It’s inevitable that people are going to want to talk to me about Mauja and Atka when we’re out and about, and I absolutely love it. However, sometimes people make comments that I really don’t know how to respond to. Sometimes, the comments are obvious, and other times, they’re slightly offensive.
Fair warning: After rereading the post, I realized I was feeling slightly sarcastic when I wrote it.
“Those are some big dogs!”
Yes, yes they are quite large; no, they’re not “white Newfoundlands;” and no, they’re not polar bears.
“They’re SO FLUFFY!”
Yes, they’re fluffy; yes, they require a lot of brushing; and no, I don’t shave them.
“Those dogs are bigger than you!”
No, they don’t drag me down the street; no, I don’t need help with them; and yes, they outweigh me.
Related: Great Pyrenees Tips (from people who know the breed)
“They’re so white!”
Yes, they are; and no, I don’t have to bathe them all the time.
“My aunt’s friend’s sister had one of those.”
Cool! I love meeting other pyr lovers, but calling them “one of those” means you’re probably not one of them. Can I meet your aunt’s friend’s sister?
“Put a saddle on that thing and you could ride it!”
First, please don’t refer to my dog as “that thing”. Second, that’s a terrible idea. I know sometimes people are joking, but children don’t typically recognize that. Then we end up with kids sitting on dog’s backs, injuring the dog, and sometimes getting themselves injured.
“How can you afford to feed them?”
I really don’t even know where to go with this one. Do I look like I don’t have money to care for my dog or do you assume I’m making a lot of money because I have giant breed dogs? What are you insinuating here?
Related: 5 Must-Have Tools for Grooming Great Pyrenees
“How much did they cost?”
Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t feel like this is an appropriate question to ask anyone. Usually, I respond with a range that I’ve seen for Great Pyrenees from rescues and breeders. This question always makes me uncomfortable.
“Oh, I had a *insert random breed here* growing up too!”
That’s really awesome, but these are actually Great Pyrenees. Often followed by, “Oh, yeah! Great Pyrenees. That’s what I had.”
“Will you be having puppies soon?”
This question usually arises shortly after I tell people what breed Mauja and Atka are. They know nothing about the breed (except that they are stunning) and now want their own. I have to gently calm people down so we can discuss breed traits before they impulsively buy a Great Pyrenees. Also, no – they are both fixed.
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Haahaaa….yep, I hear that same stuff and more. I have a new Nissan Murano, white leather interior, sunroof. People are horrified that I put my dogs in there….then I explain they are the reason I bought that car!
I have 3 Pyrs one is 12 1/2 years old fighting her second battle with cancer(one she will “NOT” win). I also have 1965 Mustang coupe coming out of the shop after getting off- frame restoration being done to it. I promised Greta she would be the first living creature to ride in it, My wife heard this and I am getting used to eating at Mickey D’s and sleeping on the couch. it will be worth it.
They let you sleep on the couch??? lucky you!
What a great story and I do hope your Greta has been able to take that ride with you.
Prayers she is still with you and doing better.
Me too!
I had two of these wonderful dogs ( not at the same time) when my children were growing up . They were just perfect for the little ones, so gentle . I now have a huge 225 lb Newfie and get the same questions. Someone seeing him from a distance asked if he was a gorilla .
True!
Enjoy your Gentlemen in white fur as Louis the XIV called them.
Haha, this post just made my day!! This is really funny!! Hahaha!
I just tell folks they are miniature polar bears, and it shortens the questioning. When people first call her a polar bear I get to correct them and call her a “miniature”.
I always get nervous when someone asks me where to “get” a Pyr….we presently are lucky enough to care for two, both Rescues, as they were not well treated before, and became strays. I love our Pyrs so much, and enjoy everything about sharing our home with them.We learned about Pyrs years ago with our Charlie….
They require a fence, frequent brushing, and lots of hugs, but our kids will never overwhelm you with licks and affection. And make sure you have a big couch and a good vacuum cleaner.
I bought and wore a T-shirt with all the answers on it! “Do they eat a lot? No.; “Do they shed a lot? Yes.; etc. I sometimes just pointed to the shirt! Didn’t mind the comments…enjoyed talking to children about the breed. They were always very curious, and I heard some pretty funny stories about their own pets!
I bought a T-shirt that had all the answers printed on it! “Do they eat a lot? No.” “Do they shed a lot? Yes.” Etc. Didn’t mind the comments or questions really. Especially enjoyed talking to children about my dog. They always had funny stories about their pets!
I keep hearing that they shed a lot and that makes sense, however my daughter is fostering one right now and we spent the weekend with them and hers barely shed. My daughter thinks she’s probably already lost her spring coat and this could be why… also, we fell in love with her, so we’re adopting her!
So happy she has you in her life! Thank you for making her part of your family
Absolutely made my day
This is fantastic, haha! I may have to do a similar post on stupid things people say to dachshund owners, because that list is ENDLESS.
I’ve dealt with most of these very same questions my entire life with Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Pyrenees… Drives me crazy!
Two stories: I had a golden and a berner pup at the same time. Of course, they’re always wrong about the breeds but… “What a gorgeous St. Bernard and picture perfect golden lab!!” She had a descent looking lab at the end of her leash…. sigh….
Second: Walking around at a balloon festival with our Newfie, Berner, and Mini Dachshund when I here a parent say to a child, “Look honey, a daddy doggy, a mama doggy, and the baby doggy.” I grabbed my husband’s arm so I wouldn’t overreact….
And, then they look at you like you have no idea what you’re talking about when you offer a bit of advice. Sigh…
We have a great pyr, Odin and we get all those questions plus is he friendly?? My husband’s reply is yes he only eats (describes person such as women/men/kids) on whatever day of the week it is (Sunday etc.) Usually the person has already started petting before they register what he just said…you can tell when the pull back then he laughs and says he is friendly.
You guys are breaking my heart…my babes (bro& sis) 7 mos old littermates, have had a difficult time adjusting to our recent move. It is looking like my husband (who got us the pups) will be telling us we will have to let them go to new homes, a rescue or back to their farm. I’m dreading the argument and heartbreak that most likely will ensue, when he comes home, to have the conversation he said: ” You won’t lIke having.”
Leave the husband by the side of the road somewhere.
I love the opportunity to inform people about pyrs. The two most common for me are “wow he must shed a lot” and “wow he must get very dirty!”. My responses are “worth it.” and “they’re actually self-cleaning so I don’t have to bathe them as often as you’d think!” respectively.
I hear: “Why would you want a dog that weighs more than you do?”
I have a 1 yr old Pyr, Finn. Rescued at 8 weeks. She is the love of my life & sweet as can be. I enjoy any opportunity to talk about her, even if the questions are rediculous.
YES! My boy is 1 1/2 and a solid 130lbs! I love when people are interested in him, but they tend to make it sound like having a giant breed is a negative thing, especially when we walk him with our 4 month old daughter. When I explain he is extremely sweet and patient with her, a lot of people “warn me” about the potential of him hurting her. Very frustrating!! Love your blog! 🙂
Polar Bear. Ya, that one!
Our girl qualifies as “petite” for a Great Pyr, at 70-75 pounds… when people remark about how big she is, I love to drop their jaws with that. 😉
Got the same thing with my 160lb. Malamute. The question/statement that always got under my skin was “I want one. What is it?” When asked anything like questions above I usually made it sound like owning one was a negative experience. We have enough dogs in shelters to be adding more just bc they are cute but misunderstood. Ive looked into the Pyr breed myself.
BTW…Decided it was not the right dog for us at this time only bc we have two other dogs where there might be a conflct in the future. Love the breed after having home visits with rescues and meeting with breeders but wont take a chance right now. Hope to have one in the future though. So sweet.
We have the same questions asked on a consistent basis and like you we try to tell the good and bad if there is such a thing about the breed because of fear that people are just going to buy it because they think they are just big white fluffy teddy bears without realizing that they need patience and lots of tender loving care. We can’t imagine our lives with out Dozer so we will take the fur everywhere and the paws in the face and all the love and laughter he gives us!
Bahaha! Thank you for this, laughed so hard! We live in CO and Apollo our 9yr old Pyr goes with us everywhere, hiking, slopes, & festivals. He is stunning, simple farm dog with working parents but we get stopped constantly. We joke about wearing a sign:
Yes he is a dog, yes he looks like a polar bear, yes he is fluffy and yes he sheds, A Lot!
Not a Newfie, not a Berner
Yes we brush him weekly
No we do not shave him
He gets one or two baths a year
Yes he is friendly just don’t try to enter the back of our house when we are not home, and yes he loves to snuggle
No he does not eat enourmous amounts of food
He weighs 125-130
Expensive, well he came from a farm.
Insta- @big_dog_luv
After our first “bear”, Koda, we were adopted by our second Pyr Karma… turned out to be a very good name as, just like life, you get back what give out. Can’t imagine life without the fluffy duo! And you can ask me all the questions you want (stupid or otherwise) I love to trap people with stories and pictures….
I enjoy it when people stop to ask about Ike, though it does mean we never get anywhere very fast. I like to educate kids about dogs and have many times had kids come up to me with their friends and give them the spill about what kind of dog he is, how to approach strange dogs and where he likes to be petted, etc. I recently had a school teacher approach me and ask if we could come to her classroom. I think that will be fun.
My big boy Geronimo, knows everyone in my neighborhood,. A neighborhood that covers 18 square blocks and he makes sure everyone pets him… I’ve heard Everyone of those examples of yours, but I also know no other dog would make an impact like our Great Pyrenees.
I can’t go anywhere with Shantee without a mob. She loves the attention, though. We have been so lucky that she never learned to bark and is just the calmest, happiest, most laid back dog I’ve ever met. She’s now 13 and still in extremely good health outside some arthritis in the back. I will likely never be able to get another Pyr again because there will never be another like her.
We called them “Pyrenees adoration moments “… people stopping to meet the big dog and, yes, ask *those* questions. We lost him on April 30th and how I wish I could have all those moments again.
Love your comments. This is for a laugh. My husband, unfamiliar with the different breeds had trouble remembering that our dog is a Great Pyrenees, so he often couldn’t answer the question when out walking the dog. A friend told him to say “It’s a great pair o’ knees”.
Love it. Yogi (aka Bear Dog) and Gracie were our first two working LGDs. When we travelled to the vet, people were shocked I could walk both of them by myself at the same time and they would just find a corner and watch the world. And of course “where can I get one” always came up. Answer: “Is it a big deal if they bark ALL NIGHT LONG at absolutely nothing?” Changed their minds almost instantly
sadly Greta lost her second battle with cancer and when we thought things could not get worse we lost her brother George to liver failure 2 weeks later. we now have Jasper who we got as a foster when he was 3 months old he is now 3 years old 110 pounds. almost a year ago I rescued a 12 month old pure bred Newfi out of a kill shelter. at that time he tipped the scales at 115 pounds he is now 23 months old and a few weeks ago he broke the scales at the vet he is a slim and trim 152 pounds the boy can eat . Jasper and Rocky walk very well together and you can imagine all the comments I get Jasper is pure white Rocky pure black . almost every time to tell people their names are not Ebony and Ivory
My favorite question ever was “are you afraid he’s going to eat you?” Talk about not knowing how to respond!!! Our Pry is 120 lbs, named Cooper:)
I have 2 beautiful Pyre girls, Ruby and Hazel and it breaks my heart to see how many of these fluff angels get surrendered because people don’t research! Almost everything you read about these dogs are true..but if you have love, patience and a lot of space then these babies are a must!
I have a Great pyr and black German shepherd half breed named Storm. She is still growing little over a year old. She still eats plenty still growing at 125lbs and not overweight. She is a true gentle giant if she knows you. Barks more than some dogs usually with a reason. Wary of strangers. Loves kids and is protective. Loves pulling sled and wagons. Requires lots of brushing and loves water. Whats not to like nothing. She looks like a black Great pyr.
I got my first Pyr a few months ago. He was a rescue but he did attend one of CA. State Prisons Dog training programs. He will be 3 years old in a couple of months. He had been abandoned and left in a Merced County desert to starve to death. His 2 litter mates didn’t make it. He weighed less then 80 lbs. when I got him, now weighs in at 100 lbs.. The fourth of July is around the corner. He cowers and shakes and bolts for our home! Two theories are people took pot shots at him in the desert situation or while at the prison, the corrections officers firing range echoed through the facility! What can I do to help him? All other aspects of this breed, of this PTSD Service Dog are exemplary! I couldn’t have found a better partner, team mate, companion! My Gentle Giant is the best!
So we have 3 Great Pys
They work our sheep behind a fenced in pasture. Each day we have people that walk our hill for exercise. Our dogs have trained the walkers so well. Each time they are walking by, they are “required” to pay the toll, yep a dog bone. If they have forgotten their toll, they get quite a chorus of barks. One day the walkers invited a new person to join them. I believe they set him up. They hadn’t told him about the required toll. Well the barking began and the new walker actually changed the side of the road he was walking on. The other walkers started to laugh, walked right up to the fence (to where each of the dogs were now on their hind legs) and started petting each one of them. and then proceeded to give the bones to them. The new walker couldn’t get over how friendly the LGD’s were.
They are a wonderful breed.
We have gotten all those comments about our Cokie. We named her that after the Coca cola bear. We rescued her in 2010. Vet said she was about 1 and a half then. She is the sweetest girl to come into our lives. She is at least 12 now and suffers from GOLPP. Don’t know how much longer we will have her.☹ We plan on continuing to give her the best life we can as long as we can.
We sometimes get questions when out for a walk (Kai..Pyr/Maremma just turned 1 he’s 120lbs and his “sister” Stella who is a Sarplaninac/Kangal cross 8.5 months and closing in on 80 lbs) but most times ppl pick up their younger kid or little dog and cross the street to avoid us. Labs German Shepherds Goldens all go wide around us. Shame because they both love meeting ppl and other pets. Both sweethearts just very large sweethearts.
We have fostered many pyrs for our local rescue club and owned three, two who are now snoozing comfortably wherever they please. Hugo is 12 and declining from spinal degeneration : ( and Gracie is a spry 7 year old. The questions are all familiar and then some…..the woonkiest statement we have fielded while out walking with the pyrs: “Oh from afar I thought they were sheep!” Uh….?! Clearly someone unfamiliar with barnyard animals!!