Does anyone have a Great Pyrenees?

[Lanshark]

There's a 4 year old female Great Pyrenees we're thinking of adopting from a local rescue. her foster mom said she is great with cats and well trained. I've done a lot of research on the breed. I have had Goldens for about 20 years. Our last one died about a year and a half ago and I've just started thinking about another dog. We're going to see her tomorrow. We've already been approved for adoption.

 

[bookgirl]

My dad and step mom have one.

She is an absolute baby....just wants you to love on her all day long.

She also hates being in the house when there is snow outside. Loves cold weather and being in HER backyard.

She sheppards the humans and the other animals. Can't abide anyone wandering off.

Let's the two little dogs wrestle with her and 'dominate' her and just eats up the playtime. She also plays with the pitbull down the street and the two mutts from across the road. She is very sociable.

She is very very gentle, but has been known to take a protective posture (alerts, ears back, barks, or paces) if she doens't like the look of something. She has never been aggressive to a human or animal but is very clear of what is under her protection.

 

[Aliceacc]

The religious order of Brothers who run my school have had a number of them over the years. Think "Gentle Giants." They've all been big dogs, but with a wonderful temperment.

 

[goofy!]

My dad and step mom have one.

She is an absolute baby....just wants you to love on her all day long.

She also hates being in the house when there is snow outside. Loves cold weather and being in HER backyard.

She sheppards the humans and the other animals. Can't abide anyone wandering off.

Let's the two little dogs wrestle with her and 'dominate' her and just eats up the playtime. She also plays with the pitbull down the street and the two mutts from across the road. She is very sociable.

She is very very gentle, but has been known to take a protective posture (alerts, ears back, barks, or paces) if she doens't like the look of something. She has never been aggressive to a human or animal but is very clear of what is under her protection.

These are traits of a Livestock Guardian dog also known as a flock guardian, which is what the Pyr is. I don't have Pyrs, but I do have Koms, another member of the LGD family. They are not herders, but guardians of the flock.

They are completely different than a golden. I would never live without an LGD, but they are not for everybody.

The Pyr is the mildest in temperament of all the LGD's. But you always have to be aware that they were bred to guard their flock. And if there is no flock to guard, the family (including humans and all other species that live in the house) becomes their flock. And they will guard them. That is why the above mentioned dog does not like part of its flock to be out of their site.

OP, do some google searches on Livestock Guardian Dogs. They are a bit more work than your typical dog, but the rewards are SO great. Although, again, the Pyr is the mildest of temperaments of all the LGD's, so are great family pets. But do a bit of research on the unique qualities of an LGD and see if they are for you. It is hard to describe how an LGD differs from a typical dog, but suffice it to say they are worth it!

But, if you want a dog like a Golden, one that wants nothing more than to please its master, plays endlessly with balls and is easy to obedience train, the Pyr is not for you.

LGD's are bred to be independent thinkers as they have to be out with their flocks making decisions. This independence makes them lousy obedience dogs. They can be trained, you just can't depend 100% on the training. If they assess a situation differently than the owner, they are most likely to make their own decisions on whether they obey or not. Which is why it is never advised to have an LGD off leash.

Their prey drive is very minimal, meaning no endless games with the ball. Also, since they are independent, are confident dogs that don't need their owners. You won't find a more loyal dog, affectionate with all members of the family (as the above suggests that the other dogs play with it), but they don't have that constant need to please their owner.

My college age son will never live without an LGD. However, his long term girlfriend is not fond of the cords on the Kom as she likes fluffy dogs. So, they have decided that when they get a place together, they will get a Pyr. He gets his LGD and she gets her fluffy dog.

My best advice, what we give potential Komondor owners, is call your local Pyr Breed group and have them refer you to a family that has a Pyr and go visit it on its own territory. You will get a feel of the guard qualities, the family qualities and be able to pick the brain of the owner.

 

[goofy!]

Just read this on the Great Pyrenees Of America website and says more succinctly what I was trying to say: (bolding mine)

Great Pyrenees are at heart guard dogs and members of the great family of livestock guardian dogs. As such, they share with them certain strong characteristics. Pyrs were bred to be left alone with the sheep up in the mountain valleys. They are a guard dog by instinct, not by training. Their basic personality is different from most breeds, since most breeds were bred to take commands from people, while Pyrs were bred to work on their own.

A Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, sometimes willful animal. They have minds of their own and are not easily obedience-trained. Things that you consider important may not be the same things your Pyrenees considers important. Many are almost cat-like, in their independence.

If you require a dog who will be a great "off-leash" companion for your outdoor activities, if you want a dog who will follow your every command, or if you want a competition obedience dog, the Pyrenees is probably not for you.

Like all livestock guardian breeds, Great Pyrenees are barkers, especially at night. The amount of barking varies from individual to individual, but the instinct is there and in some cases can cause major problems. Most Great Pyrenees in urban or suburban settings must be kept indoors at night.

The Great Pyrenees is a guard dog and as such cannot be expected to welcome uninvited intrusions onto your property. They will accept anyone whom you invite into your home. They are not "attack" dogs, but can be very intimidating to the surprised visitor. It is an owner's obligation to maintain a Great Pyrenees so that his guarding instincts can be exercised in a responsible way. (this where the work comes in. You have to think like your dog and see the world through their eyes. As mentioned, they may think something is important that you would not bat an eye at. For instance, boys playing football may be seen as somebody attacking a member of their flock. And their flock would need to be protected. As an owner, you just need to keep in mind that you have a guard dog - not attack dog - in your house,)

 

[low-key]

hmmmmmm

 

[pigletgirl]

Grew up with one as a little girl. We loved Lola, and she was a willful girl though. You don't want a behemoth of a dog controlling the house! lol

 

[DisneyWalle]

We have one to guard our goats and guinea hens.

 

[SLP958]

My friend has one who is the darling of the neighborhood. He has a whole life full of people friends who come to their yard to visit him.

He is over 120 pounds and is the sweetest thing.

My friend has a 2 year old that the dog adores.

 

[bellanotte10]

my BFF has one. She is the most mellow, laid back dog ever. all she wants to do is give kisses and cuddle. My friend did a Canine good citizen training class with her and got certified, and is now going to bring her for training to use as a therapy dog for children. They're awesome dogs.

 

[raggedy couple]

I had a male (Jed) , he lived 13 years and I took him to the nursing home to visit all the time and was a wonderful family dog. When he passed we grieved. Then we found a nephew to him, (Cody). We've had our baby for 8 years and love him too. I don't know what I'd do without my pyrs.I love my pyrs.They are very independant, of course my Cody was raised by a Jack Russel and there for thinks he's a Jack Russel.

 

[North of Mouse]

My brother has a pair that live with his goats. They are wonderful! No bear or cougar will come near his animals now! They are so wonderfully protective.

 

[jsmith]

Ive not had purebred Pyr but ive been around alot of them as i grew up in Wyoming where they are often used for the purpose they were bred for-guarding livestock-in this case sheep. We did have a Pyr mix for about 14years and he was an amazing dog and raised my boys. He did bark-alot. There is one thing implied in goofy!'s posts but not stated outright that anyone adopting a pyr or a mix needs to be aware of. They are bred to defend flocks and can and will kill coyotes and wolves-i have seen it happen. What that means is that they can be canine agressive. Your sweet loving pyrenese can decide one day that your neighbors chihauhau is going to hurt "his" children and his instinctive fix for that is to eat the chihuahua. I would imagine thats also true of other similiar breeds-Komondors, Pulik, and so on. It would not stop me from getting a Pyranese but you need to be aware of it so you avoid putting them in a situation where that drive takes over.
Also -consider size and HAIR-goldens shed,but its nothing like a big working dog blowing coat.
Im not trying to discourage you at all-but im a firm believer that adopting a dog is a life time commitment and you need to be aware of the ups and downs of what ever breed you choose.

 

[goofy!]

Ive not had purebred Pyr but ive been around alot of them as i grew up in Wyoming where they are often used for the purpose they were bred for-guarding livestock-in this case sheep. We did have a Pyr mix for about 14years and he was an amazing dog and raised my boys. He did bark-alot. There is one thing implied in goofy!'s posts but not stated outright that anyone adopting a pyr or a mix needs to be aware of. They are bred to defend flocks and can and will kill coyotes and wolves-i have seen it happen. What that means is that they can be canine agressive. Your sweet loving pyrenese can decide one day that your neighbors chihauhau is going to hurt "his" children and his instinctive fix for that is to eat the chihuahua. I would imagine thats also true of other similiar breeds-Komondors, Pulik, and so on. It would not stop me from getting a Pyranese but you need to be aware of it so you avoid putting them in a situation where that drive takes over.
Also -consider size and HAIR-goldens shed,but its nothing like a big working dog blowing coat.
Im not trying to discourage you at all-but im a firm believer that adopting a dog is a life time commitment and you need to be aware of the ups and downs of what ever breed you choose.

That is one of the reasons you do not have your LGD unleashed. I have known people who do do dog parks successfully, but I have never brought ours. It would just take one instance for our dog to even think another dog is 'bothering' one of her kids or flock and the perceived bothering dog will become a snack. The dogs know the difference between their property and off property, but you do have to always keep in mind that you own an LGD.

The pyr was bred to take down bears. 'Nuff said.

It is very hard to describe how different an LGD is from a regular dog. But the whole 'bred to be independent thing' really makes them different. They are excellent guard dogs, but you will never see one as a police dog. That is because of the independent thinking. If an LGD decides somebody is dangerous, there is no getting it to listen to obedience commands. They will take matters into their own hands. For instance, LGD's will accept people you allow in the house. Most of the time. One day, I had the Sears repairman in to repair our dishwasher. I had never had our guy challenge anybody we let in the house in the 6 years we had him at that time. Until this guy. He would not let him in the house. He sensed something bad about him. I had to leash him to keep him from eating the repair man. My guy was obedience trained to the max. However, there was NO way he was going in a down stay. (remember, they do not have that instinct to please their owner. They make their own decisions.) So, I kept him leashed, but right by my side. To this day, I am glad he was there to protect me and I did trust his instinct 100% as the LGD has a special knack for sensing trouble. That is what they are bred for. He died at 12 and we never again had an incident where he disagreed with me on whom I let in the house. To this day, I know he protected me from a dubious person.

So, don't go in thinking you are getting a dog like a Golden. Not even close.

My breed is known to be tougher then the Pyr, so I am speaking from a more wary perspective. But some of the same traits and characteristics apply. The Pyr is a bit more mellow than the Kom, but underneath that giant bundle of white sweetness is a very serious guard dog that can come out at a moment's notice. You just have to stay one step ahead. You may only see the guard dog once in its lifetime, but you have to always remember it is lurking under all that fur.

Again, that said, I will never, ever have a regular dog again. The LGD is very, very special!

 

[Lanshark]

Thanks for the replies. I've done quite a bit of research on the Pyr's. We had our Goldens when our children were young. That was the personality we felt we wanted for a growing family. I am aware that the Pyr's are independent thinkers. I've read several places that they are almost cat like in that regard. We're going to meet Delilah today.

 

[goofy!]

Thanks for the replies. I've done quite a bit of research on the Pyr's. We had our Goldens when our children were young. That was the personality we felt we wanted for a growing family. I am aware that the Pyr's are independent thinkers. I've read several places that they are almost cat like in that regard. We're going to meet Delilah today.

Good Luck! As long as you understand the responsibility of having a guard dog that thinks independently, you are good to go. Cats are independent, but are not guardy.

LGD's are the best! Hoping Delilah is a good fit for your family. Love the Pyr and it is a great breed to introduce yourself to the world of LGDs.

Once she is in your family, I would highly suggest doing general research on the Livestock Guardian Dog. You will get a good feel of how this group of breeds think. Here is a Livestock Guardian Dog list that is fun to read: http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-PLUTO.exe?A0=LGD-L

And a website: http://www.lgd.org/

 

[ilovejack02]

We had a PYR for about 6 years . He got along well with other animals, cats and dogs . He was great with older children also our oldest was 10 when we got him, big teddy bear . He was fine with people coming into yard. We learned early on that no one could enter our home without one of us going in first . My SIL had never met him , came to visit , entered our home before us and he lunged at her, thank goodness my husband was directly behind her and yanked her back by her hair , threw himself in front of her. Once he was saw my DH was there , he sat down and was happy to meet her. We had him groomed about every 10 weeks. Shaved down in the summer . He loved the cold weather of course and loved to roll in mud. He was quite the drool factory , I was always wiping up drool, off floor , cabinets and walls , as it would fly if he shook himself. He got hotspots easily , so always had to be careful to rinse him really well if I bathed him myself.

He used to pop the fence boards off with his paw so he could visit his girlfriend next door. She was fixed, as was he, they just loved to play together.

Unfortunately we had a new baby about 5 years in to having him and once baby became mobile we had to keep them apart. He liked the baby, but when DS would try to play with him, and he wasn't in the mood he would move away and then eventually snap at him, though never touching him. He always moved away first , and usually a couple of times before snapping at him. We kept them apart and always supervised ,but eventually it became too much . Bandit didn't want to be outside 24/7 and we didn't want him to either , and keeping baby in one part of house and Bandit in another didn't work great either as we only 1200 sq feet . For everyone's happiness we eventually found him a home with a family that had other pyrs .

Knowing what I know now , I wouldn't own another due to area we live in, Prys don't belong in the heat .. though personality wise, they seem to make amazing pets. Ours was 175lbs of love .. I stand by he was a wonderful dog, just didn't love a tiny baby yanking on him and frankly who does, I didn't blame him one bit. I didn't have a clue to what I was getting into when I adopted him, I was 22, young and silly. I saw a big cuddly gorgeous dog who needed a home and I wanted a big dog because DH worked nights.

He lived a happy long life with his next family for another 5 years before passing away.

 

[Lanshark]

Well Delilah is a beautiful girl. She was rescued from a shelter. When they found her they knew she had just had puppies but the puppies were not with her. They feel strongly that she was probably a puppy mill breeder dog who had basically been used up and was released into the wild (people stink)

She is stage 2 heartworm positive .She has one more treatment for heartworms and she is still pretty skinny 72 pounds but is putting on weight in her foster home. She met us at the door very mannerly and enjoyed all of the attention and petting. We're going to set up a "walk" date with her foster mom so that she can see my dog.

 

[jsmith]

I really really hope she is a good fit for your family-lt sounds like your well informed and ready to be a great home and she needs people to love her and make her forever home a specail place. Good Luck.

 

[horseshowmom]

Thanks for the replies. I've done quite a bit of research on the Pyr's. We had our Goldens when our children were young. That was the personality we felt we wanted for a growing family. I am aware that the Pyr's are independent thinkers. I've read several places that they are almost cat like in that regard. We're going to meet Delilah today.

I'm hoping mamacatnv will see this and post. They just adopted one. I'll send her a Facebook message with a link to this thread just in case she misses it. They have been very pleased with theirs, and they are first time dog owners.

Well Delilah is a beautiful girl. She was rescued from a shelter. When they found her they knew she had just had puppies but the puppies were not with her. They feel strongly that she was probably a puppy mill breeder dog who had basically been used up and was released into the wild (people stink)

She is stage 2 heartworm positive .She has one more treatment for heartworms and she is still pretty skinny 72 pounds but is putting on weight in her foster home. She met us at the door very mannerly and enjoyed all of the attention and petting. We're going to set up a "walk" date with her foster mom so that she can see my dog.

Have to agree with the "people stink" comment when it comes to some breeders. I'm work with a rescue organization, and it isn't uncommon to have females turned in to shelters when they're done with them or to have puppies turned in that didn't sell for some reason and are getting bigger (which means not likely to sell). OTOH, the ones that are turned in are probably the likely ones since many are abandoned on the side of the road somewhere. Here's an example - http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...-along-country-roads-in-texas-police-say?lite

It sounds like they are handling the heartworm situation.


Good luck, and thanks for adopting instead of buying!