Characteristics, temperament and care of the Great Pyrenees as family dog and LGD

Pyrenees are reliable and intelligent companions and guards and may be described as "one family" rather than "one man " dogs. The are a very hardy breed, with a great capacity for adapting themselves to their environments.

They are also comparatively small eaters. As companions and members of the family pyr's mostly are a joy to live with. When the Pyr get a good socialization, they love car rides, travel in buses, going out and meeting people, playing on the beach and love every water puddle they can find. Generally they get along well with children and small animals.

Pyr males versus Pyr males at adult age at least, are highly aggressive to each other (of course there are exceptions, but very few). So to the inexperienced dog owner I would never sell a male, knowing there is already a Pyr male in the household.

Pyrs are territorial guard dogs and they bark to protect their domain. Even if they live on a small property. But it is possible to teach them when it is wanted to bark and which events could be ignored.

If you are thinking about giving the Pyr the free run on your property you need a good fence, 6-foot height all way round is preferable.

The Pyr is a roamer and otherwise he will go of wandering. They have been known to wander enormous distances - and rarely find their way home by themselves. A Pyr must neither be tied continuously nor allowed to run loose. (Again: also here are exceptions where well-trained Pyr's can be allowed to run loose in a safe area) Some of my Pyr's are very trustworthy when allowed running loose on the beach. But I never turn them loose all at once. They will take of for sure. Two at the time will work, but more is just asking for trouble.

The training of the Great Pyrenees is no easy task. Because of his independent character and stubbornness it takes great patience and a soft but firm handling to reach your goal. But in my opinion this is just the special attraction of the breed, besides it's beautiful appearance.

As guard dogs Pyrenees are unsurpassed and they are especially recommended for this purpose. However gentle and friendly they may be, they will neverless guard when the need arises. They possess a built in capacity for the job and have an uncanny knack of discriminating between a normal visitor and one with suspicious intentions. This may not be demonstrated until it becomes necessary, but can safely relied upon. This instinct must be channeled through obedience training, beginning at an early age starting with "puppy - kindergarten."

Otherwise Pyrs are usually laid back and indifferent towards strangers. Outside their territory after a cursory sniff, they show no further interest. On their own territory it is wisely advised to introduce them to strange visitors and "tell" them that this is "good folk."

The Pyr's coat is one of the easiest to maintain properly. It is self-cleaning, tangle and mat resistant. It is no fairy tale; the coat really does shed dirt. But they do shed, despite regular brushing and there will always be pyrhair in your house and on your clothes. At least once a year they blow their coats and you can collect enough hair to spin and use the wool for knitting.

The Pyr has a "double" coat. The texture of the outer hair is coarse; underneath it is soft and wooly.

With weekly grooming and inspecting you should have no trouble maintaining that beautiful coat and a healthy pet. Watch for matting of the softer hair behind the ears.

Special attention has to be paid to the double dewclaws, which the Pyr must have according to the breed standard. These are two extra claws on the back feet about 2 in from the ground. Because the nails are not touching the ground they need to be clipped. But watch out, don't clip too much otherwise there is the danger of cutting in the quick.

The Great Pyrenees made his way from his ancient role as guarding dog to a multi purpose dog. He is bred and kept as well as show dog, companion dog and Live Stock Guarding dog.  I think that at this time there are more Pyr's used as Live Stock Guarding Dogs in all parts of America, Canada, Australia and Norway than in his native country France. It also is reported that retired show dogs were placed in a working situation and without any problems took over the old task as a guardian. This shows how close to his "roots" this breed still is.