The Great Pyrenees: big, white, docile, and protective. Many owners share a love for these large, loyal dogs--and luckily for those owners, Great Pyrenees care and maintenance isn't too time-consuming. Below you'll find plenty of details on raising a Great Pyrenees: puppy care and development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition, and more. Consider this page your definitive Great Pyrenees guide book!
Exercise is vital in keeping your Great Pyrenees happy and healthy. As docile, fairly low-energy dogs, Great Pyrs won't require a great deal of daily activity; about 45 minutes per day is a good target for a mature breed member. You can begin exercising a Great Pyr pup at three months of age by taking it on short (10-minute) walks, then increasing the walks' duration as the puppy grows.
Some things to keep in mind when exercising your Great Pyr: first, puppies younger than nine months old shouldn't be allowed to participate in activities that include a lot of jumping and running, as doing so can injure their still-developing bones and joints. (This breed is especially prone to structural issues like hip or elbow dysplasia and patellar luxation; these conditions often originate when a puppy over-exerts itself.) Regardless of age, a Great Pyr will definitely need supervision during outdoor exercise. Due to their instinctive defensiveness around others, these dogs should be leashed when in public--and when exercising in the yard, the area will need a high, secure fence. As livestock guardians, these dogs are used to roaming large areas of land, so your Great Pyr will quickly scale a fence (or just jump over it!) if allowed in order to explore its larger surroundings. Also, with their thick double coats Great Pyrenees can overheat fairly easily, so it's best to not exercise them in sweltering temperatures, and be sure to give them access to fresh water at all times.
Precautions aside, it's important to give your Great Pyr some exercise every single day. A bored or restless dog of this breed will exhibit behavioral problems like disobedience, destructiveness, and even aggression--and as frequent barkers already, if under-exercised they'll bark until you're sick of the sound (especially if left alone). So consistent exercise is good for both the dog's sanity and your own. A few Great Pyrenees exercise ideas:
When indoors, it's a good idea to give your Great Pyr access to one or more balls or chew-toys that allow the dog to burn any excess energy. It's also recommended that you establish a consistent daily exercise schedule for your Great Pyr, such as walks after breakfast and dinner and a play period in the afternoon.
Maintenance for these dogs in terms of shedding and drooling is fairly high. Great Pyrenees shedding is moderate to heavy for most of the year, and extreme during shedding season; drooling can be a common issue as well.
So exactly how much does a Great Pyrenees shed? The short answer: quite a lot. These dogs have thick, double-layered coats, so the undercoat sheds regularly for a majority of the year--and since the coats are white, those white hairs show up everywhere. But during shedding season (which is in late spring for this breed, and sometimes in both spring and fall for those living in warmer regions) they shed like crazy. Owners say frequent brushing and the occasional use of an undercoat rake will minimize the issue somewhat--but even so, anyone with a Great Pyr will need to vacuum the floors and use lint rollers on clothes and furniture on a regular basis.
According to breed experts, some Great Pyrenees dogs drool more than others; the amount depends on how pendulous (or "flappy") the Great Pyr's lips are. These dogs will drool in anticipation of food, when they get especially hot and pant, and when they drink water. Many owners say they keep an old rag or towel handy specifically for cleaning up excess slobber. If your Great Pyr drools frequently, you can tie a bandanna or old towel around its neck to protect its neck and chest from getting dirty or stinky from the saliva.
For a Great Pyrenees, diet and nutrition is an important factor in maintaining its health and longevity. Though these dogs aren't extremely active, they'll still need food that's high in animal proteins and carbohydrates to give them much-needed energy; Great Pyrenees dog food will also need some omega fatty acids to keep that sparkling white coat looking healthy! All this means that your Great Pyr will thrive most on a diet of premium dry food, specifically a Large-Breed Formula. High-quality foods may be more expensive and difficult to obtain, but they contain the necessary proteins, carbs, and other nutrients that cheap dog foods simply don't have.
And as expected, these big dogs will eat a lot of it. An adult Great Pyr, depending on its age, size, and activity level, will need at least four cups of premium dry food per day, divided into two meals. And how much to feed a Great Pyrenees puppy? Food portions for Great Pyr pups are smaller--but not by much. Again depending on its age, Great Pyrenees puppy feeding should be about three cups per day, divided into three meals until nine months of age. It's best to feed a Great Pyr pup Large-Breed Puppy Formula for the first year of its life, then you can transition to Large-Breed Adult formula by mixing the two for a few days. It's also recommended that you establish a consistent daily feeding schedule so your Great Pyr gets used to eating at the same time every day. For more details, see these feeding guidelines:
*--Sometime between 9-12 months, transition from puppy formula to adult formula by first mixing in just a bit of adult food with the puppy food. Over the course of a week, for each meal add more adult food until the dog is eating it entirely.
It's best to try and stick to the above-listed portions, because over-feeding a Great Pyrenees can cause the dog to become overweight quickly. A fat Great Pyr will have joint, breathing, and digestive issues, not to mention a reduced lifespan. You can control your Great Pyr's weight in several ways: by establishing consistent feeding and exercise schedules; no feeding of table scraps; and perhaps most important, by not "free-feeding" your Great Pyr. (Free-feeding is leaving food in a dog's bowl all the time so it can eat anytime it wants.) It's highly recommended that you put your Great Pyr's dish down only at meal times, then pick it up 20 minutes or so after the dog begins eating.
If you're worried your Great Pyrenees is overweight, give the dog this simple Ribs Test: run a hand along its side, and if you can't feel any ribs, it's diet time. Reduce your Great Pyr's daily food intake by one-fourth, and add an extra walk or play period to its daily exercise schedule.
The best dog food for Great Pyrenees (puppies and adults alike) is premium dry food, specifically the kind made for large breeds. These large-breed formulas are easier to find in high-quality brands; overall, premium foods are much better for these dogs than cheap foods, which contain lots of empty-calorie "filler" ingredients instead of vital nutrients.
The Great Pyrenees is a naturally outdoors dog whose preference is for the frigid, windy cold — when he's working as bred to do. As that is rarely the case these days, however, these dogs are better kept as inside dogs who are let out to play in the snow (if you have it!) but to not sleep or stay out all night in it. They love their humans, and they are keen on snuggling, attention, and being couch potatoes with you while you watch TV. As such, you'll need a lot of indoor space and a fair amount of available outdoor space — and that outdoor space requires restraints that will keep him from leaping over fences or otherwise escaping.
If you live in a temperate, humid, or tropical climate, these dogs are not suited for such environments. Even if you have superb air conditioning and all that, he'll need to get outside to exercise, relieve himself, and just to play. This means he'll have problems due to his thick double-coat and ease of overheating.
Likewise, apartments are not recommended for Great Pyrs. This breed was developed long ago to have wide open space even if they are not that active in their guard duties overseeing herds in windy, freezing, mountainous terrain, and being cooped up in a small home will cramp their style.
Read the grooming requirements for Great Pyrenees including coat care and other maintenance.
Go to the Next Page
