Hi Paulad,
Welcome to Pyrnet. We, of course, think that Pyrs are the best breed,
but they are probably very different from your Australian Shepherd/Lab
mix (Pyrs generally are not very active and not interested in
retrieving, herding, swimming or hunting). Great Pyrenees, as livestock
guardian dogs, have been bred to guard sheep/goats, etc on huge pieces
of land without any direction from people. Consequently, they have been
bred to decide on their own where there is danger. At the same time,
they are a low-metabolism, gentle, slow-moving breed that will not
spook, chase or attack the livestock. Although these dogs make great
house dogs (once past the naughty puppy stage, they mostly lie around
and sleep) and don't need lots of room to run, they do need to be kept
on leash or fenced. After having trained several Pyrs in obedience, I
know that most of the time my dogs will come when called. However, if
they determine that there is some danger worth checking out, they will
go no matter how much I call. Unfortunately, we hear too often about
Pyrs being hit by cars. Pyrs tend to expand the territory they think is
theirs to guard. The Dept. of Agriculture pamphlet states that many
times 500 acres is not enough for a Pyr and they will take on additional
territory to guard. The other thing that causes problems for owners is
that they are barkers, particulary at night. These are not dogs you
want to leave outside at night if you have any neighbors that might
complain, but they usually are fine when kept in the house.
Most Great Pyrenees are great with smaller dogs or dogs of the opposite
sex (males will not usually get along with other large breed males).
Have you looked at the Great Pyrenees Club of America's web site at
http://www.akc.org/clubs/gpca/? Hope this helps.
Charlotte
Paulad wrote:
>
> Hi all,
> Wanted to give a quick intro.
> We do not own a Pyr, but are looking into getting one. I read an article on Pyrs
> several years ago and have wanted one ever since. But alas,our yard etc wasn't
> suitable then. We are now in a new home with a huge yard and are seriously
> investigating Pyrs. I thought we'd come here and get to know more about them
> before we make our final decision. Any wisdom you could impart would be very
> appreciated.
> Our biggest concern right now is if a Pyr will get along with the dog we have.
> She is a 2.5 yr. old, Australian Shepherd/Lab Mix.
> Also, I have read that Pyrs must be kept in a fenced yard or on a leash at all
> times. But then I see pictures of Pyrs that are walking without leads in parades
> and out backpacking. So, I don't know what to think.
> Thanks for your help,
> Paula in MN
>
> >