Pastoral group · France/Spain
Great Pyrenees
Also called Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Patou, Chien de Montagne des Pyrenees.
What makes them remarkable
A mountain flock guardian with royal status: the breed became the Royal Dog of France under Louis XIV.
- Calm
- Patient
- Smart
- Strong-willed
- Affectionate
- Size
- Giant
- Weight
- 39 to 52 kg85 to 115 lb
- Lives
- 10 to 12 years
- Energy
- Low
- Trains
- Low
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Great Pyrenees
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
Escape Artists Extraordinaire
Start here
They roam. Period. Six-foot fencing is minimum. Many can climb or dig. Invisible fences do not work for this breed.
Barking is Their Job
Bred to bark at night to deter predators. You can minimise but never eliminate nocturnal barking.
Independent Thinking
Will consider your commands carefully and decide if they agree. Not disobedience, it's genetic.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Great Pyrenees and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenHigh
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersModerate
- CatsHigh
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 45-60 minutes daily. Moderate walks. More active at night. Loves cold weather.
- Grooming
- Heavy shedding. Weekly brushing minimum, daily during coat blow. Dirt falls off when dry.
- Drool
- Moderate
- Coat
- Double coat, Long, Weather-resistantWhite, White with Grey Markings, White with Tan Markings, White with Badger Markings
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint malformation; screening recommended for breeding dogs
Bloat (GDV)
Severe
Deep chest increases risk; preventive gastropexy recommended
Bone Cancer
Severe
Osteosarcoma is unfortunately common in giant breeds
Where they come from
History
Ancient livestock guardian of the Pyrenees Mountains, protecting sheep from wolves and bears for centuries. Became the Royal Dog of France under Louis XIV. Now popular as both working dogs and family companions.
- Belle · Loyal companion to Sebastian in the Alps
Similar breeds
All breeds
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Its traditional job is to stay with a flock and deter predators, rather than move sheep like a herding dog.
Giant · Pastoral
Bergamasco Sheepdog
Its naturally matted coat helped protect a working sheepdog in the weather of the Italian Alps.
Large · Pastoral
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
A long tail helps distinguish this Welsh cattle herder from its better-known Pembroke cousin.
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Komondor
Those long white cords form a protective working coat on a Hungarian livestock guardian.
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