Great Pyrenees - Great Guardians
Great Pyrenees make excellent livestock guardians because they are very smart, loyal and protective. We have chosen them as our livestock guardians because they are also calm, patient, and gentle, and are protective of our children as well as our milk cows, calves, bulls, steers, chickens. guineas, and turkeys. We have a black panther that visits our property on a regular basis, so we can only let our children play in our yard because the Great Pyrenees keep it at bay.
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Our predator load is very heavy, including coyotes, foxes, cougars, bears, hawks, owls, and our regular black panther, etc.
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If you are looking for a livestock guardian breed to guard your livestock, there are several breed-specific traits you need to be aware of prior to making your decision.
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(1) Great Pyrenees can have a wanderlust. Often they will stay with their livestock with no problem, but sometimes they may decide to just go exploring. Because of this, they need adequate containment to keep them safe and to keep them where they belong. Adequate containment for a Great Pyrenees is usually either electric cattle fencing or a dog electric fence system.
(2) Great Pyrenees are a large breed. Males at maturity usually weigh between 100 and 130lbs or more and are 27-32 inches tall. Females at maturity usually weigh between 85 and 115lbs or more and are 25-29 inches tall.
(3) Great Pyrenees have a double coat and require occasional brushing when kept as a guardian, especially when spring arrives. It is important to brush out their winter coat so they will not get as much matting and tangling.
(4) Great Pyrenees have a built-in air-conditioning system in their coat! It is very important that you do not shave them or give them a hair cut, as this can make it that they are no longer able to regulate their body temperatures and stay cool in hot weather. Even with their air-conditioning abilities, Great Pyrenees need shade and lots of fresh water during hot weather.
(5) Great Pyrenees need adequate shelter available to them all year round. In spring and summer, they need shelter from the rain, heat, and sun. In fall and winter, they need shelter from the cold, wind, snow, and ice. This can be a barn for your livestock or a large doghouse in a pasture.
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(6) Great Pyrenees have great natural guarding instincts, but they still need you to show them what is expected of them. Please visit our Introducting Puppies to Livestock page for more information.
If you would like to take the next step to reserve a puppy as a guardian, please register with us by clicking the button below.