When we get
As livestock guardian dogs, they don’t behave like most breeds. They bark, they dig, they roam, and they’re very independent.
I love Great Pyrenees—that’s no secret. But, I don’t promote them
If you want a Great
You don’t like barking—especially at night
When people are interested in a Great Pyrenees and ask me about my experiences, I always start by saying that they bark a lot.
Like all. the. time.
This comment is usually followed by, “Oh, my *insert breed here* barks a lot too. At everything. So barking isn’t a big deal—we’re used to it.”
I can tell you that it’s unlikely that your dog barks as much as a pyr or other livestock guardian dog (LGD). Regardless of how much barking I try and prepare people for, they never believe me—until they add a pyr to their family.
Then I get the email: “Oh my gosh, I had no idea that dogs could bark that much!”
If you think you know
Related: Will My Great Pyrenees Bark All the Time?
You don’t have a fence
There’s a reason most rescues require a 6 ft fence for Great Pyrenees.
Pyrs can easily scale fences, require solid fencing, and
You won’t have much luck with invisible fences either. Pyrs have an incredibly high pain tolerance and won’t think twice about the shock.
If you don’t have a fence and want a Great Pyrenees, you’ll need to be able to commit to leash walking and other safe ways to exercise your dog.
Regardless if you have a sturdy fence or not, I am a big fan of GPS collars to easily track down your floof!
You want an off-leash dog
If you dream of walking along the beach with your pyr trotting along beside you or going to a hike while your dog frolics through the woods, you probably shouldn’t get a Great Pyrenees.
The vast majority of Great Pyrenees cannot be off-leash.
The saying goes: an off-leash pyr is a disapyr.
Atka can be off-leash in certain situations, but it has to be a pretty low key environment. Mauja and Kiska can never be off-leash. There have been several times that I’ve seen their
Such stinkers.
Everything goes back to this: Great Pyrenees are livestock guardian dogs.
They think their territory is as far as they can roam, and they’ll constantly test the limits. If you keep that in the front of your mind, you’ll never question your pyr’s behavior.
It’s like Mufasa said: “Everything the light touches is our kingdom.”
Related: How to Prevent Great Pyrenees Roaming
You want a trick dog
Pyrs are incredibly smart, but they aren’t usually interested in tricks and obedience. This doesn’t mean they can’t be trained—they just typically have better ideas.
“You want me to sit? Okay, I’ll sit, but I’m going to do it 15 feet away.”
“You want me to shake? Ehh… not really in the mood right now. Try again later.”
Shake, come, and down are trivial to them. They have more important things to focus on: protecting you and the rest of their flock.
This doesn’t mean that pyrs can’t be trained. They’re incredibly smart and need to be challenged. Just don’t expect it to be like training a Golden Retriever!
Related: 10 Tips for Training Great Pyrenees
You like a well-manicured lawn
Or at least one without giant craters.
I wish I had pictures of our lawn before we moved in. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a nice-looking yard.
Fast forward two
We tried to fence it off to grow grass, but they would just climb over and lay on the seeds. We eventually gave up.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve twisted my ankle or knee walking through the yard!
There are ways to minimize digging (like by building a digging box), but there’s always going to be a new place they want to dig. Mauja likes to try and remove the grass so she can lay on the cool dirt.
Related: Great Pyrenees Tips (from people who know the breed)
You don’t like brushing—or vacuuming 10 times a day
Grooming Great Pyrenees is
If I want to do a full grooming session—bath, brush, ears, nails, teeth, and paw trimming—I need to set aside a day to get all three dogs done. Even then, I sometimes have to spread it out over a few days so I don’t completely wear out.
You’ll also need to be prepared to vacuum multiple times per
Everything sticks to their coats and is brought inside. Some days, we have more leaves and small twigs around the house than fur. I’m not sure which I’d prefer!
Related: 5 Must-Have Tools for Grooming Great Pyrenees
What are other reasons a Great Pyrenees might not be for someone?
If you have a problem with drool – long long slimy sticky strings of drool on clothing, across their own nose, all over my golden retrievers after pyr play.
If I had read this before getting my 8 week old rescue or done any research at all I never would have gotten her but she was so cute & I didn’t know what a Pyr was. So home she came. The 1st year was a huge learning curve. I read all I could on the breed. I was terrified but thanks to a horrible childhood that gave me abandonment issues I refused to give up & took her to every class I could find, trained her as a therapy dog to give her a job & loved her no matter what she did or destroyed. It wasn’t easy but I believe there are no bad dogs, just bad owners. I now have 2 Pyrs but no yard, lots of holes, chewed furniture, very vocal Pyrs, enough fur & dirt inside to make another yard & a clogged vacuum but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am thankful every day for them but I’m not typical. Think & research 1st!!❤️
<3 LOVE <3
i never wanted one and cant imagine i ever will, but i absolutely admire you for sticking with it and honoring your commitment – the way i think it should ALWAYS be when animals are involved, but sadly, we all know there are too many people for whom "commitment" is a nice idea, but comes with all sorts of exceptions (excuses).
Barking I don’t mind, I just open the door, take him out and let him see for himself it’s OK! All bets are off if a garbage truck appears anywhere!
Digging is not so bad, but god forbid there’s mud in the yard, he’ll find it and roll in it till he’s brown.
Escape artist! Absolutely, have a fifty foot leash to give him the feeling of roaming, speaking of which, he’s adopted all the neighbors kids! They help when he escapes! Usually through the front door!
Grooming, I actually like the bonding time!
What you didn’t mention is that they want to be the center of attention .
Loves water if it’s not past his chest.
Did manage to train him with the normal things, sit, sit up, paw, come, drop, speak ( easy) stay (not so much) but his two absolute favorite games are chase and hide and seek!
A little patience and a yard = Best dog ever!
My Pyr HATES to be brushed. If I take out the brush, she runs into her crate. She is badly matted, so I need help.
Please take her to a GROOMER. Like now. Like regularly.
I would start with scissors. get the matted hair gone. perhaps the brush hurts your pyr’s skin. use diluted hair conditioner after a bath. how about that stuff “No more tangles”? Use a different kind of comb/brush bristle. I have a long haired cat. he fights me unless I get in his face and make him understand that I am the Alpha cat and I make the rules.
We rescued a 4 year old Pyr from our local shelter. No one would take him because he was so large. He had been there for 6 months and they were looking for a rescue sanctuary to take him. We are a very Senior Couple but still active, the Rescue agreed to let us take him on trial.
He is rarely alone and never for more than 3 hours. We fenced in a large part of our yard for him and walk him twice a day a mile each time. He learned that we were not going to let him chase the Squirrels and Wild Turkeys in our neighborhood pretty quickly, no problem. He hates cars, and trucks, especially the garbage truck. Any suggestion on how to stop him from trying to attack them while we are hanging onto the leash for dear life? He is super sweet and very affectionate, we would never give him up. We have even gotten used to the dog hair in and on everything!
When you walk your baby, keep him close to your side. Don’t let him wall in front of you. I use a 12 inch leash and was able to walk 3 pyrs at on time with very little pulling after about 2 weeks walking twice a day. It takes time. I also used a choke chain, which I do not recommend for everyone, please consult a trainer on how to use properly. Keep in mind I was walking 3 at time, now that I only have 1 that I can take on walks I don’t need to use a choke chain anymore. I learned how to walk my babies by watching The Dog Whisperer. I hope this helps you, best of luck and Thank you so much for rescuing.
I absolutely love this article. And yes, it is ALL true, plus some!! I too did all of my research before owning a Pyr and committed. I too thought I had it all under control. Well, she taught me who was boss! Lol. But I wouldn’t trade them for the world and now we accommodate our life and house to their needs. I wouldn’t own another breed! They are the most loving, loyal dogs out there. Yes they are super stubborn and bark endlessly. But they are worth every second of frustration. I would never give my children up just because they are smart and independent and full of life. They are my children. And I am blessed they have chosen to protect me!
Everything is very open with a precise description of the challenges.
It was definitely informative. Your site is extremely helpful.
Thanks for sharing!
I am glad I didn’t know all the downfalls to owning a Pyr. Riley is my heart. I accept him the way he is. Got a little dicey when he out of the blue started dragging me. We squared that away and…hey we are family.
None of this article was a reason for me not getting another pyr…. My reason is because when you have been loved by a pyr… When they cross the rainbow bridge…. They take part of your heart with them.. Its been several years since my family lost our Charlie…. And the hurt is still there…I miss him daily… That’s the hardest part for me…
I guess I got lucky. I have had giant breeds before but my pyr is my first LGD. I got her from the top breeder in the country . She barks but not incessantly, she is 2 1/2 and has never been destructive . Has been left loose in the house since she was 8 months old. She is extremely affectionate and usually does what she is told. The only issue I ever had was she used to go into the parrots cage, pull out the dirty newspaper and sit and guard it. Snapped at me when I tried to take it. Did that once and I fixed the problem real fast. Now when she takes the paper and I say what do you have, she hides in the corner facing the wall. She is one of the best dogs I ever owned and despite the hair, she’s perfection
Our girl is 4 months and starting to shed cotton balls. She is a puppy so everything is a potential toy.,We do not chase her for anything. Teach come, treat at counter. Give, gently remove object and thank her. Treat. Take her to find her toy and treat . She is starting to drop the object and come for a treat now. She is testing what is a toy she is allowed and would prefer all shoes and toilet paper rolls:) I keep close watch when she is out free in the house.
Our Pry mix barked aggressively at every delivery/postal service worker who came to the door, until my daughter set him up with subscription toy & treat boxes. After the second delivery, Sarge caught on that getting boxes was awesome! Now he still barks at deliveries, but his tail is wagging and his tone is definitely not aggressive!
We’re on our third … the grandson of our first. This is a great article and is generally true in all respects. We have been successful with our invisible fence, but it’s also around 3+ acres and two creeks, so perhaps the significant size is sufficient to satisfy their, now his, wanderlust. I raised Dobermann’s for 20 years and thought I knew “smart” until our first Great Pyr … there is no contest … the Pyrs are the smartest, albeit most independent breed and therefore you can’t judge “smart” by teaching tricks … they can’t be bothered by stupid tricks … but present them with a complex problem and they’ll work thru it instantly and respond appropriately. They are amazing, loyal and loving …
Sooo true, my girls get on top of our firepit table so they can look over the fence to make sure no zombies are coming. They bark at a leaf falling from the tree. ( hey it might hit me on the head) We have a broom and dust pan in every room to gather hair and a shop vac in the living room at all times. Locks on all gates they know how to open them. Would I ever get rid of the most loving dogs I have ever had ? NEVER.
We went through 11 vacuums with our pair of pyrs but finally settled on a huge shop vac lol! Ours were well contained by a fence but angel was so smart she knew that hubby forgot to latch the extremely heavy 6’ tall wood gate that I needed help opening and out she went to see her boyfriend down the street. My friend had a pyr that has twice scaled the fence and went a few blocks to Walgreens and let himself in the automatic door. They said he walked in like he owned the place!
I have owned four Pyrs over the years & I absolutely love the breed. It takes dedication to train them as some days, they won’t comply, but there are things you can be successful at – such as not dragging you down the street as you’re walking them.
My latest Pyr was a LSD but apparently not very good at it. Wanted to spend time playing with the goats & people. I was unaware that he had never lived in a house before I adopted him, so there were a lot of challenges. I brush him weekly most times & I have him bathed & groomed every 3 months.
No matter the amount of frustration he has given me, I never had a thought of returning him to rescue. It just too more time than I anticipated. There is a lot of digging & he seems to LOVE being filthy, but it dries & you brush him & ta-da, he’s white again.
Do you research before you get a Pyr. They cause a lot of work with dirt & fur, and grooming, so if you’re not up to it, get a different breed. If you are up to it, you won’t ever be sorry!
They are actually huge white cats in disguise (-:
Our two are very independent– we even thought one of our Pyrs was deaf! But, no, he just has selective hearing. Now he throws his refrigerator – sized body across the door to the house to keep us outdoors in pet-me mode, rather than allowing us to go indoors. Very smart! Very angelic! Very dedicated and loving! Very much a unique creature with an endless supply of saliva and fur! Best dog ever– but certainly not for people who want a carefree pet! For one thing, Pyr owners are forever sleep-deprived! They keep us awake barking…but HE hears coyotes far, far away, and we don’t. Our “deaf” dog who can’t hear the word “come” or “treat” (yes, he ignores that one, too!) can hear the most distant predator. Tons of work; expensive grooming bills; tons of slobber…but worth it to a special kind of human! They are our angels and protectors!
EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS TRUE i’VE HAD THEM FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS RIGHT NOW i have one who dosent like any other dogs in his house HE WAS ACTUALLY RAISED WITH A GERMAN SHEPERD FOR YEARS AND SHE PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR AND i think he loves all the affection he gets except when he see’s me put on my scrubs and I CALL him in he becomes deaf and ignores me so I RETRIEVE FROM THE YARD This boy hasn’t chewed anything in 6 years but I have them chew my sectional So when I get a puppy I always say and what are you going to chew The drool on this boy is alot he’s areal wet mouth and I almost slipped in the kithcen LOL But it is my most Bloved Breed
I adore our Pyrs and would probably die for them, just as I know they would die for me. But I wouldn’t want them in the house. They belong with our goats, as I see it and as they see it.
We had a Pyrenees . She came from a Breeder .As a Puppy…what an adorable ball of fluff. She grew rapidly.Loved exploring / from very young had her groomed regularly. Some of my friends knitted with their Pyrs Coat . Blankets / Sweaters etc. We went to classes . However in all our years together,I really never heard her Bark unnecessarily. So was surprised by these other Stories. Had many people that wanted her. However , only my Death would do that….one of my Favourite Breeds.
Mind you I also Loved immensely my Rottweiler. Our Pyrs Name was SASSY .
Our Rottweilers Name was HANNAH. Beautiful , Wonderful Pets . ♥️❤️🌺🌺🌺🌺
I have 2 pyrs and am shaking my head. They don’t bark all of the time. They do dig but the yard isn’t destroyed. There are a couple of good sized holes but in two places that they regularly station themselves to watch the place. And our fence, while strong isn’t 6 ft. They will not and have never jumped the fence. Now, honestly, they can smell an open gate or a hole in the fence but don’t jump. Not saying they couldn’t but they don’t.
My boyfriend just got me a pyr. She’s so beautiful. I’m going to continue to read the tips on how to manage her. But I’m pregnant and I want to know if they’re good with children?
WONDERFULwith them! So Genoa d protective. Best of luck!
Despite all that facts, I still want to have a great pyrenees!