  (Page 2 of 2: Viewing entries 11 to 18)  
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