Great Pyrenees

Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Patou

Even if the Great Pyrenees is easy to love, it is still necessary to offer him the appropriate conditions so he can be happy and flourish as a member of the family in his own right.

Height 65 to 80 cm
Weight 50 to 64 kg
Life expectancy 10 to 12 years
Hair Loss High
Excercise Need High
Home country France

Quick Overview of the Great Pyrenees

Temperament

Appearance

  • Imposing by his size
  • Very full furry coat
  • Almond eyes
  • Small drooping ears

Health

  • Hip dysplasia
  • Good health
  • Great robustness

Temperament of the Great Pyrenees

This large dog with a heart of gold is an excellent guardian and a remarkable protector. By getting him used to living with those he has to protect at an early age, he will consider them as his family and will do anything to keep potential danger away.

For example, when the Great Pyrenees grows up with a flock of sheep, he will even be inclined to bite walkers who get too close to the sheep, which he considers his own family to be protected.

Excellent guardian and protective, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is very gentle and rather calm. He is intelligent and prefers wide open spaces to city parks.

Not suited for the city at all, his powerful bark generally has a negative effect on neighbours living close by.

He loves young children and is very tolerant. He is extremely affectionate and will protect them instinctively.

great pyrenees temperament

Breed Appearance

great pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees is very impressive by his size and presence. This valiant canine knight exudes a strong impression of protective dog.

His powerful gait is never heavy, and leaves an impression of flexibility, despite his impressive physiognomy.

Height

Between 70 and 80 cm (27.56 to 31.50 inches) for the male
Between 65 and 75 cm (25.59 to 29.53 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 50 and 64 kg (110.23 to 141.09 pounds) for the male
Between 50 and 64 kg (110.23 to 141.09 pounds) for the female

Color

The superb coat of the Great Pyrenees is white or white speckled with orange, yellow or grey.

Hair

The hair of his coat is full, quite long, soft and flat. His fur is very dense.

Morphology

His head is not that large for such a big dog, but very solid and he has a strong neck. The dog's eyes are almond-shaped, small and amber-brown.

His drooping ears are small and in harmony with the head. His nose is black. His tail in panache is beautiful, very bushy and quite long.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 2, section 2 and is #137

Characteristics of the Great Pyrenees

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

Find out if the Great Pyrenees is your ideal dog breed with our quiz.

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Great Pyrenees puppies near me

Tips About this breed

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog is very impressive. When you see a puppy, it is impossible not to want one on the spot.

Moreover he has a very pleasant character. He is affectionate, docile, gentle, trustworthy, and very protective.

However, this large breed is not really appropriate for all dog owners. The city dweller, even if he has a large garden, should think twice before buying a Great Pyrenees.

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog loves tranquillity and wide open spaces. The city is not necessarily the ideal place for him to flourish.

Mountains or countryside would be preferable in his case, because the adult dog loves the peace and quiet of great rural areas, and hates the constant action of urban areas.

Health of the Great Pyrenees

The most well-known problem is hip dysplasia. Hereditary and environmental factors are mainly responsible for this problem.

The Great Pyrenees enjoys good health in general, and is very robust.

GROOMING

His maintenance only requires daily brushing, in order to avoid the formation of knots in his dense fur. His hair is slightly oily and therefore protects him from cold and heat, so it is not recommended to wash it, as shampoo tends to destroy this natural protection.

If the dress is really dirty, dog shampoo is recommended. Talcum powder will also help keep the whiteness of the coat in case of colour change.

It is essential to brush him regularly during annual moult. An iron brush is the ideal tool for the Great Pyrenees.

History of this breed

The Great Pyrenees is a very old breed. He should not be confused with the Pyrenean Shepherd Dog, which is much smaller.

Since the Middle Ages, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog has delighted his masters with his multiple talents and great beauty. He has been present in the Pyrenees from the beginning of time.

Used at the time to protect herds and guard castles, the Great Pyrenees has made a name for himself as much for his size as for his great strength of character. Obviously, once he resisted and defeated the lynx, bear, wolf, and sometimes even man, his glory was all the greater. He even shared Louis XIV's court in the 17th century.

It was in 1897 that he first appeared in a book by Bylandt. Around 1923, the breed standard was created, although it has been slightly modified since then. The disappearance of large predators has made him rarer in the countryside, but the return of the wolf in the Alps has greatly promoted among shepherds, a new interest in the breed.

Used to fight off predators, he is today greatly appreciated as a family companion dog. His great skills against predators have also made him an excellent snow worker.

His work as a mountain rescuer, a liaison agent for alpine hunters, and a food supplier in winter makes him a dog appreciated mainly in the Nordic countries. The Great Pyrenees is very brave and does not hesitate to defy harsh winters to accomplish his task and bring help to those in need.

The breed also has his own celebrity. The Great Pyrenees was particularly well known in the 1960s following the appearance of this famous dog in the French television series "Belle et Sébastien".

The adventures of these two orphans, born on the same day and inseparable after they met, was the joy of many little ones for several years.

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