Adopt a Great Pyrenees (medium coat)

A Few Observations on Great Pyrenees.
By John Bering

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen, You can take or leave what I’m about to say.

-DISCLAIMER-
I’m not a veterinarian, an animal nutrition expert, or an animal behavior expert.

BUT…
I have Owned, Bred, Showed, Rescued, Travelled across the Atlantic, Hiked the Alps, Lived in apartments, Big houses… From the Mountains of Germany (While I was in the Army) to the Bayou in southern Louisiana with my Great Pyrenees’ for more than 30 years.
I don’t claim to be an expert. But, I do have a bit of experience with the breed.

1. HISTORY: Here’s what the books say…
Your dog is an over 2000 year old breed. Bred as a flock guard (Not a herding breed), to protect sheep flocks in the Pyrenees mountains from bears and wolves. It is a “Working” breed. Protection is in their DNA.
They have also been used as smugglers and war dogs.
The Medieval City of Carcassonne in southern France has a carved relief of a pack of Pyrenees over one of the gates (Been there, Seen it). In the olden days, they would release a pack of them every night into the dry moat when they locked the city gates for the night. Carcassonne was never taken by an enemy.
Louis XIV declared the Great Pyrenees the Royal Dog of France. The ONLY breed to have this honor.

2. FOOD: Read your dog! Yes… Puppies do eat a lot. Which dog food is the best? Ask your dog.
I’ve tried them all. It’s much more simple than you may think. A Pyr is a snacker… They have a slow metabolism. Therefore, they should not be woofing down a whole bowl of food. They’re metabolism will dictate how much nutrients they need. It’s simple observation… The more they eat… the less healthy the food. My full grown dog eats about a 40 lb. bag of food per month. If they are putting on “good” weight, they’re coat has a purple sheen when the sun hits it. And, he eats when hungry… Then… You’ve got the right food. By-the-way… DRY FOOD. If you give them moist food… It’s sitting out all day… Living on the bayou in southern Louisiana… That means… BUGS!

3. SHEDING: Pyrenees do not shed! Yah Right… And, I’m the Emperor of Siberia!
First… Let’s understand the basics. Pyrenees shed twice a year. Spring… Their summer coat comes in. And Fall… Their winter coat comes in. That being said… Here’s the reason why my Pyr sheds all year! He lives in air-conditioning. His body thinks air-conditioning is fall weather. Then he goes outside and his body thinks it is summer. Sooo… His body keeps adjusting. Thus… Constant shedding.
Brush him once a week. He’ll look great and, it will help with shedding. Used to know a lady in Germany who spun Pyr fur into yarn.

4. COAT: Yes… Your puppy is going to change color. Think… Bald Eagle. I used to breed and show Great Pyrenees (In Europe, they are called Pyrenees Mountain Dogs) in Germany. Only in America and Japan are pure white Pyrenees popular. Adult Pyrs are supposed to have some color.

NOTE: DO NOT cut your Pyrs hair. The outer, long hairs work as a radiator for body temp. If you keep the under coat brushed out during summer… The long hair helps dissipate heat. My dog can be outside in the summer most of the day. When I feel his fur… It’s hot. But, when I run my hand under the fur, next to the skin… It’s much cooler.

5. DOUBLE DEW CLAWS: Pyrenees are the only breed that has Double Dew Claws on the hind legs. It’s an ancient snow shoe.
It’s is considered a pure bred identifying mark. Judges at dog shows expect to see them. Don’t remove them. If your dog wasn’t born with them… Then, it’s NOT pure bred… Period!

6. INTELIGENCE: LOL… Smarter than you! Sometimes… Too smart for their own good. When I call mine… He takes the round-about route. And, acts like it’s his idea to do what I want.
A Pyr pretty much trains its self. For you… Routine is everything! Your dog will train its self, based on your routine. You’re the one who needs to be trained. Take them out at the same time every day. Fill their bowl at the same time every day. Ect…
That being said… They’re a lot like humans in… Females mature much faster than males. LOL!
Females get smart fast. A year or two. Males, ain’t got a lick of sense till 4 or 5 years old. LOL… Mine took 6 years.

7. BARKING: Great Pyrenees do not bark very much. Bwaaahahaha!!!!!!!!!!
But… They are very selective about what they bark at. Example… Moving blades of grass, rain drops, snowflakes, low flying satellites, Ect…
Listen to your dog! They have different barks for different situations… Listen… Learn!
His job is protecting the flock! Whether it’s a flock of sheep, a pen of chickens or the family.
His bark announcing someone at the door is going to be different from someone is snooping around the house. I guarantee his bark/growl when a predator is near, will most definitely get your attention!

How do I get my Pyrenees to stop barking at everything? Do you ignore your car alarm when it goes off? If you do… Then why do you have one?
This has worked with every Pyr I have owned… It may take them a while to learn what is important to bark at and what is not. Refer to #6 above.

When my dog starts barking… I get off my butt and go see what he is barking at. I kneel down next to him. Put my hand on his back and say… Whatcha see boy? I reassure him that it is okay and that he is a good boy, Unless, it’s an immediate threat he will start calming down almost immediately. Over time… He will bark at less and less. I’ve learned that if it’s a vicious bark, I get my gun. Interestingly… when my dog sees my gun, he gets real quiet and stares in the direction of the threat.
I didn’t train him… I payed attention to what I think he is trying to tell me.

8. FEARLESSNESS: This brings us to the one trait you cannot appreciate until it happens!
Most dogs will break and run when they start losing a fight. A Pyrenees will not! When it is life and death… Your big cuddly teddy bear will fight to the death to defend you… Even when it knows it’s going to die, it won’t give up.
They are not overly aggressive. They will bark warnings. They will back up until they can’t back up any more. Then… All bets are off.

Predators? They ABSOLUTELY HATE predators! Mine chased a bear across a sugar cane field. He went from placid, with the family petting him, to a bullet shot from a gun in about half a second. I had to get in my truck to catch him.
Once your Pyrenees is in a fight… There is only one of three outcomes… The predator runs off, the predator dies or your dog dies.

If you have stock… Coyotes are a big problem everywhere now days. Coyotes are very intelligent. If you have one dog, they will figure it out. One coyote will draw your dog out and his buddies will ambush your dog. If you have three dogs… Sit back and watch the show. One Pyr will stay with the Non-Free Range pens. The other two will go on a search and destroy mission. When those two get done… All you will find of the coyotes, are pieces. Once that happens, the coyotes won’t dare come out of the woods.
If you have Free Range stock. You’ll need more.

As for me? I don’t have any stock yet. I keep my dog inside at night. If someone wants to get in the house and my dog is outside… They can kill my dog and I would never know until they were at the bedroom door. And, I work out of town a lot.
My dog stays in our bedroom at night. His job is… If someone comes through the bedroom door… is to buy me enough time to grab my .45. At that point… My dog and I are going to fight to the death as a team!

In conclusion… I don’t claim to be an expert. But… I’ve had Pyrs for over 30 years. And, have learned a thing or two.