Great Pyrenees - to buy or not to buy?

[Tracie Lear]

Hi all, new to the forum. I have 27 lovely chickens, 5 goats, and one dog (friendly dingo-shepherd mix). We do have foxes, bears, and large coyowolves here. I lost one hen last summer, not sure what happened to her. The different animals mostly get along mingling in the barn. The pyrenees seems to be the most popular breed in my area (northeast ohio) for protecting herds from predators. However, the breeders I have spoken to (one a backyard breeder, and one an AKC breeder) both said their puppies' parents have killed chickens. How much of the dog's behavior is nature and how much is nurture? Also unrelated to chickens, Pyrenees are known for running off, and I don't think I can handle a dog with no recall, it would be too stressful for me if it got out and I had to chase it across town (if it survived the cars). Also, I know myself and I would not have the time or patience to devot to extensive training. (The way I trained my current dog, I told him loudly, if he peed in the house again, I was taking him back to the pound. He got the message.) My current dog is pretty good about alerting me to predators, and I imagine I could just go outside and shoot them if there was a problem. I work from home and currently sleep in the barn. While wildlife predators are a threat, I'm actually more concerned with human predators. What do you think?

I have a Great Pyr mix and she is a wonderful dog, but recall is a problem. They are bred to be independent and she definitely is. I have another dog who has near perfect recall so I don't think it's a training issue. As far as guarding chickens go, she is great at "guarding" me and my other dog. I just moved to the country and am getting chickens for the first time this year, so not sure about that. My chickens will be kept away from the dogs, as my other pup is a Mountain Curr mix and she simply cannot help but chase things that run. She would definitely hurt chickens. I'm not sure about the Great Pyr but I won't chance it. She will definitely alert me if something is around my coop though, I have no doubt. She is one of the best dogs I have ever owned, but VERY independent and stubborn and she does love to roam. I have a 6 foot fence around my 1/2 acre yard to keep her home. Hope that helps

 

[Double J Farms]

Pyrenees are known to be Chicken Killers

I disagree. I have had numerous Pyrenees and none have ever killed a chicken. If you get them as pups they will guard whatever you want them to. Ive seen chickens stand on top of a few I have had. If you introduce them right you should be good to go.

 

[Carters Chick House]

I disagree. I have had numerous Pyrenees and none have ever killed a chicken. If you get them as pups they will guard whatever you want them to. Ive seen chickens stand on top of a few I have had. If you introduce them right you should be good to go.

Agree. Training any pup is important.

 

[goats-n-oats]

Agree. Training any pup is important.

Any tips on how to train them?

 

[addctd2plnts]

I have 3 giant breed dogs: Leonberger, Pyrenees, Newfoundland. They're incredibly different. Leonberger has the look and baratone bark to scare away people and predators but Leonbergers have to live inside, absolutely to special to be outdoor only dogs and they are rare and expensive. Pyrenees is the perfect chicken protector. Her house is out with the chickens, she has no interest in anything other than protection of our fence, she is dedicated to her job big time. The Newfoundland is the chicken killer! Cannot be trusted around chickens ever. His breeder told me that his parents killed 30 chickens in the time it took them to go to dinner. Came home to beaks and feet. You're getting all kinds of feedback but just thought I'd thrown in what I know....

I've had Leonbergers for 22 years and also fostered for Leo Rescue, Saint Bernard, and Newfie Rescues LOL One of my Leonbergers had a very high prey drive and was a nightmare with small animals. We didn't have ducks then, but she definitely would have killed them. I've also had a Pyrenean Mastiff. That would be my favorite guard dog but I like them for guarding in the house. Not sure if I could sleep with them outside. There's always ONE neighbor that is a jerk, and all the livestock breeds I know bark at night.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

I haven’t read all of this thread but, have had Great Pyrenees and raised them for a while. I used to have sheep, in which having predator protection and control is a necessity. With sheep and goats my biggest concerns were coyotes and domestic dogs. Coyotes were by far the biggest problem. I tried electric fence, llamas, donkeys and Great Pyrenees. All worked to varying degrees, but each have their drawbacks as well.
The Pyrenees that I had worked well, they bonded with the sheep and would not tolerate anything else in the field with them. They would not even let a bird land if they saw it. Problem was they loved to roam and could get out of any fence or gate we had once they got they set their mind to it.
As long as they were where they should be they worked great. They were good around baby lambs as well.
The dogs themselves were a range of personalities, around people, but all friendly and lovable with us. One was very tolerant of anybody, another two were fairly tolerant of others but one female was a bit standoffish towards strangers. I kept a pup from the last litter, I had transitioned out of the sheep business while he was still a young pup, and he bonded with us and the cattle, cats, any other animals that he was around, but was extremely aggressive towards other people. He was so lovable with us, but was an instant Jekle and Hyde change whenever anybody else came around. He also was not fond of one of the barn cats that was bossy towards the other cats. He chased her away whenever she started trouble with any other cat.
I’ve never had them around chickens, but have heard of others doing that. I think the key is to start them out young with the animals they are to bond with, and keep a close watch on them for a while.

 

[FireCountry]

I have an Anatolian shepherd that is great with chickens and other small animals. Much like the Pyrenees though; THEY CANNOT BE CONTAINED! He'll tear out of any sort of confinement. He even opens the house doors to come in and out at his leisure he's an amazing guardian dog and a great companion. He's also extremely trainable BUT they are not a breed that will ever have a reliable recall. The reason being is that livestock guardian dogs were bred to be independent so that they can be alone for long periods of time and make thier own decisions while working. It definitely would be a long road of training but I honestly would still recommend one. I think they are worth the effort. The more work they feel like they have to do on your property, the less likely they are to leave (neuter your males! I have heard of people saying you can't neuter a guardian dog but that has been proven untrue. If you don't, they will roam looking for a mate. They would even chase after a coyote in heat!) My Buddy boy loves guarding my outdoor cat and making sure the turkeys don't get too close to her

 

[FreeloadingFowlFarm]

We have a 5 yo Pyrenees, and while he's a great dog, he is very prone to chase around our flock, but he hasn't killed any chickens (knock on wood). He is very stubborn, but still protects our flock well. We have him on an e-collar for an invisible fence, and that works wonders for him knowing where he's allowed to roam, and it has the added benefit of him knowing where he can't get to, which makes him more vigilant around those areas. If you have your flock free-ranging, then I wouldn't recommend a Pyrenees, but if you have good containment for your chickens, then the dog would do well warding off any predators that might try to get in. Another thing to consider is that the Pyrenees' main method of driving away predators is to bark, which they do very well, and more often than not, throughout the night. I hope you find a solution!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I've had Leonbergers for 22 years and also fostered for Leo Rescue, Saint Bernard, and Newfie Rescues LOL One of my Leonbergers had a very high prey drive and was a nightmare with small animals. We didn't have ducks then, but she definitely would have killed them. I've also had a Pyrenean Mastiff. That would be my favorite guard dog but I like them for guarding in the house. Not sure if I could sleep with them outside. There's always ONE neighbor that is a jerk, and all the livestock breeds I know bark at night.

Wow very cool you're clearly a jumbo breed lover like me!! I agree that the barking is bad and good at the same time. One neighbor doesn't like it (and when I say neighbor, we're on acreage but our fence where the dogs bark is not far from them,) another neighbor appreciates it because they have had predator issues where we have not, and they say it has to be because of our dogs barking. I definitely don't leave anyone outside all night unless they insist. My girl will for sure wake me up so that she can take a trip around the fence perimeter at least once during the night. I know her amazing nose and ears tell her what's happening out there even when she's inside.

 

[TJAnonymous]

We have a 5 yo Pyrenees, and while he's a great dog, he is very prone to chase around our flock, but he hasn't killed any chickens (knock on wood). He is very stubborn, but still protects our flock well. We have him on an e-collar for an invisible fence, and that works wonders for him knowing where he's allowed to roam, and it has the added benefit of him knowing where he can't get to, which makes him more vigilant around those areas. If you have your flock free-ranging, then I wouldn't recommend a Pyrenees, but if you have good containment for your chickens, then the dog would do well warding off any predators that might try to get in. Another thing to consider is that the Pyrenees' main method of driving away predators is to bark, which they do very well, and more often than not, throughout the night. I hope you find a solution!

I'm curious about your eCollar. I have a Husky-Great Pyr mix. She is 2 yrs old. No recall whatsoever. If she gets outside our backyard or isn't on a leash, good luck getting her to come back until she's good and ready on her own. She also has killed a few chickens in her puppy stage but seems to be mellowing out in that area. Anyway, I wanted to get an invisible fence so she can be with us in the barnyard area but a trainer told us that it would be a waste of money with these types of dogs. She said that an independent dog like ours would just completely ignore the fence warning and blow right through it, especially if she is chasing something like a squirrel or other animal.