Description: The Great Pyrenees is a large, shepherding dog. The dog will be between 27 and 32 inches at the withers and will weigh up to 110 pounds. The bitch is a little smaller, measuring 25 to 29 inches and with a weight of 80 to 100 pounds. This dog has a medium long double coat consisting of a dense under layer and a coarse, weather proof guard coat. The Great Pyrenees has a double dew claw on the hind feet. This dog can live for 9 to 12 years. The Great Pyrenees is also known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog and Chien de Montagne Pyrenees.

History: The original stock that led to the Great Pyrenees probably came from Eastern Europe or Asia. The ancestors of the Great Pyrenees are the Maremmano and the Hungarian Kuvasz. This dog was used in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain and France for nearly 5,000 years as a herding dog. It was not until the 19th century that the breed became known to the outside world. The Great Pyrenees was used not to herd sheep in the way a Border Collie will, but to live with the sheep and provide protection against wolves and bears.

Temperament: While the Great Pyrenees becomes attached to its human family, it will always be a somewhat independent dog. It will never be as needy of affection as most dogs because it was bred to stay with the sheep and protect them. Older children are recommended for this dog breed. This dog had to be able to make decisions on its own, without human direction. The Pyrenees is very protective of its human companions as well as any sheep it has in its charge. This dog needs a strong leader and must be trained while young, as it is very strong when adult and can be difficult to control if it does not understand its limits. This dog has a tendency to wander.

Health Issues: The Great Pyrenees can suffer from hip dysplasia, as can most large dog breeds. This breed is also subject to bloat or stomach torsion. Symptoms of this will be acute discomfort and attempts at vomiting that are unproductive. The dog must be given medical attention at once to save its life. Smaller meals and a rest time after eating are thought to help prevent bloat.

Grooming: The coat of the Great Pyrenees should be brushed out several times a week and should be checked for burrs and other debris. The under coat is shed once a year and more intensive grooming is called for at this time. As the ears are floppy and can retain moisture in the ear canal, they should be checked every week and cleaned if necessary.

Living Conditions: The Great Pyrenees is totally unsuitable for apartment living. This large dog needs space and likes to roam. While the Pyrenees gets quite attached to its human family, it is a dog that does not need intensive interaction with people. It was developed to be a guardian of sheep in isolated pastures and carried on most of its work without the presence of a human. This dog loves cold weather and enjoys being outside in winter.

In the past shepherds in the Pyrenees used the Pyrenean Mountain Dog (Great Pyrenenees) to protect the herds against bears and wolves. Great Pyrenees “Peluche du Mas de la Valiere” feels herself comfortable in the presence of a flock of goats. (Music: the Lonely Goatherd from The Sound of Music)

Great Pyrenees Puppies at 12 Weeks playing with a stick. Otter’s in the background.

Dog picture taken by 2-Dog-Farm.

This is our Great Pyrenees (KODY) diving in our pool and Swimming To clear this up…our dog bites at the water and not at our child. They are playing and best of friends….

This video shows a Great Pyrenees puppy (Pyrenean Mountain Dog) in the first months of its life. Starring: Eclaire de la Belletiere. Special thanks to her breeder mrs. I. Lagendijk.

A movie about the characteristics of the Great Pyrenees / Pyrenean Mountain Dog, showing the essential elements of the standard and featuring some of the best male and female examples of the breed, filmed in the Pyrenees autumn 2005.

The Great Pyrenees, also known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is a breed of working dog officially recognized by the AKC in 1933. As the name suggests, the Great Pyrenees is a breed originating from the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France. Great Pyrenees are known as a majestic dog that was used traditionally for protecting livestock. They are also used as an avalanche rescue dog, as a cart-puller and a sled dog, as a pack dog on ski trips, and as a companion and defender of family and property. Loyal and protective of its territory, the Great Pyrenees makes for a great family dog that gives the distinct impression of elegance and unsurpassed beauty combined with great overall size and majesty.

The Great Pyrenees reaches maturity at about two years of age. Full grown, the dogs are large and muscular. Males grow to between 110–120 pounds (50–54 kg) and 27–32 inches (69–81 cm), while females reach between 80–90 pounds (36–41 kg) and 25–29 inches (63–74 cm). They have beautiful and weather resistant double coat. Their weather resistant coat allows them to withstand intense cold temperatures. Coat color is either solid white or white with patches of badger, tan, wolf gray, pale yellow, reddish brown or varying shades of tan. These dogs shed heavily once a year. The dog has a broad chest and a wedge-shaped head, a slightly rounded skull with no apparent stop. The Great Pyrenees muzzle is wide and gently pointed. He is slightly longer than tall. One distinctive characteristic of the Great Pyrenees is that it has double dewclaws on its hind legs. The color of the nose and on the eye rims should be jet black. He lives to between 10–12 years of age.

Great Pyrenees Puppies need a lot of attention as they are very active and might have the tendency to wander off or escape. They have an independent nature and sometimes require a firm hand in order to make them realize who the master is. They love to chew and have a tendency to bark a lot and some tend to drool and slobber. Once the puppy accepts the crate as his den, he will feel comfortable in the crate. Great Pyrenees puppies are not right for everyone due to their adult size and temperament, but they do well in the right type of home with active leadership. However it is noted that their devotion to their family remains true even if self-sacrifice is required.

Great Pyrenees is Gentle and affectionate with those he loves and is a capable and imposing guardian. He is calm, well- mannered, and somewhat serious. While known to be protective of its family and territorial, the Great Pyrenees is devoted to its family, and somewhat wary of strangers – human or canine. The Great Pyrenees loves the companionship of humans, and is a great choice for a family pet for those that have adequate space for this giant dog to get some exercise. They are courageous and protective dog that makes for a good watchdog.

Dog picture taken by bingham30069.

Large breed dogs pose special grooming dilemmas. The Great Pyrenees and other Bernard family members have cornered the market on that special combination of girth and hair. Without a regimented grooming routine the Pyrenees’ flowing white locks can easily morph, soon resembling an electrocuted Komondor on steroid.

One obstacle to keeping large breeds in the peek of beauty is the difficulty in locating nail clippers, brushes and dental supplies suited to their substantial size. Substitution will have to be made. Still, with a little ingenuity grooming is a snap.

Body Brushing

Combing out the Great Pyrenees is a challenge. The high-stung nature of the breed makes them tend to wiggle around during grooming. In fact, these stealth dogs are apt to sprint off if not restrained, sometimes moving up to three centimeters in a single afternoon.

Your best bet for body brushing or raking is to work on your pet while he is asleep. Avoid active times such as 6:00 to 6:03 a.m. and the 30 minutes after sunset Pyrenees’ devote solely to barking. This breed is known to sleep with its eyes open. When stalking them with grooming tools be cautious. Once you are with in 65 feet of your dog, listen for a train. This verifies your dog is snoring.

Work efficiently once you begin grooming a Great Pyrenees. You may only have 13 hours before he wakes up. When grooming 140 lbs. of fur bonded together by drool and the occasional tree branch, you must not dally. A weed eater is an efficient option for quickly working your way through the shrubs to the actual hair prior to brushing.

Nail Clipping

Clipping your Pyrenees’s claws should be a regular part of your grooming routine. Before beginning this procedure head for the hardware store. Pick up a large metal rasp and bolt cutters. Once claws have been neatly trimmed call in HAZMAT to remove the clippings from your home. Don’t forget the dewclaws.

Great Pyrenees’ have a multitude of extra toes just kinda ‘hangin’ out’ on their lower legs. Hiding amongst them are a total of six massive curly toenails. Each is so large it makes a valosaraptor claw look like a minute droplet of Chihuahua snot. Don’t let the dewclaws go unattended more than a few weeks. Negligence will yield a clipping big enough to be used as a spiral staircase.

Dental Care

Dog owners often overlook the importants of good oral hygiene. Fortunately, in the Bernard breeds, their mouths offer plenty of room to work in. Take advantage of this trait. You can create ample access to the mouth by simply pulling their massive floppy lips up from both sides of the face. Then, use three clothespins to secure them to one another across the bridge of the nose. You may also secure a single lip to the opposing ear in a similar fashion.

Once the teeth are exposed insert a shop vac tube under your dogs tongue. This technique is identical to that of the ’spit sucker’ used in a dental offices. A fifteen-gallon vac should suffice. Once the shop vac is fired up the Great Pyrenees will start to awaken. You will have about two hours to completely remove large pieces of sod stored along the gum line before your dog hits full cognitive thought. At this point he’ll eat the vacuum prior to falling back asleep.

As a final touch, clean you canine’s feet. Shinny up between the pads with a flashlight, some pliers and a bottle of WD 40. Remove stones, dried bats, milk carton children and anything else not belonging up there. Once this task is done your grooming regiment is complete. Wake your dog by simple uttering the word ‘cookie.’ By the time you get to ‘coo’ every Great Pyrenees in a six mile radius will be in your kitchen.

With a little work and a few trips to Home Depot, your Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard or Newfoundland will glow with beauty. When you combine all this glamour with their high intelligence and magnetic personalities, your dog will be the envy of the neighborhood.

A walk down to the male alpaca barn on a snowy day at Wissler Alpaca Farm located in Missouri. www.wissleralpacafarm.com www. alpacalove.blogspot.com A blog about our alpacas and Great Pyrenees and other wonderful animals too. This blog has 300 posts with pictures and videos for your entertainment. Hey enjoy!

Dog picture taken by bingham30069.

Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees is one of the largest members of the Working Group. An imposing animal, one that was bred to be a guardian, is highly devoted to its family and very suspicious of unknown strangers, both human and animal. So long as the Great Pyrenees is not provoked it remains a calm, loving, and very well-mannered canine. Only strong minded, dominant owners should raise one of these dogs.

A Brief History Of The Great Pyrenees

Great Pyrenees dogs originated from France. It’s function was to guard sheep. Researchers suggest that the breed descended from an original flock of guard dogs. These dogs were all white, from Asia Minor, some 10,000 years B.C.

Nomadic shepherds migrated to the Pyrenees Mountains sometime around 3,000 B.C., bringing their guarding dogs with them, thus creating the basis of today’s Great Pyrenees. These dogs maintained themselves as superb livestock guardians for centuries to come.

Just before the end of the 1600s, the breed became a favorite among the French Nobility and were heavily requested in the court of Louis XIV. In 1675, Louis XIV publicly announced that this dog was to be known as the Royal Dog of France. It was at this same time that the dogs arrived in Newfoundland.

In 1824, the first Pyrenees is documented to have arrived in the United States by General Lafayette. However, over the next 75 years the breed had lost all popularity in France and could only be found working as useful guardians in small, isolated areas. Interest in the breed remained low and they had all but became instinct in England.

Sometimes in early 1930s, enthusiasts of the Great Pyrenees started a heavy breeding program, importing hundreds of dogs to the United States. In 1933, the AKC officially recognized the breed which helped boost the dog’s popularity with new owners.

Upkeep Requirements For The Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees must have plenty of daily exercise to keep in shape. However, these needs are not excessive and can easily be met with a few brisk walks on the leash. They absolutely love to hike so if you live in an area with nature trails or hills, you have the ideal setting for raising this dog.

This breed can live outside if need be, especially in cold temperatures. However, they are not suited to withstanding hot weather. When sleeping it is best to keep them inside at night with the rest of the family. Grooming requirements call for a thorough brushing, once per week -- daily during shedding season. Great Pyrenees dogs also have a habit of drooling.

Health Concerns

The average life span of a Great Pyrenees dog is between ten and twelve years. Major health problems that run common in the breed are patellar luxation and CHD. Minor issues include panosteitis, OCD, osteosarcoma, chondrodysplasia, entropion, skin problems, and cataracts. Veterinarians suggest that these dogs get tested for potential eye, knee, and hip problems.

History

Some think this breed’s ancestors were Tibetan Mastiffs. It is proposed that the Aryans coming from Central Asia brought them to Europe. These people traveled to the Pyrenees Mountains, which are located in southwestern France, around 5000 ago. These dogs herded and guarded sheep. During the latter 1600’s,  French royalty took an interest in the Great Pyrenees. In 1675, Louis XIV proclaimed them the official French dog.

Documentation indicates that they came to the United States with General Lafayette in 1824. They lost popularity in France for awhile. The ones still in France were used for working purposes in the farmland areas. This breed was brought to the U.S. in plenitude in the 1930’s. The American Kennel Club gave them recognition in 1933.

General Looks

It is a big dog with powerful shoulder muscles. The head is shaped like a wedge and curves some on top. The ears are shaped like the letter v and are curved on the tip. The body is a bit lengthier than it is tall. The muzzle is smooth. The tail is plumed.

Is This Your Breed?

They are loving with their people. They are good guard dogs because they are protective and territorial. The Great Pyrenees can be hard headed and is independent. They need weekly brushing and walking each day.. A big yard for this dog to run around in and be playful is the best environment for him. They bark quite a bit.

Coat

The outer coat is long, profuse, rough, and flat. The undercoat is like wool, and is dense and fine. The coat resists weather.

Color

The color is white and can be off white. The marking colors are tan, red, reddish brown, and badger.

Locomotion

The locomotion is straight, agile, powerful, and balanced. The drive is strong.

Personality

This breed is self-assured, affable, and gentle. Its alertness and suspicion of strangers makes them good watch dogs. It is smart and faithful. The Great Pyrenees doesn’t always do well around other male dogs. They can be difficult to train owing to their independent nature.

Great Pyrenees video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EdNHI5inDM