Great Pyrenees
Learn about the temperament and personality of the Great Pyrenees. Discover what he's like to live with, his traits and characteristics and how he generally behaves. And look at lots of Great Pyrenees photos.

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Watchdog | ![]() |
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Guard Dog | ![]() |
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Great Pyrenees Temperament
This giant, gorgeous dog was bred to be a guard dog and has strong territorial instincts. And the Great Pyrenees defines his territory as "as far as his eye can see." He will run off if not contained by a fence or leash. These dogs were bred to think independently and to make decisions on their own, so if you are looking for an obedience champion who hangs on your every word, the Pyrenees probably isn't it. But they are good watchdogs and will bark to raise the alarm of someone on their turf. They are protective, even possessive, of their family, property, and livestock. This dog will make protecting you his life goal. He will want to be with you as much as possible so that he can know where you are and what you are doing at all times. The sheer size of them is enough to deter evildoers, and they have a unique ability to tell friend from foe. They have a deep, booming bark. They are expert barkers. They bark at things you will never even know exist, especially at night, when your neighbors are trying to sleep. Early obedience training is necessary, because you do not want to end up in a wrestling match with a giant Pyrenees. Yet, don't expect miracles. Pyrs don't usually excel at obedience training, and due to a combination of lethargy and stubbornness, they tend to take their sweet time obeying your commands. They like to see what they can get away with. Great Pyrenees do well with children and seem to have a built-in sense of responsibility for watching over them. Of course, all children need to be taught how to behave around dogs. The Pyrenees are loving and affectionate with their families: gentle, patient, and calm. They get along well with other dogs and household pets. (They don't get along with same-sex dogs and can be aggressive with them.) They are remarkably sensitive and sympathetic to your emotions and will comfort you when you need it. In turn, they require affection, kindness and human companionship. A bored or lonesome Pyr can be destructive. Pyrs should be exercised daily and they make great walking partners, as they tend to walk along beside you calmly instead of pulling you across town. The Great Pyranees is intelligent, dependable, confident, brave, devoted, sweet, stubborn, and really tall, so don't keep your steaks thawing on the counter.
Great Pyrenees Training
The Great Pyrenees is harder to train than most other dog breeds. He learns new commands more slowly than the majority of other breeds. You will need to be extra patient when Training him.
Great Pyrenees Shedding
The Great Pyrenees is a very heavy shedder. He sheds an awful lot of hair! You'll find hair all over your home, stuck to everything! You'll probably even find it in the butter!
Great Pyrenees Grooming
The medium-length coat of the Great Pyrenees only requires an occasional brushing. But because he sheds excessively you may find yourself brushing him daily to remove loose hair. (What you get out with a brush doesn't fall out in your home!)
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Rating: Ease of training
Tells you how easy or difficult a breed is to train.
A higher rating means the breed is easier to train, a lower rating means the breed is harder to train.
An easy to train breed require less time and patience to train.
Rating: Intelligence
Tells you how intelligent a breed is in terms of how quickly it can learn commands from humans. A higher rating means the breed will learn your commands faster (and is therefore generally considered to be more intelligent), while a lower rating means the breed will learn your commands more slowly (and is therefore generally considered to be less intelligent).
Keep in mind that this is only one way to measure a dog's intelligence and a low rating might still mean the breed is highly intelligent in other ways.
Rating: Shedding
Tells you how much hair the breed sheds. The higher the rating the more hair the breed sheds.
Rating: Watchdog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a watchdog and raising the alarm when a stranger approaches. A higher rating means the breed will bark vigorously to warn you of a stranger's presence on your property. A low rating means the breed probably won't bark much if a stranger enters your property.
Rating: Guard dog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a guard dog due to the appearance, size, and strength of the breed. A breed with a high guard dog rating will make an intruder think twice before stepping foot on your property.
Rating: Popularity
Tells you how popular the breed is in terms of ownership. A higher rating means that more people own the breed. The more popular a breed is the easier it is to find and purchase one because there are more breeders breeding it.
Rating: Size
Tells you how large or small the breed is. A lower rating means the breed is smaller and a higher rating means the breed is larger. It gives you a quick idea of how physically large or small the breed is compared with all the other breeds.
Rating: Agility
Tells you how agile the breed is. A higher rating means the breed is fast and nimble on its feet while a lower rating means the breed is heavier and slower on its feet.
Rating: Good with kids
Tells you how good the breed is with children. A higher rating means the breed is good with children. Note: all breeds are generally good with kids when they're raised with them.