Breed Profile: Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees originated in the Pyrenees Mountains, on the border between France and Spain. The breed’s history is only vaguely known: it has been used to guard flocks of sheep in France for millennia, and fossils closely resembling it have been found that predate the Bronze Age (1800–1000 BCE). The first written record of the breed dates back to 1407 CE and depicts the Pyrenees as a guard dog at the fortified Château de Lourdes, accompanying human sentries on their rounds. In 1675, the dauphin of France (who later became King Louis XVI) brought a Great Pyrenees to the royal court, and soon the breed became the official court dog of France. In the centuries since, the French nation’s love for the Great Pyrenees has never wavered.

The Pyrenees first came to the United States in 1824, when General Lafayette sent a pair of males to an American friend, recommending their use as livestock guardians. The breed received recognition from the American Kennel Club in 1933 and today continues to serve as a flock guard, as well as a loving family pet.

The following description is of an “ideal” Pyrenees. Not all Pyrenees will fit the description exactly, but that’s not an issue unless you want one who can participate in dog shows.

The Pyrenees is confident, gentle, and affectionate. Protective and intelligent, he is naturally devoted to his family and will go to great lengths to keep them safe.

Here are some traits to consider when determining how well a Pyrenees is going to fit in with you and your family.

This breed’s temperament has been sweetened considerably since its early days as a guard dog in the mountains—today, Great Pyrenees are known as the “gentle giants” of the dog world. A Pyrenees is highly devoted to his family and will want to be included in all activities and receive a lot of attention. He may be wary of strangers at first, but once he realizes that guests are welcome, he will accept them—and is even likely to pester them for attention. A Pyrenees gets along well with children and often will follow them around as though they were livestock to be protected. All children, however, should be taught the proper way to interact with a dog.

A large dog, the Pyrenees is not well-suited to apartment living. A home with a sizable fenced yard or other enclosed outdoor space is ideal for a Pyrenees; a smaller dwelling is not a good match unless the dog has frequent opportunities to exert energy outdoors. The Pyrenees also tends to bark frequently because he feels it necessary to warn his humans of anything unusual or out of the ordinary—which may be a problem if you have neighbors very close by.

Pyrenees are energetic dogs who require a great deal of exercise to stay healthy. They are not very active indoors, but plenty of outdoor exercise—ideally with their owners—in a safe and enclosed environment is ideal for them.

Pyrenees are intelligent, but as herding dogs, they have been bred to be independent thinkers, which can cause them to be stubborn at times when training. Patience is a necessity when teaching obedience commands to this breed, but Pyrenees are easily housetrained and will take to basic obedience with the proper positive training methods.