In honor of National Train Your Dog month, I wanted to address training a Great Pyrenees. Training a Great Pyrenees isn’t like training most dogs — they aren’t necessarily “eager to please”. While a Golden Retriever may do what you say because you said so, a pyr won’t be so likely.
I absolutely love training Great Pyrenees. They push me to my limits and challenge me in ways I never knew possible. Some days, they’re lucky their fluffy butts are so darn cute 😉 I’ve learned a few things over the years, so here are my top ten tips for training a Great Pyrenees.
Be Patient
I cannot express how important patience is when training a Great Pyrenees. Pyrs do what they want on their own time. Don’t be surprised if your pyr takes ten or fifteen seconds to follow the command you asked for.
While it’s tempting, do not repeat your command over and over (i.e. “Sit, sit, SIT, SIT, SIT!!”). Ask your dog to sit and wait. If after several seconds your dog doesn’t listen or becomes distracted by something else, refocus and ask for the sit again. They will test you, so patience is a must.
Related: My Training Confession
Be Confident
A continuation of “be patient” is to be confident. A Great Pyrenees will challenge you. They are independent dogs that were bred to do their job without humans. That instinct doesn’t disappear in pet pyrs.
Confidence is not harsh. It’s sticking by what you asked your dog and requiring follow through. Which leads me to…
Keep It Positive
The Great Pyrenees is an extremely sensitive breed, despite their large size and sometimes intimidating demeanor. Hitting, screaming, alpha rolling, or other similar behavior will only harm your relationship with your pyr. If your pyr can’t trust you, he certainly won’t want to work with you.
Focus on Bonding
I have noticed that the most obedient pyrs are the ones who have the greatest bonds with their people. Bonding doesn’t mean the dog is always by your side — rather you can feel the relationship you have with your dog.
Take your dog on walks, trips to the store — just spend time together. Always let your pup know when you’re happy. Praise is an amazing motivator when training a Great Pyrenees.
Keep a Sense of Humor
You’re going to lose your mind. It’s a part of having a Great Pyrenees, especially an adolescent. When you’ve been trying to get your pyr to sit for five minutes or get him inside all evening, you’re going to go a bit insane. Keep a sense of humor or no one will survive 😉
Take It Slow
Pyrs are exceptionally smart, but they get bored easily. I never work with the big floofs for more than 10 minutes and only 5 minutes for baby floof. However, I do this several times per day. Add little down-stay sessions while you’re cooking dinner or brushing your teeth. Get creative and have fun with it!
Practice Everywhere
Your pyr can have a rock solid down-stay in your home, but that will rarely translate into other situations. Get out and about to work with different stimulants and distractions. I love walking through pet-friendly stores to work on basic commands and overall socialization.
Use the Right Tools
Great Pyrenees are big, strong dogs. Adolescent pyrs will often drag you down the street. Gentle Leaders and no-pull harnesses are great positive tools for working on loose leash walking. Remember, these are tools, not solutions. It’s imperative to continue training and use these tools to keep you on your feet as they learn.
Related: Positive Training for Giant Breeds
Prepare for Setbacks
When they are puppies, you’ll think you have it all figured out. They’re listening immaculately, picking up on every skill, and just wonderful dogs. Then adolescence hits and your pyr suddenly forgets everything. He’s shredding things in the house again and looks at you like you have three heads when you ask for a simple down. This is normal and also why so many pyrs get surrendered at this age.
It’s all well and good when your 30-pound puppy is prancing around like a maniac. It’s a completely different story when your 100-pound puppy is doing the same thing. Plan for this to occur and never stop training.
Understand the Breed
This is, by far, the most important thing when training your Great Pyrenees. If you understand the breed and how their minds work, you’ll have greater success. Here are a few articles if you’re looking for more information.
- 5 Things I Wish People Knew About Great Pyrenees (before bringing one home)
- A Beginner’s Guide to Great Pyrenees
- Meet the Giants: Great Pyrenees
- Great Pyrenees: Myth or Fact?
What tips do you have for training your Great Pyrenees?
Valerie Mays says
January 5, 2018 at 11:51 amOk training question to you. Duke watches everything around property. I have a neibor who walks by the place everyday, wants to make friends but Duke won’t have it. I can take him to dog friendly places and as good as gold. But at my home which is fenced in. Duke won’t visit with neibor. Would this be because Duke thinks he is on duty protecting the property? How is the best way to correct this.
Emily Anderson says
July 2, 2018 at 9:55 pmI would say have the neighbor come over and show him that the neighbors are nice and that he won’t hurt you. Pyrenees are very protective dogs who have a “herd”. If someone comes that isn’t in the herd around the house they will get suspicious and maybe even mean.
Nancy Geer says
February 19, 2019 at 9:36 amOne trick Iv’ve learned is that if I have the person I’m introducing to Ike shake hands with me, it apoears to be a message to him that they are ok. They can can hen let him smell their hand and he accepts them.
Utsav Srinet says
January 6, 2018 at 1:56 amI just got a GREAT PYRENEES….this article is really helpful. Thanks!
Kathleen says
January 7, 2018 at 4:07 amHave them meet each other when he is outside of your yard and have the neighbor give them treats only when he has clamed down. This may take several minutes but ignore him until he does calm down
Rock Larsen says
January 12, 2018 at 5:06 pmMy Pry Francesca who is just a year old now will only make left turns when we go for a walk, which basically means you just go around the block. She won’t budge if I try to get her to go right. What do you think is causing that and what do you recommend I do to get her to go any direction I want without her being stubborn? Thanks for any suggestions. Rock
Fernando says
September 1, 2018 at 5:58 pmHi – That’s interesting I also have a Pyr that’s OCD. Additionally, she’s a big clown, confident and v intelligent ; ). Your issue may not be so much ‘left-turn only’ but she probably has a preset path in her head she wants to follow. I would suggest alternating from where you usually enter the park and go from there, also talk to her and tell her everything is ‘OK’ (she’ll understand the significance of the phrase over time and not just for this application but others too). For example; on one of our routes, mine will walk down the path but when we turn around to walk back she will insist on walking on the other side of the street….there is no pavement on the other side (actually, she does this pretty much everywhere we go). So, I pet/hug her for a few seconds, tell her everything is ‘OK’ which eventually elicits jovial expression and we’re on our way back the same way we came.
Sharon says
January 14, 2018 at 12:35 pmwhere is the entry for the Nuvet giveaway?
Gmail QA says
January 25, 2018 at 3:31 amI don’t have Great Pyrenees but I have a Miniature Pinscher 🙂 these tips are all good for me.
lacey moore says
March 17, 2018 at 7:42 pmI have a resume dog and I am certain he is a Pyrenees mix but not positive what else.he is a very special unique dog unlike any 18v had bf and 18v self w several.what do I need to know and why are they w their own unique ways and tips vs just having a dog.also how can I find other then expensive testing what other breed he could possibly be mixed with.
lacey moore says
March 17, 2018 at 7:43 pmI ment a rescue dog
Anna Sakila says
March 22, 2018 at 8:40 amThis breed is fairly active so I think they won’t be easy for dog lovers to train him/her. Hope these tips work well. Thank you for sharing.
Melinda dillashaw says
April 6, 2018 at 12:18 pmI can’t get my 2 month old py to walk with a leash.do I need a harness?
Vicki ransel says
April 29, 2018 at 5:39 pmHow do you get a 8 week old from biting
Margaret Andris says
July 1, 2018 at 7:22 pmPLEASE HELP ME TRAIN MY GREAT PRY hUNTER TO STOP BITTING ANY IDEAS ARE APPRECIATED
Ton says
July 16, 2018 at 2:51 pm8 week old is teething
Diana says
October 18, 2018 at 12:26 amFrozen carrots and other suitable chew toys that will help relieve the gum pain and occupy the pup. Kong’s with frozen PB or fruit and/or veggies work also. Applesauce is another favorite around my house, just make sure it’s all natural (no added sugar) or your pup will be bouncing off the walls.
Kim Troboy says
November 21, 2018 at 5:49 amI have a 2.5 year old Pyr who had chewing and other ‘mouthing’ issues. My furniture, etc., has absolutely no damage, so we got her through that stage in good shape.
We used lots of exercise and active play, like catch a rubber waffle ball or play tug of war with a knotted rope. We gave her a wide variety of chew toys to choose from, except no rawhide. Her favorites are hard bones, antlers, and a thick cedar branch she found in the yard. I froze wet wash cloths for teething and she loved them. We did short training sessions (sit, down, stay/wait, come, etc.) to distract her if she attempted to chew furniture.
Punishment does not work. Distraction, praise, treats, and partnership training do work. I like ‘partnership’ training better than ‘obedience’ training. It makes more sense to Pyrs and helps to build your bond with them.
Other ‘mouthing’ issues? My Pyr still loves to lock jaws with my sister’s golden retriever. They both love that game and will play it for hours. Neither of them will actually bear down and bite, and no growling is going on … Strictly play. If she tries it with other dogs, I monitor closely to make sure it stays playful. I separate at any hint of a growl.
That’s my two cents worth!
Marcia Wilson says
May 20, 2018 at 1:51 pmI have a great pyrenees she’s almost 8 months old.And will not do her business out side .I’ll let her out.But she’ll do it in the bathroom instead Zoe always chews on items if I leave her out of the crate. I brought one because she’s chewing up mail,couch,etc .Last weekend Zoe chewed my husbands wallet and a credit card.How can I change this behavior
Doug East says
November 4, 2018 at 2:42 pmTry some rawhide bones for her to chew on
samuel orris says
May 29, 2018 at 12:14 amI just adopted a pet dog few days ago. And i was planning to train him. Thanks a lot for the tips. I think it will help me to train my dog.
PetComments says
May 29, 2018 at 12:30 pmHi, this is purely a great tip. Personally, I never encounter this kind of breed yet. Maybe different breed has the different attitude and needs a bit more patient. But the Great Pyrenees looks good and has its own personalities and in the end, I would say, the dog will be a dog, no matter what breed, just need a little bit patient and passion to train your dog. What do you think is the best approach for the positive “punishment”, I mean something like just naughty behaviour and play around without listening to any instruction.
Emily Anderson says
July 2, 2018 at 9:54 pmI need help. I just got a Pyrenees Akbash mix puppy and she is so shy of EVERYTHING. I go to pet her and she runs. Even if I’m down low and not on top of her. She just is so scared and I want to know what to do. PLEASE HELP
Morgan Berkgren says
September 26, 2018 at 10:41 amWe just got a 10 month old Great Pyrenees and yes he is super loving and fun but extremely stubborn when it comes to coming inside. I have tried bribing him with treats, coaxing him, and even being stern but he just jumps around moans and groans and refuses to come inside. However a couple of days before this he would come in just fine and I would reward him. I get the sense that he is testing my husband and I and I just need to know ways to get him to come inside so I can start building a training base with him. Please Help I am at a loss.
alan wolcik says
November 24, 2018 at 6:32 pmMine is 3 years old and I have had him about 11 wks now. He wants to walk a lot I mean a lot and when we get back to the house. The brakes come on, no matter how far I have taken him. I put a tie out in the front yard and leave him there till he wants to come in. Plus I would take him for walk were I stop by the house to get him to come in, if he does I would get a drink of water and back out again. Building trust. I also take him to dog parks, riding in the car. At first he never wanted to get back in the car either. So I did the patient wait after giving him the command…. wait a minute give him the command again, wait now he is pretty much getting back in the car with maybe one wait, to test me.. 🙂 Hope these help.
Maria says
November 3, 2018 at 11:39 amI trained my Pyr with the help of a my Golden Retriever. The Golden Retriever would perform a task such as sit and get a treat. When the Pyr sees that she gets a treat, he does it too.
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Stephanie says
December 11, 2018 at 5:11 pmThis article is GOLD! We have always had labs and couldn’t understand why our new pyr wasn’t learning the commands. I started researching and the #1 tip is to know the breed!!!! Once we understood her, we bonded right away and everything got easier. We still have our bumps, but much much better!!!! Thank you!!
Rosie says
January 23, 2019 at 10:31 amWhat a wonder way to provide the tips. Very well explained. I am gonna follow these tips while training my dog.
John G says
February 23, 2019 at 10:09 pmIf you’ve ever had a 14 year old defiant child in your home you know how a pyr is. If you just tell them to do something they will just turn the other way like you said nothing. However if you have calmly and patiently gone through a routine with them over and over they will just do it with a simple eye contact or a nod. At that point they become they absolute joy of your life. So hang in there and nothing can replace time you spend with your pyr.
Laura says
March 26, 2019 at 3:18 pmMy dog is 11 months old and when I call him, he just walks or runs the opposite direction while barking. We live on 35 acres about 50 miles from a major city. I have been trying to get my dog to stay on our own land and he is protective of our chickens and cats. I want to get lambs soon. Three days ago, my asshole lying neighbor shot my dog because he claimed my dog was chasing his cattle – damned liar. My dog has gone over and laid by the cattle as if he were protecting them and I have seen this several times. I really can’t say here what I intend to do if that fat bastard ever comes on my land, but as a woman who is always alone here when my husband is at work…..well, I would have REASONABLE BELIEF that I was going to be raped….and REASONABLE BELIEF IS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE IN COURT. My dog is very headstrong and recently a trainer told me that my dog is like a 14 year old obnoxious and belligerent teenager right now. He is more difficult than any teenager I have ever known.
Jen says
May 3, 2019 at 11:27 amGreat Pyrenees need strong fences. This is probably going to piss off everybody at this website, but I’m going to say it anyway. I have four dogs, one is a great Pyrenees rescue. We have an invisible fence for them, his collar is turned all the way up to the strongest setting, it’s the prong on each side style collar which gives them a better shock, and he still crosses the fence sometimes when he’s chasing coyotes, opossums, and turkeys. Pain does not get in the way of a pyr doing his job.
Before I moved to South Carolina, I lived at 43 acres and we didn’t have any fencing, just like you. There was no containment at all for the dog. My neighbor had cattle, and my dog came home with a bloody face one day. It turned out that he had found a calf a brand new born calf and he was trying to drag it back to the herd. He tried dragging it by ear, and he tried dragging it by its tail.Of course, the guy was really pissed. I don’t blame him. Thankfully, it was a bullcalf, he gave it some anabiotic’s and got rid of it at the auction. If it was a heifer, it would cost me two or $3000. He was probably not chasing your neighbors cattle, but he may have been trying to herd it into a group. It is their instinct. I’m sorry your dog got shot, but it is your duty and your responsibility to keep the dog on your own property. A great Pyrenees will patrol 700 acres if he’s not contained. Like I said, great Pyrenees need strong fences.
Jenny says
March 30, 2019 at 8:00 amMy Sweet Great Pyrenees is giving us a challenge lately. We rescued her when we were looking for a new family dog. I have 3 daughters and we also already had a cat, 2 pet bunnies and 2 guinea pigs. We wanted a dog that would fit with our current family. She has abs has been wonderful, loving, nurturing and gentle with all. We also live in a very cold and snowy mountainous area, she loves it. We just adore her and are so happy with her, but are recently having problems on walks. In the past, we would sometimes meet dogs on walks and I would warn the other owners that she barks to protect me sometimes, but also was happy to make a new dog friend other times. I never knew which it would be. If she barked, I would tell the other owner sorry and keep walking. Lately, any new dog she meets she barks at. The barking is progressing to lunging, snarling and she really looks like she would attack and kill the other dog if I didn’t pull her away with all my strength. I’m worried. I try to divert our walks if I see another dog coming, I go a different direction. I can’t always control it though. I’m afraid of another sweet dog getting bit by my dog. I’ve looked at muzzles because I’d rather be safe than sorry, but I haven’t purchased one. I’ve also read about hypothyroidism needing to be checked and could be a cause of aggression. I’ve been researching and understand this breed and her need to protect me from threats. I understand the bonding and positive praise. I just am also very fearful lately that she’s going to hurt another dog. What do you recommend? What more can I do? It seems like these last 6 months have been unlike the other 3 years we’ve had her. The vet speculated she was 18 months when we rescued her. So possibly she’s 4 1/2. Maybe a tad younger or older.
John Kos says
April 21, 2019 at 3:02 pmHow old should be a Great Great Pyrenees so that I can start training him?
Thomas says
May 24, 2019 at 8:02 amThese tips are really helpful in a way that you’re not just training pyrs on how to follow commands but also it develops your good traits and tests your character in you. These learnings not just help the dog to be attentive and disciplined but also it builds bond and good relationship between the dog and the owner.