May is National Pet Month. So, it’s the perfect time to introduce Yuki, the Great Pyrenees puppy, and share our experience!

Hello. If you’re here, it’s probably because you’re thinking of getting a Great Pyrenees and doing some research. Good for you! There are tons of detailed articles about the Great Pyrenees, but this is more of a light-hearted post about our experience.

I’ll give you a rundown of how Yuki, our Great Pyrenees came into our lives and what it’s been like living with her for the past 6 months.

How Yuki, the Great Pyrenees, Came Into the Family

Honestly speaking, Yuki came into our family quite by accident. My youngest daughter had been talking about adopting a dog for quite some time. Since she still lives at home (1st year college student), we agreed on a small to medium dog.

So, she went to the local animal shelter and found a medium-sized dog that she liked. Unfortunately, there was another family that put in a request to adopt this dog, and my daughter was placed on a ‘wait list’ for it. Needless to say, she did not get that dog.

My husband picked her up from school on the day she received the bad news and she immediately started to look for another dog. Somehow, during the drive home, my daughter found a 4-month-old Great Pyrenees puppy and convinced my husband to get it (she has her dad wrapped around her finger). This was an impulse thing and they BOTH brought Yuki home without doing proper research. They did not know that the adorable fluffy white puppy would grow up to be a 90+ pound dog!

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper (they both got an earful) as we had agreed on a small to medium-sized dog. I was worried about our new off-white sofas being ruined, our walls being chewed, potty training, and so much more. Puppy training was tough with our small dog, Dusty (he’s now a senior dog), so I knew training a large puppy was going to be rough. And honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was up to the task of training a large dog.

It has now been 5 1/2 months since Yuki entered our lives. Has she been a handful? Heck yeah! Have I pulled my hair out and wanted to cry. Heck yeah! Do I love her? Heck yeah! Even though Yuki was a surprise, regardless of how she was brought into the family, she is ours and I love her.

Sidenote: If you’re looking at adopting or purchasing a puppy, I implore you to do your research AND make sure everyone in the family agrees on the type of dog. Bringing a dog into a family affects EVERYONE. Because while a puppy is cute, it’s quite different when that puppy turns into a large breed puppy that is hell bent on creating mischeif. And while we all love Yuki, it doesn’t always turn out well for all dogs and many are either abandoned or given to shelters. So, please make sure everyone in the family is ready for whatever dog is chosen.

What is a Great Pyrenees?

As mentioned previously, before bringing this puppy home, my daughter and husband knew nothing about the Great Pyrenees. In case you’re interested, here’s a brief history of the Great Pyrenees, its appearance, and estimation of size/weight.

History

If you’ve never heard of the Great Pyrenees, these are large breed dogs. They are said to come from the French side of the Pyrenees mountains, where they are called Patou. [1] In France and many other places around the world, these dogs are used to guard livestock against wolves, coyotes, bears, and other predators. Thus, they are usually working dogs that live well in outdoor cool weather areas and are independent.

Appearance

To me, they look like Labradors on steroids with lots of fur. The Great Pyrenees has a thick double white coat with occasional patches of light tan, reddish-brown, or grey. This thick coat allows them to tolerate cold temperatures, down to 20°F. On the flip side, while they do shed during the summer, they don’t like to be outside in temperatures higher than 70°F and should have access to coming indoors. [2]

Size & Weight

These dogs have a strong solid build and stand between 25 -32 inches at the shoulder. Males average 27-32 inches and weight 100-160lbs. Females average 25-29 inches and weigh 85-115lbs. [3] FYI – Yuki weighed about 76 lbs. at her 6 month visit. So, she is probably going to be on the heavier and bigger side.

Our Experience with a Great Pyrenees

There are lots of articles and videos talking about the pros/cons, good/bad, and all other characteristics of a Great Pyrenees. What you’ll get here is our real and raw experience with a Great Pyrenees puppy that aren’t usually talked about.

Character

• Social. If socialized early, they will love everyone and have a good temperament. Yuki wants to greet everyone and every dog she sees. We introduced Yuki to several of our neighbors early, so she doesn’t bark at them and ignores them when they are outside in their yard. There’s still one neighbor she hasn’t met and she’ll bark at them and their cat.
• Independent thinkers. Great Pyrenees are said to be independent and not easily trained. From our experience so far, it’s somewhat true. Yuki will do the basic commands most dogs do (sit, lay down, high five, etc…), but she doesn’t always come when called and plays fetch more like a game of ‘keep the toy away’ (we have to chase her). Now, if there is food involved, it’s a different ball game. She is food motivated, so she will gladly listen if there is food involved. Sometimes, she can also get nippy when she gets riled up. We continue to work with her on this, but it’s slow going.
• No sense of size. They don’t realize they are huge and will throw all their weight on you. This could be scary for young children, so be mindful of this if you have small kids. I don’t have any small kids, but I’m only 5 ft. and Yuki can push me over if I’m off-balance.

• They bark, A LOT. We live in the suburbs, so Yuki grew up around lots of noise. She doesn’t bark at normal city sounds like sirens, loud motorcycles, kids playing, the doorbell, people at the front door, etc… She does bark at other dogs barking, one neighbor’s dog (she doesn’t like this one), cats, and rodents. The bad thing is that no matter where you live, there will always be rodents and other dogs barking. Unfortunately, rodents are most active at night (they run along the fences in our neighborhood) and she will bark at them at night or in the early morning hours. This can make our neighbors upset, so even though she begs to go outside, we keep her indoors during these times. As far as the other dogs, Yuki will usually only bark if she hears other dogs barking, which can be at random times of the day/night. It’s like they’re having a long-distance conversation and it gets annoying when it goes on for too long. Update 5/15/2022: She has recently started to bark at lizards and must chase them out of our yard.
• Pretty lazy. It’s said that Great Pyrenees dogs only need 20-30 minutes of exercise a day. Yuki is still considered a pup, so she does sleep a lot, but also has bursts of energy. We’ve taken her on both long and short walks and learned she prefers short walks, no matter the weather. If the walks get too long, she starts to slow down and will sometimes stop walking, especially on hotter days.

Outdoor Space

• Love the outdoors. If you live in a small apartment or don’t have a yard, the Great Pyrenees might not be a good fit unless you have access to a dog park. It’s not because they need a lot of exercise, but rather to satisfy their need for space. Yuki loves the outdoors and spends most of her time sitting in the grass and patrolling the yard. Tip: Since we live in SoCal, it can get quite hot, so a magnetic screen is an inexpensive way to give her access to the house at all times. This gives her freedom to come and go as she pleases without the bugs coming into the house.

• Terrible landscaper. If you have small trees, they’ll most likely receive a pruning. Our pup regularly prunes the bushes and trees in our yard. We constantly find large branches and other random items scattered throughout the yard. This includes the water hose, anything on the outdoor table, parts of our sprinkler system, and more. If it’s within her reach, it’s fair game. Oh, and don’t be surprised if random holes begin to magically appear in the yard. Our Yuki LOVES digging up the yard and the occasional potted plant. If you’re a produce gardener, you’ll want to fence off your garden. I’ve given you a fair warning, so be ready for outdoor landscaping via your Great Pyrenees pup.
• Bathroom/Potty Time. I think it’s self-explanatory that a bigger dog means bigger poop. There’s a huge size difference between our 13 lb. dog’s poop and Yuki’s poop. Believe me when I say a rake and poop tray is a good investment.

Indoor Space

• Seek and Destroy. Almost all counters are accessible, so foods and precious items should be put away ASAP. I also highly recommend a dog-proof trash can as Great Pyrenees dogs have an excellent sense of smell and will dig things out if given the chance. In addition, don’t forget to put away your shoes, socks, and any other items you don’t want destroyed.

• Furniture. You’ll want to protect EVERYTHING. Although our pup doesn’t jump up on the sofa often, I don’t want to worry about our new off-white sofas getting dirty. For this reason, I highly suggest buying sofa covers. I can’t even tell you how many times a simple sofa cover has saved my new sofas. If you have wooden furniture, you’ll need to keep a careful watch so that the corners don’t get chewed on, especially when they are teething. Thankfully, we made it through this phase without any damage…woohoo!

Cost

• Food & Treats. Compared to our small dog, Yuki is expensive! For example, her food and treats can run $80 a month or more. Great Pyrenees are aggressive chewers, so we constantly have to buy things for Yuki to chew on, which aren’t cheap. Her favorite things to chew are split reindeer or elk antlers, tracheas, hard cheese chews, cow knuckles, and bully sticks. We’ve tried rawhide and nylon bones, but she hates those (I think we have a boujee pup). To help with the cost, I’ve started to make treats. I’ve dehydrated chicken and made Honey Cinnamon Dog Treats.
• Grooming. A dog her size costs around $130 – $160+, not including tip. If you want to take on the task of grooming your Great Pyrenees, make sure you have a de-shedding tool, brush, lots of soap, conditioner, dog blow dryer (using regular hair dryers will take FOREVER), trimming scissors, nail clippers, and file, and possibly a muzzle or leash. Other than the occasional grooming cost, Great Pyrenees dogs should be brushed/deshedded every week. And trust me, you’ll probably want to do this more often or there will be fur all over your carpet and clothes. Update 8/25/2022 We are in the full summer heat and she is shedding like crazy! I have to vacuum twice a day as her fur is EVERYWHERE!
• Vet. The first year of vet visits for shots and check-ups for Yuki was about $450. To spay and chip her was about $570 (much more than a small dog). Of course, these costs will vary depending on the rates in your area.

• Sturdy toys. Cute fluffy toys don’t stand a chance against a Great Pyrenees. The limbs and stuffings of these types of toys will be found scattered throughout the home/yard or worse, eaten. It’s best to stick to toys made for aggressive chewers (tend to cost more). Yuki’s toys that have lasted are heavy-duty ropes, frisbee, Outward Hound type toys with edge trim, rubber squeaky balls, large rubber squeakers, and HOL-ee balls (we put squeakers or large treats inside).
• The basic stuff. Since Great Pyrenees are large dogs, almost every needed supply will cost more due to the large size. Things like dog collars, kennels ($200+), dog house ($200+), food, leashes, harnesses, etc…

Misc.

• What are beds? Don’t waste your money on fancy beds. The Great Pyrenees will be happier to sleep on the cold tile floor, grass, or cold cement. When Yuki was 4 months old, she would use a bed for short periods and then move off to nap on the tile floor, right under an open window. Now that she is 10 months, she NEVER uses a bed. Her favorite places to sleep are on tiles at the front entrance and kitchen (preferably blocking the walkway). When she is outdoors, she loves to sleep on cement or the grass.

• Car size. Before bringing that cute Great Pyrenees puppy home, consider their full-grown size. When Yuki first came home, it was easy to take her to the vet in our small Toyota. But as she grew and when she had her surgery (spay), her large kennel wouldn’t fit in the Toyota and we had to place her in the back of our truck. Another thing to note is that our Great Pyrenees pup does not like car rides. She gets car sick and will vomit if a ride is longer than 20-minutes. Lucky for us, our vet is 5-minutes down the street.

• Invest in a good vacuum, mop, and/or broom. Great Pyrenees dogs LOVE digging and all things related to getting dirty. Surprisingly, any dirt that gets on their coat will magically fall off onto your floors and carpet. Vacuuming daily is a must. I vacuum daily and still manage to fill the vacuum canister each time…eek!

• Viscous strings of drool. Have you seen a dog with drool hanging from its mouth? This happens when Great Pyrenees dogs drink water. Of course, they’ll want to head straight for you and use your pants and sleeves as napkins. Warning. Don’t let this happen because that slobber will dry to look like nose mucus…yuck!

Final Thoughts

I’m not going to lie, raising a Great Pyrenees puppy is A LOT of work and is still ongoing with our pup. When I compare raising Yuki to our small dog, she is a lot tougher to train. Even so, I’ve connected with Yuki and all the love she gives. If you’re considering a Great Pyrenees, I hope our experience can help you decide if this is the right dog for you and your family.

References:

• [1] Pyrenean Mountain Dog www.wikipedia.org Retrieved May 7, 2022
• [2] Can Great Pyrenees Live Outside & Do They Like Cold Weather? www.allaboutsheepdogs.com Retrieved May 7, 2022
• [3] Great Pyrenees www.dogtime.com Retrieved May 7, 2022