Does anyone have a Great Pyrenees...?

[rosemarythyme]

Probably depends on your area, but I do routinely see "trained" LGDs come through the shelter and rescue system every so often (obviously you'll want to know why they ended up there). We almost adopted a male that failed due to chasing large animals, but was otherwise used to living outside and working. We currently have an Anatolian that was raised as a pet, so she lives indoors, but yes she's very barky which is why she got turned in to the shelter - as we live on a private lot there's very little to trigger her at home so the barking isn't an issue for us.

 

[ShannonR]

Hi... was wondering if anyone has experience with these dogs... do they like to stay outside all the time..? I heard they like to walk the property at night.. do they guard against evil humans too? Are they hyper and wild while young? Or are they a calm breed?

Mine likes to stay outside.

Yes, they patrol. They patrol your property, the neighbors properties, properties the next town over lol. They roam, and need to be fenced in well if you have neighbors that care.

Mine barks at humans and acts scary, but has never bitten anyone that I know of. The Heeler is actually the one you gotta watch out for, she won't tolerate human invaders.

They play as puppies, chew stuff, normal puppy behavior. Not super high energy like a Jack Russell or a herding type dog though. Pretty mellow dogs overall.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Mine likes to stay outside.

Yes, they patrol. They patrol your property, the neighbors properties, properties the next town over lol. They roam, and need to be fenced in well if you have neighbors that care.

Mine barks at humans and acts scary, but has never bitten anyone that I know of. The Heeler is actually the one you gotta watch out for, she won't tolerate human invaders.

They play as puppies, chew stuff, normal puppy behavior. Not super high energy like a Jack Russell or a herding type dog though. Pretty mellow dogs overall.

Thank you for your response .... this is all so helpful!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

right now i have a great Pyrenees and kangal mix

he is our goat guardian.

for your questions
we have ours in a fenced paddock with the goats but i know others who let there patrol there area out of a fence (our dog would most likely run away if let free) where we got are dog they use the breed for wolves with there sheep.

for night time, he is up all night barking at every thing and anything lol. but we have a lot of coyotes around.

as a puppy he was really laid back compared to other dog breeds and puppies.

he is a very calm breed.

and for weather, ours hates the heat just makes him really lazy and lays in the shade all day. but he loves snow and winter i mean -20C (-4F) he is out running around and just having a blast.

 

[WhoDatChick]

right now i have a great Pyrenees and kangal mix

he is our goat guardian.

for your questions
we have ours in a fenced paddock with the goats but i know others who let there patrol there area out of a fence (our dog would most likely run away if let free) where we got are dog they use the breed for wolves with there sheep.

for night time, he is up all night barking at every thing and anything lol. but we have a lot of coyotes around.

as a puppy he was really laid back compared to other dog breeds and puppies.

he is a very calm breed.

and for weather, ours hates the heat just makes him really lazy and lays in the shade all day. but he loves snow and winter i mean -20C (-4F) he is out running around and just having a blast.

Thank you! They sound really great and almost the perfect big dog for me... except for all that barking

 

[coach723]

I have a 1 year old male. Mellow yes, hard headed and extremely independent yes, easy to train not so much. He much prefers to do what pleases HIM as opposed to what pleases you. I'm not saying they aren't trainable, because they are, but he's not the kind of dog that cares so much about pleasing his human. He does work for getting the cookie! Much repetition for muscle memory is needed, not because he's dumb (he's really smart) but because it often just isn't interesting to him. He doesn't bark too much, I've got neighboring dogs that bark a lot more, he barks if there is something to bark at, and it's an impressive sounding bark. They NEED a job, if they get bored (like any dog really) they will find something to do, and it might be something YOU don't like. It can be destructive, not because they are so active, but because they are so BIG. Mine likes to chew, the chewingest dog I've ever had. Kitchen cabinets, sofa cushions, table legs, recliners, are all toy sized to a giant puppy. He yanked a very large rosemary bush out by the roots and chewed all the lower fronds off a sago palm (and yes, those have large thorns at the base), not easily deterred from whatever interests him. He is NOT a good off leash dog unless in a fenced area. If something is interesting, whether seen, heard, or smelled, he's going to follow it where ever it may lead. He does like to be outside, but he also very much likes to be with his people. Like any dog, there are generalities for a breed, but individuals and personalities can vary a lot.

 

[WhoDatChick]

I have a 1 year old male. Mellow yes, hard headed and extremely independent yes, easy to train not so much. He much prefers to do what pleases HIM as opposed to what pleases you. I'm not saying they aren't trainable, because they are, but he's not the kind of dog that cares so much about pleasing his human. He does work for getting the cookie! Much repetition for muscle memory is needed, not because he's dumb (he's really smart) but because it often just isn't interesting to him. He doesn't bark too much, I've got neighboring dogs that bark a lot more, he barks if there is something to bark at, and it's an impressive sounding bark. They NEED a job, if they get bored (like any dog really) they will find something to do, and it might be something YOU don't like. It can be destructive, not because they are so active, but because they are so BIG. Mine likes to chew, the chewingest dog I've ever had. Kitchen cabinets, sofa cushions, table legs, recliners, are all toy sized to a giant puppy. He yanked a very large rosemary bush out by the roots and chewed all the lower fronds off a sago palm (and yes, those have large thorns at the base), not easily deterred from whatever interests him. He is NOT a good off leash dog unless in a fenced area. If something is interesting, whether seen, heard, or smelled, he's going to follow it where ever it may lead. He does like to be outside, but he also very much likes to be with his people. Like any dog, there are generalities for a breed, but individuals and personalities can vary a lot.

... yea, that sounds like a bit much for me... thank you for this info... this is very helpful..
Sorry I took so long to respond.. I did not get alerts..

 

[WordHulveyHomestead]

We have a pure breed 7 month old male. We got him when he was just over 3 months old. I walked him around the fence line of the pasture every day for a month and he has never tried to get out (so far). He's happy watching over "his" goats and sheep (he also like our mini donkeys). The problem we've had is with our birds. We would leave him in a coop during the day and let him out at night when our birds went in. Unfortunately we had a few instances were the birds got out or came down from roosts before we got him in and he killed them. I also witnessed him with a chicken. He wasn't chasing them or growling (they don't have a high prey drive), but playing with them (too rough). We've decided that in order to keep him on the farm (as we have a lot of birds) he needed to go to "puppy bootcamp". He's there now as it's a 6 week program, but when he comes home he will be incredibly well trained. The place we brought him to has chickens on site and will train him to be "safe" with them. I did a ton of research and knew he could have trouble with birds. I've read (and spoken to other owners) that they can be tough puppies but between 1-2yrs. old their guard instincts kick in. My opinion is that they can be an excellent asset to a farm or homestead, but need a bit of training. A good livestock guardian is worth the investment in my opinion.
*the training here in Florida is $2000.00 but they offer a lifetime guarantee (so if we have a backslide they will come and retrain or assist us). It's steep but I figure we'll have him 10-14 years so it's worth doing this now.

 

[WhoDatChick]

We have a pure breed 7 month old male. We got him when he was just over 3 months old. I walked him around the fence line of the pasture every day for a month and he has never tried to get out (so far). He's happy watching over "his" goats and sheep (he also like our mini donkeys). The problem we've had is with our birds. We would leave him in a coop during the day and let him out at night when our birds went in. Unfortunately we had a few instances were the birds got out or came down from roosts before we got him in and he killed them. I also witnessed him with a chicken. He wasn't chasing them or growling (they don't have a high prey drive), but playing with them (too rough). We've decided that in order to keep him on the farm (as we have a lot of birds) he needed to go to "puppy bootcamp". He's there now as it's a 6 week program, but when he comes home he will be incredibly well trained. The place we brought him to has chickens on site and will train him to be "safe" with them. I did a ton of research and knew he could have trouble with birds. I've read (and spoken to other owners) that they can be tough puppies but between 1-2yrs. old their guard instincts kick in. My opinion is that they can be an excellent asset to a farm or homestead, but need a bit of training. A good livestock guardian is worth the investment in my opinion.
*the training here in Florida is $2000.00 but they offer a lifetime guarantee (so if we have a backslide they will come and retrain or assist us). It's steep but I figure we'll have him 10-14 years so it's worth doing this now.

Thank you... I feel I would maybe consider one if I had a farm like yours.. one with plenty of animals so he would have a job to do.. I only have chickens...

 

[WordHulveyHomestead]

Thank you... I feel I would maybe consider one if I had a farm like yours.. one with plenty of animals so he would have a job to do.. I only have chickens...

A different breed is probably a better choice then. This breed is kind of a coin toss when it comes to birds. We have a rat terrier who by breed should be a terrible fit for birds and is wonderful with them. I guess sometimes you never know!
Good luck with whatever breed you choose!