Great Pyrenees, like all the livestock guardian dog (LGD) breeds, are different. They have been bred to be independent, to think, to weigh risks, to act on their own. Though loving and bonded to their family of choice, obedience is simply not their bag.  They are way too smart to feel fulfilled by sit/ stay. They can and should learn basic commands. Loading in the truck for vet visits, respecting boundaries, respecting your livestock, walking on a leash - these are all important manners for LGD. But if you are looking to achieve obedience titles, well, you have your work cut out for you.

​

All livestock guardian dogs will require training. Their instinct to protect is quite innate, but what and where to protect requires shaping.  Puppies, even puppies raised properly with livestock and with savvy parents, require an investment of at least a year of teaching and fine tuning, not all the time but consistently.  Their education is key.  That means your education is key:  do your research, seek advice, watch videos, you are undertaking an important project. No puppies are born knowing exactly what you want from them. Was your child born toilet trained?

​

It is important for you to understand how the Great Pyrenees guards stock. They are not overly aggressive, they rarely injure the predators. They keep them away. How? Posturing and Barking.  And Barking. This is part of the breed, respect it. When do they bark? When the predators are out which is mostly at night. So yes, nocturnal barking is a fact of life. If you have sensitive, nearby neighbors you must take this into account. It is not the senseless continuous barking of a yippy toy dog. It will only be in response to a threat. 

​

Digging is another behavior that is typical of Great Pyrenees.   It is not uncommon for them to choose a likely spot under a bush or tree and excavate a massive hole for relaxing in. This talent makes them handy at digging predators out of subterranean lairs, but it is really rough on ornamental gardens.

​

LGD dogs can also sometimes have wanderlust. Certain individuals will have a drive to go out on patrol, and that might include your whole neighborhood - for 500 acres or so. Other individuals will have a strong instinct to stay with their flock and never leave. This will vary from dog to dog. There is a genetic component to this so choosing puppies from sedentary parents will help if you want your dogs to stay home.  A good peripheral fence is a great answer to unwanted wandering. Training the dogs to understand what their boundaries are is important from the very beginning. Electric fencing added to standard fencing will help the dogs respect the fence even more. That said, I have had a few individuals that were a big challenge to keep home no matter my preparations. My current crew are part couch-potato Pyrenees which suits my relatively small acreage (7) just fine.

​

I mentioned before family of choice. Pyrenees will learn their family and protect it fearlessly. Their family can include your cats, your pesky Boston Terriers, your bantam chickens, you just need to teach them who belongs and who doesn't.  This can take some time and patience.  Some members of a similar breed, the Maremma, are used to guard endangered penguin colonies from foxes. LGD can embrace many species and situations as protectors. But woe unto the coyote, the skunk, or even the neighbors' strange dog or cat that stumbles onto your place. Consequently, visitors to your property should not bring pets along to visit! That is very rude on a farm anyway. Of course they could keep their pets in their car . . . . if they don't care about the car's paint job.

​

Great Pyrenees housekeeping is simpler than you think. That thick coat you are dreading maintaining is actually an excellent barrier to heat, stickers and mud.  My pyrenees can wallow in the mud then be sparkling white an hour later, their coat sheds the debris. It also catches most foxtails and burrs before they can penetrate. A good brushing every week keeps them in top form. Pyrenees do tend to drool and love to share their saliva with you in a heart felt embrace. I have not found an answer to that.

​

Feeding a Great Pyrenees is really surprisingly economical. They really are not that food motivated:  the average Labrador hoovers way more food that my Pyrs.  In fact I leave out a high quality puppy pelleted food free choice for my working dogs and they nibble it as they need. My biggest issue is keeping the poultry and goats out of it!   Add some goat milk and any eggs they can find and the dogs are content, healthy, trim and active.

​

Lastly the time to add LGD to your farm is BEFORE you have problems. Plan ahead to stop the predators in their tracks.  It is very difficult to find an adult trained LGD when you are in the midst of a predation crisis (many if not most adult Pyrs readily available for "adoption" have significant issues like escaping or killing poultry). So get a pup now and start the learning process for both of you.  That being said, let me warn you that Pyrs can have a long and trying adolescence. From 4-5 months until 18-24 months of age they can be willful and a little too smart.  They love to steal items with human scent on them, like the tools you are using to repair a fence. We are still searching for a lost Iphone that one of our dogs pilfered.  They can have a feisty streak and raid the garage for boxes of old Christmas ornaments to festoon your yard with. Youngsters can also be prone to playfully chasing stock, especially chickens, and need ongoing supervision.  Don't despair! They will outgrow this! Often 2 or more dogs will be the most effective and raising two LGD pups together can build their teamwork from the very beginning.  Large predators like bear or lions simply need the power of 2 or more dogs to dissuade them.  Pack predators like coyotes, are clever and can run circles around a single dog, but multiple LGDs are much more successful at running defense.

​

The video below is an excellent introduction to understanding LGD.

​

​