Great Pyrenees

[Moonie]

Ok, over a year ago I saw a post from a member asking about these dogs. The responses got me researching the breed. We brought home a 6 week old puppy on December 30'th of last year, roughly 4 months ago. What in the world have I gotten myself into. When we brought him home he was 7.9lbs and fluffy and adorable. He is now 5 months old and 50lbs, can reach anything on our counters and is taller than our trash can...

Do you people use these things to tow your cars home when they break down??

He is stubborn, very hard of hearing and generally ignores you if he wants to.

Actually this isn't completely true, he is a wonderful dog and I wanted to thank those that posted about these amazing dogs. We got this dog to keep an eye on the house and our teenage daughters when they are home alone. Even at 5 months old I feel sorry for anyone that wants in the house when they are home alone.

I do now have an alarm clock that looks like this and wakes me up every morning around 6am:
103412

Nobody is going to mess with any of his girls:
103413

Thanks

[smokeywolf]

We're considering adding one to our pack after we relocate to our retirement location.

smokeywolf

[Fishman]

They are popular guard dogs around here for goats and sheep. They are extremely dedicated and hardy, and seem to have a good disposition.

[Moonie]

We're considering adding one to our pack after we relocate to our retirement location.

smokeywolf

Please do lots of research, they are great dogs but not for everyone. Some of the issues they can have as puppies are cute in small breeds but not so much in the giant breeds. A 40-50lb dog going through terrible two's can be...interesting and your backyard WILL look like a gunnery range. So far we are lucky, only 3 18-24" deep holes. Don't even think of filling them in, that lasts an hour. Too many of these dogs end up in shelters and rescue centers. They are great at 3 years old, not so much at 3-8months and goodness at how fast they grow, almost noticeable every day he is bigger...

[TheDoctor]

I have always thought that one of these would be great. Originally had my eyes on a boerboel, but I believe that a GP would be a better match with my family. That being said, will have to wait what hopefully will be quite a few more years. While I was looking and thinking about it, my wife brought home 90 pounds of clumsy american bulldog, a.k.a, "The Buffalo". That makes for three dogs now, and another would be about 200 pounds too much!

[dragonrider]

My daughter has one, just about year old, right around 100 lbs. And dumb as box of rocks. Great disposition.

[Elkins45]

We had one from 2007 until she died in December of 2012. She was a big girl (120 pounds) but she was a giant sweetheart. Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about her. (Not the dog in my avatar, that's a goofy lab mix who is thankfully still with us).

When I retire I'm getting another. I think my wife would approve: I know she will once she sees that big furry face again.

[smokeywolf]

Please do lots of research, they are great dogs but not for everyone. Some of the issues they can have as puppies are cute in small breeds but not so much in the giant breeds. A 40-50lb dog going through terrible two's can be...interesting and your backyard WILL look like a gunnery range. So far we are lucky, only 3 18-24" deep holes. Don't even think of filling them in, that lasts an hour. Too many of these dogs end up in shelters and rescue centers. They are great at 3 years old, not so much at 3-8months and goodness at how fast they grow, almost noticeable every day he is bigger...

We've had Wolfdogs for the last 20 years; two from the L. A. County animal shelter. Never owned (or been owned by) a dog under 60 lbs. Smokey the Wolf/Belgian Shepherd was 135 lbs. in the Winter months and would drop to 120 and change, in the Summer months.

I've taken dogs out of the animal shelter, but never put one into a pound or shelter.

Also, as I said in my post, we won't consider making that commitment until we move onto a ranch/hobby farm.

smokeywolf

[oneokie]

Great family dogs. Have our third one now. Only thing I wish to add is to make sure a male GP knows and understands that he is not the Alpha male.

[smokeywolf]

Very true oneokie. This is perhaps the most important point or premise in animal training. Very typical of dogs and wolfdogs to, during the first and second year, challenge the alpha human in the household (pack) for alpha position. Most dogs are perfectly happy being relegated to the omega position in the pack. Problems with behavior are often caused by a dog feeling unsure of his position in the pack.

We maintain protocols in our household. Timber, aka "The Goofy Wolf" eats after the humans. He always gets something, every time we eat anything, even if just a bite or two. If we're eating something that is unhealthy for him, we go to the fridge and get a piece of cheese, a dollop of yogurt or a piece of apple for him. When walking through the house, he moves for us; we never move for him. When he gets up on a chair or bed it is only by invitation; never of his own accord.

Timber is never left alone; not even for 5 minutes.

[longranger]

My ex wife got bit pretty good by one on a ranch she was training horses on,good dogs and judge of character in my book.

[MtGun44]

I've seen several herds of sheep in back country Wyoming that had no people around, just a pair of Great Pyrenees, about the same
size as a big sheep, actually.

Seems like they are quite dedicated working dogs, gotta be pretty smart to do that kind of work. I'm guessing your
feed bills will be steadily climbing. :-)

Bill

[Lonegun1894]

I have a GP/lab mix female that is 105#, and she is great. A bit goofy, sometimes too friendly, but a great guard dog and hunter. My other one is a Mastiff male that is 160#, and is the strong quiet protective type. She alerts me and the rest of the neighborhood to anything that may possibly be less than perfect around here, and he just sits back and looks at her like she has lost her mind when she starts barking. She is still protective, and does step up when she thinks she needs to, but between the two, I feel sorry for anyone dumb enough to tangle with my male. He's not mean, and is actually very sweet, but there have been a couple times when he thought he needed to protect us and it wasn't pretty for the recipient of his attention, but it was very justified. Seeing the similarities in the way they act when someone their pack (you and yours) is threatened, I almost, but not quite, feel sorry for anyone that threatens your daughters. Good pick.

[bayjoe]

They are not shy about biting strangers.

[dk17hmr]

There are a lot of GP around here in the winter when they are running sheep. When I am out predator hunting and see a big white dog coming my way, I kill the call, make sure its not a wolf, than head for the truck before he gets to close. Amazing animals I have had them run beside my truck for several miles at a pretty good clip....not something I want to mess with.

I like my boxer, just large enough to be a real dog, loves everyone, and very protective of my wife....cant wait to see how she is with my son when he shows up in a couple months.

[MaryB]

I had a coyote-lab mix for awhile. Had to move him out to the farm, he had this bad tendency to bite people on the rear and I couldn't break him of it. Also way to protective of me to live in town.

[Just Duke]

Ok, over a year ago I saw a post from a member asking about these dogs. The responses got me researching the breed. We brought home a 6 week old puppy on December 30'th of last year, roughly 4 months ago. What in the world have I gotten myself into. When we brought him home he was 7.9lbs and fluffy and adorable. He is now 5 months old and 50lbs, can reach anything on our counters and is taller than our trash can...

Do you people use these things to tow your cars home when they break down??

He is stubborn, very hard of hearing and generally ignores you if he wants to.

Actually this isn't completely true, he is a wonderful dog and I wanted to thank those that posted about these amazing dogs. We got this dog to keep an eye on the house and our teenage daughters when they are home alone. Even at 5 months old I feel sorry for anyone that wants in the house when they are home alone.

I do now have an alarm clock that looks like this and wakes me up every morning around 6am:
103412

Nobody is going to mess with any of his girls:
103413

Thanks

That would be me. ;)

[Moonie]

5:45am this morning, he wanted breakfast, was quite insistent about it.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I was bitten by a GP belonging to my next door neighbor. He was no problem when he got out and came to my house and I had even betted him at his house but one day he felt like biting someone and I was available. He gave me a pretty good bite on my left leg. Had the neighbor not been there to kick him off I fear I would have been in much worse shape. I came to the gate several days later and the neighbor said , "let me lock up the dog". The dog found a way out and came for me again and if it were not for a large steel trailer I jumped into I would have been dog food. I never tried to go on there property again until he got rid of the GP.

[leeggen]

We have a GP that stays with the goats 24/7. Large male and as long as I tell him you are ok to enter the pasture you will not get in. Also one that decided she needed to protect the house, female, she is protective of the property. Max weighed at the age of 5, 125# now at 14yr. he is at 90# still just as of a guardian as ever. he and I ahd a day of reckoning at 5yrs, he decided he was alpha and I was not allowing that. Sense he is great to be around. You should see the mini van go down te road to the vets with him jumping from side to side. Looked like I was drunk driving. They are great dogs and are familly and farm protetion grade A.
CD

[Moonie]

Dogs are happier not being alpha, they think they want it but being alpha is hard work for a dog. This knuckle head has already tried becoming alpha, he is much happier now that he isn't trying any longer.

[smokeywolf]

Dogs are happier not being alpha, they think they want it but being alpha is hard work for a dog. This knuckle head has already tried becoming alpha, he is much happier now that he isn't trying any longer.

20 years and 3 intact male wolfdogs has indicated to me that you are right on with that conclusion. Establish your alpha position early and reinforce at the slightest provocation. They are very happy being the cared for follower rather than the leader having to maintain their dominance every minute.


smokewolf

[gattling]

I had a GP and Newfoundland cross (mutt). He looked like a St Bernard, except black where St B's are brown. He was very territorial, until he got older, and learned that if I was around it was Ok. He was 26" at the shoulder and 110#. Great dog, now I have a Bullmastiff. 2nd one, there will be a third

[tja6435]

We have a female Great Pyrenees, had Siberian Huskies before so I thought I had dealt with stubborn dogs, but the great pyr came set on extra, extra stubborn. And tore everything up in the backyard for about the first 2 years. Still shreds something every now and then.

She's super protective and no one gets in or even near the house without her barking up a storm

[smokeywolf]

Perhaps not in the above case, but in many the dogs that act out to most, are the working breeds who have not been assigned or provided with the work that they were bred to perform. We have also seen that in dogs, the females tend to be more headstrong and more difficult to train.

[gandydancer]

I've seen what a GP can do to two miniature donkeys when mad. eight foot area looked like a slaughter house. the biggest piece of the donkeys left was their heads. The owner shot the dog on the spot. the dog and another one had been guarding the donkeys & miniature horse's at least two years? what set him off? who knows. I think it was because the donkeys had been eating the dogs dry dog food every chance they got. the other GP was fine.

if this is a double post from me on this. I am sorry.