The Great Pyrenees, the protector of the homestead

The Great Pyrenees Personality

The Great Pyrenees is an intelligent breed, strong-willed but not difficult to raise with an educated and experienced handler. This breed of canine is a must on all homesteads as a protector. On the flip side, these mighty animals can prove challenging for the inexperienced or first-time dog owner, and might not be the best option in such situations. Again, they are affectionate toward familiar owners and tend to be great with children, making fantastic family pets!

Nocturnal

You may not know that the Great Pyrenees is very nocturnal. If you live in an area where your neighbors may not appreciate the all-night barking, then reconsider owning this breed.  They basically sleep during the day with one eye open, if you may. I live on a top of a mountain with no close neighbors so the barking is not bothersome to us. During the summer, we put a box fan in her barn, it seems to help her hear fewer noises outside and does cut down on the all-night barking! I have to say the Great Pyrenees is a more vocal dog and does not want to run away as our Maremma always wanted to.

Purchasing the Great Pyrenees

Here are some general facts about this breed:

Shedding: High (but requires only about 30 minutes of weekly brushing)

Prey Drive: High

Barking: High

Exercise Needs: High

Weight: The average male weighs around 100 pounds & up, and the average female weighs around  85 pounds & up.

Height: 27-32 inches (male), 25-29 inches (female)

Dewclaws: To remove or not to remove

Our first homestead guard dog

Having a herd of goats in Florida and with all the predators, we knew we needed a guard dog. We visited a reputable local goat farm who was also a herd dog breeder of Maremmas.  They are similar to the Great Pyrenees.  The owner was away and her farmhand was running the farm in her absence. The farmhand could not find the puppies, they were missing.

My son was out playing in the pasture and heard whimpering. A few puppies had fallen down a hole and fire ants were attacking the puppies. My son climbed down the hole and rescued the puppies. The owner returned and gave us a free one for finding all the puppies. We named the puppy after her, Gretchen.

When we left Florida and moved to the city, we entrusted Gretchen with a local goat farmer down the road and they hit it off. The city was no place for an outside dog even though it was sad to leave her.

Owning the Great Pyrenees

Currently, we now own the Great Pyrenees, Gerti, on our little farm in the mountains. We bought her from a reputable breeder locally. Before we decided to buy a puppy, we need to inspect the farm, meet the dog parents and view how the dogs were raised. We did not want to buy from a puppy mill or a farm that had weak dogs from overbreeding.

History of the Great Pyrenees

As a large and powerful double coated working breed, the Great Pyrenees easily lives up to its name. Originally bred as a flock guardian in the snowy Pyrenees Mountains of France, these magnificent animals worked in partnership with both human shepherds and their smaller Pyrenean Shepherd cousins, driving off not only wolf attacks but the much larger bear as well.

Not only were they bred to guard sheep and other stock animals against deadly wolves and other threats that could mean an easy end otherwise, but they are also perfectly suited to their environment. Their thick white coats offer perfect camouflage in addition to much-needed warmth, allowing the Pyrenees to blend in almost seamlessly with the sheep they guard. Heavy iron collars with spikes were sometimes worn, offering a deadly poke for any predator attacking their normally vulnerable necks.

Great homestead dog

In contrast to its past glory days as mighty guardians, the average Pyrenees is kept as a home or as a family companion today. Thanks to its original breeding, the Pyrenees tends to be a fantastic, patient companion for children, as well as gentle and affectionate toward the rest of the family and livestock.

Protective dog

On the other hand, this particular breed tends to be both territorial and often protective. This, accompanied by its surprising size and strength, can prove a dangerous threat to both guilty intruders or innocent strangers alike. For this reason (among the general importance), any Pyrenees owner should consider strong socialization training during puppyhood.

Gerti has treed many raccoons and killed snakes that are always after the eggs in the barn. She kills any predator that threatens her yard. She would break up sparring roosters by walking in-between them when they fought. We now only have one rooster and he has gone a few rounds with Gerti; he was taught who is king of the castle very quickly!

Importance of Socialization

Socialization training is some of the most important training any dog will ever endure, but especially important for those powerful breeds purposefully bred with a protective, suspicious instinct. Though an owner should continue to socialize their dogs throughout their lives, continually creating pleasurable encounters, it’s best to begin between 12 and 16 weeks of age (but can begin as early as 8 weeks).

We actually took Gerti to Pet Smart for training when she was a puppy and it did not work! Gerti was very head-strong as a puppy. She has grown out of that, thank goodness and is the sweetest, easiest going dog we have ever owned. When going to the vets now, she interacts with all other dogs very well and walks on her leash without a struggle.

Health issues

We had to have Gerti shaved last year due to being bitten by fleas and she had an allergic reaction to the bites. At the same time, she also got a hematoma in her ears from shaking her head repeatedly which caused the blood vessels to break. Finally, she got it lanced, drained and put on antibiotics and steroids.  Next came a trip to a groomer where she had a flea bath dip and a skin conditioner massaged into her fur.  She loved the day at the spa. We went all out and pampered her. We spare no expense when it comes to our fur family!

Great Pyrenees Dewclaws removal

Whenever we buy a dog or get one from the pound, we have them spayed. During the time Gerti was getting spayed, the vet suggested removing her dewclaws. Often dewclaws can curl and grow into their skin. Gerti has never had an infection or any irritations from having them removed.

Pro Tip: The Great Pyrenees will do best in cooler weather, but never shave their coats no matter how hot it gets. Their double coats are designed to trap in cool air and offer protection from the sun.

Housing

I know a lot of farmers, homesteaders or regular households offer no housing for the Great Pyrenees. We certainly do! We built a 10×16 barn with a poured concrete floor. Upon that, we lay 3-inch thick bedding of wheat straw. Gerti has an automatic waterer, which we rinse out every feeding, every day. Ocassioanly, during the winter, the water freezes and we bring her fresh water twice a day.

Bedding:

We change the straw every month because it gets flat and dirty from the chickens tearing it up looking for bugs. It then gets tossed in the chicken yard and the chickens dig through it looking for bugs and seeds. We also compost it sometimes. We also sprinkle her bedding with Diatomaceous Earth (DE). You can read how else we use DE on the homestead Diatomaceous Earth for fleas and other uses for Natural Living.

Check out this article from the AKC on the Great Pyrenees 9 Things You Didn’t Know About the Great Pyrenees.

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