You Might Have a Great Pyrenees If…
1. You wear a suit of white fur everywhere you go. You probably find that fur in your food (it’s a condiment, right?). You find white fur in your office, your car, and even on your friends clothes. Sorry, not sorry, guys.
2. Your dog is frequently mistaken for a “white Newfoundland” or, more commonly, a polar bear. There’s also Santa Paws, Olaf, and Falkor.
3. You keep your house on the cool side, even in the winter, to ensure your fluffy butt is comfortable. Pan to me in front of the fireplace, under a heated blanket, clutching a mug of hot chocolate…
4. You have a scar on your face from being whacked with a giant pyr paw. It was a loving paw, of course, and you’ll always have the mark to remember it.
5. You feel like a celebrity when you’re out with your dog. People flock to pet your dog making it impossible to get from point A to point B in decent time. You don’t care – it brightens your day to talk about your beloved furbaby. People secretly (or not so secretly) snap photos with your dog. #celebridog
6. You’ve snorted *insert beverage of choice* out of your nose when a stranger asked your dog to sit and instead your dog casually walked away. A remark about a lack of training was probably made, but you were laughing too hard to care.
7. You’ve become immune to the sound of barking. Your neighbor kindly (or not so kindly) informs you of the noise you no longer hear.
8. Speaking of barking – You turn up the volume on the television rather than try and quiet the bark fest. You know you’ll never win.
9. You twisted your ankle from tripping in a giant crater your dog gifted you with.
10. You’re constantly looking for the holy grail of vacuum cleaners that will withstand your pyr fur (and not die in a few months), but you haven’t had any luck so far. PS – Currently accepting recommendations.
11. You’ve experienced a true love and deep devotion that you never imagined existed.
So tell me – what are some other signs that you have a Great Pyrenees?
Your Pyr owns more styling products and brushes than you do.
It looks like it’s snowed after each brushing.
Hahaha YES!
Worse!!! My Pyre sits on command at least 95 %of time for strangers ! i guess because he is a total attention hog. Lol
The best vacuum I have found for sweeping up fur from two pyrs is a miele! The only one that works for me!
We have gone to using and keeping a large Bissill garage pro in the house no vac has ever survived the hair except this!
My pyre leaves nose art all over my house and car windows!
After burning out the motor on a Dyson, I picked up a Eureka Ultimate Clean for Pets. It’s fitted with a more durable motor and has a blade to cut the fur wrapped around the brush. It works does a great job picking up the fur and I have zero complains.
Love it and so true.
Love it and so true.
You must go on walks with a partner who may need to retrieve your car, in case your fur baby decides the walk is over before you make it home.
I’ve had to bum rides from friends because my Contessa had had enough exercise and we were miles from home. Appreciate the tip!
You know that he will follow you into the kitchen and lay down so that you have to take giant steps over him because he ain’t moving.
Kirby vac worked for me and I had Botticelli and 2 cats!
Drool is gonna fly!
You will love him like nothing else when his short life (My Botticelli was almost 13) is over, and be grateful to have been his Momma.
We rescued a lab/pyr mix (more pyr the lab)…lol….his given name is cooper but his nick name is ‘Bear’ you know you own a pry when you can sweep your kitchen floor and have enough hair to knit a scarf! I have to sweep my kitchen/dinning room at least twice a day but wouldn’t have it any other way.
Couldn’t agree more!
LOL, we call my Pyr Baby Bear, her name is Luna.
I just noticed I have white dog hair all. over. my. computer. #LivingwithPyr #Bestdecisionever
Ours is Pyr and black lab (white and black) stands 3’ tall and came from the rescue with a little buddy (Jack Russell and Dotson mix – black with a little white) they are Keagan the Kracken and Capt Jack Sparrow!
I rescued a black and white giant they told me was a Landseer. After dog sitting a Pyr my daughter suggested Hopper could have some in him? Did DNA and he is 75% Pyr and 25% labradoodle! Things make so much more sense now as I have had Newfies and he was not acting like one most of the time lol. So grateful to know as now I tell him the perimeter is safe and thank him constantly for his protection. I aslo rescued a chihuahua/terrier/hound/guard mix and they are the best of pals. It is humorous as Al Chapo (small one) bosses Hopper around. Hopper leaps in the air at the owls, hawks, and eagles to protect his little buddy on hikes. I love this website thank you for sharing.
There is more room for the dog than for you on the bed…
And they pant so hard the whole bed shakes
Yes!!! My whole Jeep shakes when the Pyrs start panting on car rides! LOL
Dont forget the many sloppy kisses and the pools of drool. Also the constant stare when you try to have cookie to yourself
You sit on the floor so your pryie can have the sofa!
We sit on the floor so our pyr can sit on us!
You find dried drool on the wall or the ceiling.
I’ve steamed my walls, scrubbed, then repainted. Within a day all the dried drool was back.
My clothes are not only decorated with white hair, but also slimed with dirt encrusted drool (usually when they are freshly clean).
You hear the comment, “That dog is bigger than you.” No kidding! Followed by, “he must eat a lot…”
Ironically, they don’t eat a lot!
Wife is 80lbs dog 130lbs you were saying. Oh dog was longer than wife is tall really funny to see them stretched out together.
One of my boys likes to “stand up” (jumps up and puts his front paws on my shoulders) when he’s feeling a little insecure, especially in crowded public places. There are frequently audible gasps from the people around me when suddenly my dog is as tall as I am.
Our late pyr Lady Sugarbear did that twice to me when we first got her as a ²+old. I walked in the backyard she came over sat in front of me and stood up paws in my shoulders looking me in the eyes.
You sit on a tiny little square of the sofa , with his /her body draped over you and taking up the rest of the piece of furniture.
keeps me warm.
That was a great post.
You hand out mini lint rollers to friends and guests as they leave
haha, I leave them in the spare bedroom
The lint rollers? LOL!
What a great idea, UNLESS, you don’t want them to come back:)
Mini lint rollers, are you kidding? I carry a jumbo lint roller in my back pack (better than a purse), and offer it to friends sheepishly trying to clean per hair off their clothes.
You advise males to wear a cod piece or stands sideways upon their first introduction to your pyr.
I cannot stop laughing at this one. Our contractor met our 2 pyrs when they double teamed him on “crotch patrol”. Now everytime he comes in the house he spends 10 minutes with the dogs before going to work.
I am so happy to learn this is a trait and not that we have perverts.
Both of mine like to goose people. My older boy used to frequently stick his nose, rather forcefully, up EVERYONE’s butt, until I started throwing a leg out backward and telling my coworkers to do the same. He still gooses unsuspecting strangers on occasion. Good thing he’s so adorably charming that they never get mad.
lol lol They are herding dogs so this is a trait of the Pyr’s. Ours just started doing it to us at 8 months old.
Great Pyrs are NOT herding dogs… they are livestock guardian dogs. They often work alongside herding dogs, but their job is to watch over and protect the flock or herd from predators.
LOL Lauren!
Our other Pyr (he’s gone over the rainbow bridge now) used to do this to my husband every morning when he first went to the bathroom to pee. Goosed him right in the backside. 🙂
Haha, mine likes to lag behind during our walks and then just dart and headbutt me in the backside
So right on.yahoo
Your VELCRO fulffalopogis brings sticks, leaves, junk, dirt in to drop from its fur after insdie.
Lol Yes I can relate
You’ve been brushing your dog for 20 minutes before you find a 6″ long stick…
Toilet Tramp – your pyr keeps trapping you on the toilet because you are a captive petter and but scratcher when there.
I’m not the only one! It’s our morning ritual!
Lol. Mine will lay down in front of door and i cant get out. (Afraid of hurting him) and of corse he wont get up when i tell him to. Oh no no no !
Try the Hoover Air Cordless vacuum! It is a big cordless vacuum that makes it easy to vacuum all day everyday… because those air piles in the corner seem to NEVER go away!
Check out my my GP, Vincent Chase at http://www.paigefindlay.com
The DYSON purple cordless animal works great.
Sharks are the BEST vacuum cleaner I’ve had my pyr he is 8 and the vacuum is 3 yrs old work great!!!!!
I use a plastic rake before i vacuum. Extra work but well worth it.
Yes! Another vote for a Shark. The Dyson I had couldn’t keep up.
What shark vacuum did you purchase? I have a 4 month Pyrenees and I am about to make the investment!
I’ve had my pyr for 5 years and bought my shark vacuum shortly after… both are still going strong!
the dyson animal , then make sure you buy that extended warranty cuz nothing survives pyrenees fur
Try the Miele Cat & Dog. Not the most $$$$ like their others. No pyrs but 7 rescues over 50lbs:)
A Hoover canister vacuum cleaner seems to work fairly well!
Lol. Mine will lay down in front of door and i cant get out. (Afraid of hurting him) and of corse he wont get up when i tell him to. Oh no no no !
Lol. Mine will lay down in front of door and i cant get out. (Afraid of hurting him) and of corse he wont get up when i tell him to. Oh no no no !!!
The local birds and squirrels have the warmest, softest, 5 star accommodations for their nests and bird houses. Pyr fur makes the best bedding!
Visit us for pics at IG: @FrannieGreene IG: @SeaGreeneGirl #TownPyr
Oh my gosh, yes! I absolutely love seeing nests of pyr fur!
All the tufts I pull out, I throw to the birds. When I brush outside and it isn’t windy, It’s stuck all over the neighborhood lol
We adopted a 3yo female Pyr (Miss America) back in October, and she is just starting to blow her coat- I have taken her outside three times this week already (it’s only Wednesday) and each morning I leave to take my kids to school, they comment as we drive by tufts we left outside for the birds. Poor neighbors think we’re just slobs, I’m sure. We just laugh ?
We’ve had the same Vacuum since May a year ago Bissell rewind smart clean
We have the same one two year’s this month (It will probably break now in a week)
#4 – Had to go to the ER for a “corneal abrasion” thanks to the pyr paw.
Use a Dyson several times a day for the past 3 years and only have to cut fur out of the brushes every once in a while.
Oh no! I make sure I don’t cut their nails before going anywhere anymore after they tore up our trainer’s arm with the pyr paw 😉
I just had an ER trip but my corneal abrasion was a pyr hair stuck in my cornea…..!!!!! When the eye doctor pulled it out, he asked, ‘Does this look familiar?’ And my husband and I just said in unison….’Oh,yeah….”
My Pyr/Akbash cross has the strangest fur! It’s short but sharp. They implant themselves in the soles of my feet!! Thought I was the only one!
I love reading all of these! I love how after a big drink of water you can set your watch for the enormous human sounding belch!
That often happens in your face… 😉
Why, WHY is it always in your face???
That is so true! And often you will get a belch at inappropriate times- like as you are telling the dog how pretty she is.
Or when you’re on the phone with a customer rep and then you have to swear it was the dog that belched!
I love this post. We returned to our trusty Rainbow vacuum this month. We don’t have a Great Pyr, but we have four shedding dogs (still not the same) and the Rainbow is the only thing that gets all the hair. Crazy expensive, but you can get them for a great price on Craigslist, because they last forever.
We had a choice of spending $3000 or $250. We spent $250 6 years ago and it’s still going strong.
That’s amazing. Our $200ish one died after about 6 months. I just need to invest in a better quality one. I’ll definitely check out Craigslist!
A Rainbow is a MUST HAVE! Best money spent.
Love love my rainbow, 3 pyrs and use it daily, best vacuum on the planet
Your best bet on a vacuum is a Kirby. Not sold in stoores. They are very expensive and heavy, but they will do the job. Have a salesman come and demonstrate one.
I’ve heard GREAT things about that one. I really do need to look into it.
The Kirby has saved our carpets more times than I can count. Definitely recommended!
We’ve had our Kirby for 25 years with Pyrs, for much of the kirby’s life.
Also, the KMirby I had lasted me 30 years! The reason I didn’t get another is thqat as I got into my 70s it became too heavy for me to push and carry,
Love this post! As for vacuums’s we use a Hoover WindTunnel pet it works really well for us but we only have a small dog and a cat though I am amazed with the amount of hair it picks up. We bought it after the Dyson broke just after warranty was up and figured we could buy 4 Hoovers for the price of a new Dyson.
I’ll have to look into that one, thanks!
With three goldens, I can’t even count the number of vacuums we have been through. I really just need to break down and buy a “good” one! lol
I’m with you. Going the cheaper route ends up being more expensive (I’m learning…)
You might be owned by a pyr if one of the kindergarteners at your school goes home and tells his mother, “Mom, Mrs. West has a pet polar bear and she walks it on a leash!”
LOL! Love it!!
Totally agree! Went to pick my grandsons up from school and came back down the hall just in time to hear some lady tell the administrator that someone had a polar bear cub and a grizzly bear cub in their car! We had our chocolate Newfoundland and my Great Pyr in the back of the SUV and they were wrestling of course so the whole SUV was shaking. LOL!
Your dog will only respond to a call if the word biscuit is included.
Mine doesn’t like treats! Boy was she hard to train! Lol she doesn’t paw either…thank god! What I love is when they look at you to decide if your right or they are! But she knows I’m serious when I say ‘now!’ Lol
Awesome post!!! Hope to one day add a pyr to our border collie, GSD mix, and pittie mix home. Love them!!! (I love livestock and herding dogs in general)
When you watch for your luggage on the carousel at the airport and know it by the clumps of white hair trapped in the wheels!
That is soooooo true of any wheel.. office chair.. vacuum.. luggage.. omg that made me crack up
I know what you mean about vacuums, but we have the Kenmore Progressive Canister and it really does work great. And we’ve had it for 5 years. Our Pyr hasn’t clogged it yet…
I was waiting for someone else to comment about the Kenmore progressive! Best vacuum I’ve ever had to tangle with Pyr fur! And we vacuum nearly every day!
I really agree with the Kenmore Progressive. Ours has been trouble-free for at least 2 years, and does a great job picking up the fur.
You might own a Pyr if……the music you fall asleep to every night is his/her barking letting the neighborhood know they are “on duty”.
Rainbow seems to be the best vacuum cleaner. I used a 1979 model bought new in 1983, we just purchased a new one 2015 my Christmas present. We have had 3 or more pyrs going in 11 years. My mom and still use the 1979 rainbow, it’s our backup. When we have our new ones cleaned about every 2 years.
Your Pyr knows when you put the rake or broom or anything else back one inch from where it previously was….and barks at it just to let it know he knows.
You know you have a pyr when your walls and furniture have new grain direction
When you go to look for a new vehicle and it ends up needing to meet more of their needs than the rest of the families
So true! Golden retriever and a great pyre and an active 10yr old. Thinking I should have bought a diesel truck.
You know you have a Pyr when your future son-in-law makes your daughter a duvet stuffed with her Pyr’s fur to keep her warm and company while away at school for a year!
You know you have a Pyr when you sit down for dinner and she lays her chin on the table beside you while staring mournfully at your food.
I always sweep my carpets BEFORE vacuuming. It’s amazing how much is pulled up into “rolls” by a broom. Have had Hoover central vac. and it’s held up well.
Hey, my beautiful girl is 6 months old now. I absolutely love this site, I have learned so much from it . I actually found an amazing vacuum that has lasted this long. It’s the shark rotator, all kinds of attachments, its great at cleaning up all the pyr fur. 🙂
SHARK ROTATOR best vacuum, I have 2 pyres and sweep daily. AWESOME vacuum.
We have a Dyson and love it! We have vacuumed our floors and couch multiple times a day (we have a Pyr/Golden mix and a Toller) for 3 years now and it’s still going strong!
YOU MIGHT BE OWNED BY A PYR IF…..the seats of your vehicle are covered with drool runs from fluffy heads and big panting mouths.
This post, seriously, was right on. Every single one of these has happened to me, and I truly can not walk around the block with them without 100 questions. (and i secretly love it)
BTW, Our Dyson seems to be working… but we don’t have a lot of carpet – mostly hardwoods. We have a Pyr & a Pyr/Malamute mix. TONS of fur. We call them the fluff monsters. The pyr is called our “Polar Puppy” (she’s not a year yet).
BTW – NEVER buy a Miehle. They are expensive and have great suction. The suction is so strong because they narrowed the openings…. and that means it clogs easily. After paying $1200 for one, and then several more hundred to constantly have it cleaned / fixed, I finally told the repair guy I would pay him $1K to beat it to a pulp with a sledge hammer and send me the video.
… he didn’t….
Whoa…I so disagree ! I have a miele…best vacuum ever , especially with the dog hair bar…easy to clean…don’t really understand your problem with it..and it has a 7 year warranty…even handles my Cisco’s hair…I recommend…
Yes, a second vote for Miele! I also have a large rubber rake (bought it from the carpet cleaner guy), between that and the Miele, we’re set!
This is brilliant… had me laughing from line #1 😀 No, I don’t own a Pyr — I live in the Caribbean; it would constitute animal cruelty — but this rang true, at all sorts of levels, for several of my 7 dogs (all rescues, all mutts). Except for the size. The largest is 25kg (around 13 lb) — which must seem like a Toy Poodle to you 😀 Seriously, it’s fabulous to come across a fellow dog lover. I found you via the A to Z list; hope you’re still doing the challenge (didn’t see the badge… but I wasn’t really looking, not after catching sight of a certain adorable, furry face), but either way I’ll be back. Often.
Guilie @ Life In Dogs
When you are 5’3 110 lbs but you have to have a king size bed because how would your pyr ever be comfortable in a normal sized bed?!
When you fill a bucket pester and by the end of the day you realize you filled it more than four times. Mine drinks water every 10 to 15 min. I’m so in love with him.
When you fill a bucket with water and by the end of the day you realize you filled it more than four times. Mine drinks water every 10 to 15 min. I’m so in love with him.
I have 2. Best vacuum EVER shark rotator.have had mine a little over 3 yrs. Its has to be emptied 5 or 6 times in a 1300sq ft house. But atleast it gets the hair up.
Great Post!! We have 2, a 5 year old female and a 9 month old male. We had another 5 year old male who was the sibling of the 5 yo female../. but he had bone cancer last year. Anyhow, we took out the carpet and replaced it with hard wood floors, except for the area rugs I’ve had to put down so the female can sit at my feet and not “slip” on the floor – like defective pads or something. THEN, we use the shop vac as the vacuum and then have a regular vacuum to do the area rugs I can’t shake out or throw in the washer.
Aw, sorry about your boy…I lost my first Pyr, Nacho, to bone cancer too…A Miele vac works great here, even on Cisco’s long hair shedding….and he’s a hopeless cookie monster…the only thing to make him move fast is a dog cookie…we have to spell out c-o-o-k-i-e….when discussing the subject…
My ancestors are from the pyrenees. My oldest pyrenee is my main service dog, and she sits and lays down and loads up on my command only. If I want her to stop barking I thank her, say “je sais, je sais” (i know, i know), tell her she is good, and tell her to lay down. Since she is the barking, nazi-sensing, guardian expert I usually trust her judgement and appreciate the protection. If you train them through negotiation with all positivity and love, they will never let you down. I bought her a perfect truck the day after I found her with zero down at zero percent interest. I basically just had them hand over the keys for her. Granted, I needed the truck, too. They live in the coolest place in the U.S. during the summer, but I drive with six windows open or the A/c on. I have wooden floors and don’t own a vacuum, and have never once brushed them, and couldn’t vacuum or brush anyway due to disability. A broomer and groomer is enough twice or so a year, along with lots of river trips. What the pyrenees shed everywhere are goat poo pellets off their coats. They prefer, and get, to stay outside most of the time guarding everyone, and the mcnab follows me around inside like a creepy shadow until a pyrenee calls her outside to chase something. Mcnabs and pyrenees go quite well together, and are both impressively intelligent breeds. My pyrenees love Euskara, the basque language, which is the native language of the pyrenees. One of their service dog tasks is also to promote social interaction. I love telling people, “she is a miniature polar bear” over and over, because I love to call them “miniature.” You may own a pyrenee if you, your family, and all smaller dogs are still alive after mt. Lion encounters. Mine also keep deer from jumping in front of my truck. You may on own a pyrenee if instead of fetch you play “chase that, leap around with it, and shred it to peices.” I love how babies that can barely walk will rush a pyrenee with open arms, sensing their awesome and gentle nature, while the parents sometimes fret. And you guys should have seen my pyrenee’s quick, concerned reaction when a nurse once stuck a needle in my arm to do a blood draw in the kitchen. She can also sense pain, and knows when I have had a medical procedure, blood draw, or injection that she didn’t witness. They are the most amazing dogs, and worked hard to win us WWII. You may own a pyrenee if someone asked you to rescue one. You may own a pyrenee beacuse of a cartoon you watched as a kid. You may own a pyrenee if your culture and language have been intact for thousands of years.
Beautiful comment: I wish we were neighbors!
You might have a great pyr if you never go anywhere without a hand towel to wipe off the drool he tends to spread over everything in his path. I’ve been slimed!
You’re down to your last pair of shoes that have not been chewed !
You look in the HORSE TOY section instead of the dog toys at the store.
I’ve stopped counting the number of times I’ve disassembled the vacuum, cleaned it and reassembled it.
I have been counting the number of Roomba vacuums one dog has killed. Three to date.
You know you own a Pyr when you put on a clean pair of pants and it is quickly christened with a smear of dirt encrusted drool.
Amen!
After spending 2 years with 2 pyrs, we got smart and pulled up all carpet except for bedrooms. Dogs are so happy with the Italian tile I wish we had done it sooner. The vac I depend on most is a $50 Bissell bagged which works on carpet like a charm. We have a couple of expensive vacs that are bagless which we rarely use.
You know your have when you see her standing in the water bucket and then rolls in the dirt..and soon both of you look like mud wrestlers. She is even funnier when playing with the smaller dogs and she wins because she will just sit down on them…a great “funny home videos”.
I love my pyrenees, Princesa … We have her for over 11 years …. Yes it’s true there’s lots of hair in the house …. But she is a sweet dog and friendly … A gread companion , I will miss her terribly when she’s gone. But I thanks God for given us the pleasure of having a pet like Princesa .
You own a pyr if your dog really only responds to you when you add Dammit to their name. Mine really only listens when she is Dammitsophie – or there are cookies involved.
You own a pyr if you cook every night and take ridiculously high, knee-lifting steps when you move around the kitchen because you are used to huge white bodies draped everywhere.
Fun post!
My fuzz butt drives me crazy, but she my third one and I don’t think I could have any other kind of dog.
LOL we often say first name is Damnit second name Emmet. I love the breeds independence and naughty curiosity. Just wish he’d stop eating my shoes.
You know you own a Pyrenees when they come to check on you in the middle of the night and put there nose in your ear and “woof”. And when you get up to go to the bathroom they take your place on the bed and pretend to be asleep on your pillow.
Hahahaha yes or drape themselves across the whole top of the bed
You might have a great pyrenese if you have a white fluffy shadow following you around your farm.
You might have a great pyrenese if your fluffy white shadow is too big to fit in the front of your 2 seater truck. Or if he kills skunks & rolls on them only to come back smelling like a nightmare but gives you that look. You know the look… like he’s saying “I put Cologne on! Don’t I smell handsome!! Want some?!!” Then proceeds to rub against you. Yes. You may just have a great pyrenese if you have this in your life. A big fluffy white shadow that cant fit into some areas, occasionally smells horrible but their love is GREAT. That’s why they are called great pyrenese not mediocre pyrenese!
You know you are truckin’ with a Pyr when your car windows are always convered in sprays of slobber and globber and that’s how you identify it in a parking lot
…you have to special order XXL collars and costumes (that have to be let out even more)!
Just brushing the pine needles out flares up your carpal tunnel…
I have went through a number of vacuums and I got the Hoover – WindTunnel Air HEPA Bagless Upright Vacuum in January of this year and it is still going strong. It works amazing for their hair and dirt they like to shed 🙂 I love your articles they capture everything I didn’t know how to put into words about the breed.
Other animals have hitched a ride on your Pyr. A field mouse rode my Pyr Solo into the house.
Coming to terms that my Pyr will be bigger than me one day. I’m 5″3 and he is only 8 months and his paws can reach my shoulders when he stands up. Also, just accepting that his fur will be forever accessory of mine.
You know you own a pyr when you have to rake a squeegee across the carpet before vacuuming.
(That’s my tip…. I gave up on putting all the responsibility on a vacuum). You know you own a pyr when a slight breeze blows through the windows and your house looks like a scene from an old black and white western movie…. white tumbleweeds EVERYWHERE.
Number 10 made me laugh out loud!!!! Having 3 of them I have learned to watch where I walk; but it seems one is ALWAYS hiding a hole somewhere!!!!
I love when my male decides to bark (he only barks if he feels there is a reason, unlike my females who do bark at sketchy leaves lol); He will block me from checking…. and I can’t calm him down until I do check…. it is a tug of war there!!!
I’ve been using a shop vac with a dog brush attachmrnt. HE loves it and it really cuts down on the floating fur balls. Also takes care of the leaves and other debris that comes with his romps in the woods.m
When we are in bed, if Princess feels that she’s not getting the proper amount of attention, she will pop us with her “Pyr Paw” until we give her attention.
If we come in a room, she will shove up against us, it’s her way of giving us “hugs”. Chloe just will sit next to you, and bump you with her booper for attention.
My wife has a Dyson, it seems to keep up with the fur… (yeah, right!)
When a storm is coming and they start crying long before the thunder starts. My poor huge baby “Klondike” is scared to death of thunder. He cries loudly the whole time.
We lost our gorgeous Harley-boy at 7yrs old from a weird bone cancer…his paw swelled up to the size of mans head…so sad 🙁 He was my hero & was my great protector bc of his size. I am only 4’10” & about 104 lbs. One summer day, I went to answer our cabin door & being all alone I was somewhat hesitant. I opened it & there stood 2 guys who I had no idea who they were. They did look abit scary to me…tatooed from head to toe & chains hanging from their pockets. Before I could even ask what or whom they were asking for…130 lbs of Harley bolted from across our deck to directly in front of the screen door that I hadn’t yet opened and he totally blocked me from opening it. He felt like a 130 lb log pressed up against mmy feet & legs! Come to find out…they were looking for the former owner of our cabin, as they had been employees of his. Whew!! Harley boy must’ve sensed my nervousness & I definitely felt pretty vulnerable, but also very thankful that my big furry friend and hero was there for me that day…BIG time!
So…you know you love a Pyrenees when he’s more intimidating than a bar bouncer! 😉
You drink coffee with Pyrenees hair.
You carefully step over your Pyrenees rather than ash her to move.
You get up at 3:00 in the morning to sit with her because she’s afraid of thunder.
She attends every meal with her heal on your lap and peeks through you arm to let you know she shouldn’t be ignored.
She always brings fresh grass clippings in the house and spreads them when she wags her tail.
Sharks are the best
You know you have a male pyr by the slobber he likes to throw around….
We have a Great Pyr/Golden Retriever mix. Looks like a Golden, acts like a Pyr. Thought he was dumb as a box of rocks until I did some research on the breed. As far as vacuums, we use a shark, but our pup is terrified of it! He always runs and hides as soon as I pull it out.
You know you have a pyr when:
-You drive with the windows down and can see the fur flying like snow into the car behind you
-If you have had other breeds and never experienced full communication and understanding just by looking into their eyes until you did so with a pyr
– You swear your dog could fill a lake with the amount of pee they have in a day
– The gray or black interior of your car is now white
– All of the Velcro in your house no longer works because of all the white fur stuck in it
– you feel safe no matter where you go with your pyr
– your dryer trap no longer has lint after every cycle, instead it is hair and there is still hair on your clothes
– your clothes somehow have pyr hair woven in them like a stitch (how does this happen!?!)
– you brush your dog and your neighbor asks if you shaved them
One more:
When you are out for a walk and another dog starts acting aggressive towards your pyr and you hear the owner say “that is not a fight you would win *insert other dogs name here*” (or something along those lines) no mattrer the size/breed of the other dog
My Yuki loves to open presents. He shreds paper and tosses it aside. He never eats it. Yuki also believes that he is a lap dog. He is so confident and has a unique relationship with each family member. Lint rollers are a staple in my house. He loves to claim people when they wear dark colors. Great Pyr = Joy and unconditional love.
You know you have a pyr, or a pyrador, in my case, when you attempt to leave the house and he firmly plants his large body right in front of the door to block you from leaving and refuses to move or respond to command. I chuckle every time.
I have slid my pyr with the door to get out due to the same thing!
You know you have a Pyr in the house when you take your laundry out of the washer and dryer. Almost more hair than laundry. Even though we owned and showed Pyrs for years we still laugh. Now too old and infirm to deal with the big guys. Have 2 Papillons and 4 cats, still have HAIR.
Just FYI, my Dyson cannister has lasted 3+ years with two Pyrs and a husky. Still going strong!
U try to fake out your pet that you are not going to bed just to try get the best spot on the bed before they do
You know you have a great pyrneese when every time you walk into the door, they stand up and hug you…. and also 1 min being away from them feels like the whole day
It is great to know that there are others that laugh at the same things we do! People think we are crazy to deal with the hair but we can’t imagine our lives without our great pyrs now!
These articles have made me cry laughing with total understanding!
There is an outline of a snout made with drool on your thigh. When you tell people they are used for livesotck guard dogs you have to explain how something so sweet and gentle can break a coyote in two with one bite, if provoked. And the inevitable….”how did they get two dew claws”?
We had to buy a sofa and get rid of our recliners just for our pyr. Our house is actually his he just allows us to dwell here.
You mentioned that you were looking for a vacuum that will hold up to pyr fur. The Dyson is amazing. 8 years of heavy fur and still going strong. Kind of pricey, but worth every penny. I adopted a rescue Pyr / St. Bernard mix. 160 pounds of pure love. With two asthmatics in the house, the vacuum was extremely important. When he ate the cord (twice), they replaced it in less than 48 hours and gave me a loaner machine to use while they fixed it. Wonderful customer service. Off-brand replacement parts and attachments are available on Amazon for a lot less than the Dyson brand ones.
When you drive your son to school bundled up, with your car seat heaters on, and heat on max but, the back window is down and a big white dog has his head out the window even in 24 degree weather! Oh, and you keep your house at 65 so your dog is comfortable and you have an electric blanket in eveyroom of your house!
We love our Titus!!!❤️
When I get home my Pyr will be lying down in the yard, but when she sees me arrive in my car she gets right up and starts running the parameter and begins to bark to secure my arrival into my home. At first I thought she was just trying to look busy when dad got home, or maybe trying to impress me…But, now I think she is just making sure everything is safe for my arrival.
My Pyr also prefers THE MOST comfortable spot in the house. Whether it be a bed, a couch, or a chair…when those aren’t available, if someone dropped a blanket on the ground she will go and lay on it before anything else. She is a lover of luxury and comfort…and, she deserves it ; )
Shark vacuum will never let u down. I’ve had it through my golden retriever years and now with my giant fluff ball. And another way of knowing you have this dog is the drool everywhere not just a little either. Top of my doors, curtains and you really know it if you step in a pile of drool on the floor.
If one of your kids complains of fur in their mouth you tell them just drink some water it’ll go away. We have a great Pyrenees and a Collie Sheperd mix who shed. ?
Really enjoyed your posts. We have had two Big Boys. If you Google “Gift of the Christmas Dog” you’ll be able to read a short story of mine published in a national magazine after losing our beloved Kingsley in 2015. I’m still not over it, and hope I never am!
I just read your story. It was beautiful! We received a Great Pyrenees, a ball of fur 6 weeks old, from a customer for Christmas 8 years ago. He has certainly been the joy of our lives.
The next time we get other dogs, not while he is alive, will be at least 2. He is a jealous boy. He has his own cat but he runs all dogs off and other animals.
Just lost our beloved 100 pound female Harley who was a diva princess of Pyrenees – she had to have everything juuuuuussssst her way! We still have our 140 pound male Pyrenees Hugo who is still takes up as much room and leaves as much hair around the house! (Almost dont notice the difference in hair volume!) Love our Pyrenees!!
I have 3 Great Pyrenees, a purebred pyr, a pyr/saint and a pyr/border collie. Lots of fur. I went through 4 vacuums in 6 months before I decided to install a central vacuum system. I has worked great. It is expensive up front, but definitely worth the money.
Who do you call for that?
I have a pyr and 3 large long haired cats. We absolutely love our Shark Rotator True Pet. It works great and comes with an attachment for furniture (or stairs!) that has an automated roller brush. It’s grossly satisfying how much it gets up from only the night before. Hope this helps!
$45 Red Devil or whatever the deal of the month is. I budget a new one every 6 to 8 months HAHAHAHAHA
Just found your blog and loving everything I’ve seen so far! Have to comment on the vacuum question. We’ve had a German Shepherd and Great Pyrenees and now two pyrs, all have been indoor/outdoor dogs, now with a dog door. We got a central vacuum system with the first two and I loved it so much we put one in the house we built four years ago. Previously I had a Kirby that was “fine” but needed to be replaced and the central vac wasn’t that much more money (installed). The first one was a Beam and we now have a Cyclo-Vac that I like even better. Definitely get the (can’t remember what they’re really called) dust-pans that you sweep into!
Also, LOVE the “pronto” suggestion! Will be implementing that.
I second that. I have 3 Great Pyr Xs and I love my central vac. I have had it for 10 years and it has never let me down.
I am looking for a Great Pyr. I live in San Jose Ca. I have owned Gteat Pyrs
Omg THE FUR! We went from a schnauzer (no shedding) to a Pyr and there is fur EVERYWHERE!
You know you have a Pyr when she backs out of her collar from losing so much fur after blowing her coat and then immediately realizes she’s off the leash and dead sprints to the neighbor’s cow pasture to chase all the cows (especially the bull) before rolling around in cow poop, and then eventually gets tired and lets you put the collar on and jumps in the car like she did nothing wrong.
You know you have a Pyr when your dog goes to the “Beauty Shop” more often than you. The “Toy Store and Pediatrician” more often than your child. Has more toys than most human kids do. Stomps down the hall to sulk in her room when told she can’t have something. Won’t drink water unless it’s chilled (ice cubes in her water tank) or has to come from her very own water dispenser in HER bedroom. Won’t come in the house at bedtime until you call her Princess and offer her a bedtime “cookie” (Dog Biscuit). Sneaks into bed with her “Grammie” to watch the beginning of Marvel Comics movies before she’ll get in her own bed… I swear I didn’t make any of this up! Pandora loves the Marvel Universe. She’s my Fur Grand dog and more spoiled than my human Grandkids.
You know you have a Great Pyrenees when you clean the fur out of your vehicle with a leaf blower.
You might have a Great Pyrenees if;
You routinely pick-up and carry your 110 lb fluffball the last 25 ft. into the house (after pleading, cajoling, and begging for 20 minutes) because she doesn’t want to go inside so she sits down and refuses to budge.
You know you have a Pyr when you take away a decorative pillow from her, tell her NO and then she sneaks it out to the backyard (when you have been with her the WHOLE time) and now there are down feathers everywhere. And she gives the ignorant look while I take the remains of the pillow away as if she is annoyed that I ruined the fun.
I have a rainbow vacuum, it’s the one with water in the bottom. I have only had to replace the beater bar in the power head because the hair gets in the ends of it! Expensive but well worth it. And we have 3 pyrnees!
you know you have a pyr when all food in the kitchen is hidden or placed out of their reach! Our rescue, Duke, waits till we leave the kitchen and then he “goes shopping”
Didnt read all comments, but I use a rake (not the rubber type, but the type with the harder plastic bristle, usually one to two rows). I use the rake first to get majority of hair up then I vacuum. I do have a handheld rubber bristle to do furniture with and a rubber bristle/squeegee rake fir hard floors.
We have a 7yo rescue Akbash that has let us live with him for 5 years. He has an iron stomach—we hide food in the microwave, and if he ever gets thumbs we’re in trouble! He ate an entire fireball pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving, and loves to find sticks of butter and loaves of bread. He just “stole” my starter for Amish Friendship bread and none of these have ever caused him the slightest discomfort! And the fur—both an accessory and a condiment! We LOVE Clyde—what an addition to our family! We have two mini Schnauzers also—all solid white.