Great Pyredane (Great Pyrenees & Great Dane Mix): Info, Pictures, Facts
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Height:
27 – 30 inches
Weight:
95 – 120 pounds
Lifespan:
8 – 12 years
Colors:
Shades of gray, white and gray
Suitable for:
Families, children, couples
Temperament:
Even-tempered and patient, mild-mannered and easygoing
The Great Pyredane is a mix between two very large breeds of dog, the Great Pyrenees and the Great Dane. This dog is very easy going and friendly. It makes a nice pet for the family and is large enough to scare away most intruders even if it’s not the best guard dog.
This dog typically stands more than two feet tall and weighs over 100 pounds. It had a large rectangular head and no distinct patterns on its fur.
Great Pyredane Puppies
A better-known breeder with a good reputation will charge a higher fee to cover the costs of extra care. A lesser-known or beginner breeder may charge less money but may use inferior parents, and you may receive a pet with health problems or a predisposition toward genetic diseases.
We recommend spending plenty of time researching breeders while you are saving your money. Always use well-respected breeders, even if the cost is higher, and never buy an animal from a puppy mill. Puppy mills breed animals for profit without regard to safety or living conditions where some dogs spend their entire life.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Great Pyredane
1. The Great Dane side of the Great Pyredane is possibly up to 3000 years old, once bred to hunt dangerous wild boars.
2. The Great Pyrenees side of the Great Pyredane is up to 10,000 years old.
3. Great Pyredane look like balls of fur when they are puppies, but their hair gets shorter as they get older.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Great Pyredane 🧠
The Great Pyredane is a reserved and independent dog that can quietly watch over and protect your home. It’s also somewhat sensitive and eager to please its owners. It’s even temper makes it suitable to have around small children, and it doesn’t seem to mind the company of other pets, often joining in with games. The Great Pyredane can sometimes become overprotective of small children and other animals and become aggressive toward strangers.
The Great Pyredane is an intelligent animal that can become bored easily, and like many breeds of dog, will tend to get into mischief when not properly entertained.
Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡
Yes, the Great Pyredane is perfect for families due to its friendly disposition and even temper. This breed can put up with a lot of punishment dealt with by small children, and the concern is more for the dog that can suffer injuries from being pushed and climbed on overtime. They don’t bark excessively but do keep a close eye on the house and will alert you to any strange activity.
Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽
Yes, the Great Pyredane is a great pet to get if you already have a home full of other pets. This breed is extremely friendly toward all animals and seemingly has no enemies except the occasional stranger that gets too close to its favorite housemate. In most cases, your Great Pyredane won’t even bother chasing rabbits or squirrels that enter your yard. If there is a chase, it’s most likely for play.
Things to Know When Owning a Great Pyredane
There are quite a few things you should know before purchasing your Great Pyredane, so we are going to go over them now.
Food and Diet Requirements 🦴
You are going to need food specially formulated for large dogs to feed this massive animal. This food should be high-quality and contain plenty of real vegetables as well as real meat. Three should be no BHA or other harmful preservatives, and you shouldn’t see any mention of meat by-products on the ingredient list.
We recommend checking with your vet to find out what brand of food they recommend and what they recommend is the proper amount to feed them, but expect to shovel out 4 to 6-cups of food per day for your growing pet. We also don’t recommend using any specialty foods like a grain-free brand before talking it over with your vet.
Exercise 🐕
The Great Pyredane has a low exercise requirement and prefers several short bursts of exercise each day to a long workout. Four to six ten-minute sessions a day should be all that is required to keep your pet healthy and happy. They like to play fetch, and if you walk with them, they will stand proud.
Training 🦮
Training your Great Pyredane can be a little more challenging than training many other breeds because they tend to lose focus quickly and move on. They are simply not going to spend a lot of time trying to figure out this new trick you are trying to teach them. If you can get their attention, though, it’s not very difficult to teach your dog a trick.
- Put a few treats in your pocket and stand in front of your pet
- Repeat a phrase like “sit” or “stay” while trying to coax them into doing what you ask.
- Once they do the task you are asking them to do, give them a treat.
- Repeat several times a day
If you are successful in keeping your Great Pyredane’s attention, your pet will likely begin performing the trick at the mention of the phrase, often on the first try.
Grooming ✂️
Regular brushing three to four times a week is all that is required to keep your pet’s hair tangle and knot-free. Knots can lead to mats, which can be painful for your dog and pulls the hair. You will also need to bath your Great Pyredane on occasion as well as for trim the nails and brush the teeth.
This breed has a thick undercoat, which can shed unimaginable amounts of hair onto your floor. Continuous brushing will help reduce shedding, and an occasional trip to the professional groomer can also help to reduce the hair around your home.
Health and Conditions ❤️
Its large size prevents the Great Pyredane from having a long life expectancy, but it isn’t really prone to sickness or injury, and there’s a good chance your pet will live a healthy life with very few trips to the vet.
- Wobblers Syndrome
Wobblers syndrome a neurological condition that causes your dog to have a wobbling gate hat resembles drunkenness. It’s caused by narrowing vertebrae in the neck, pinching a nerve. Unstable back legs and stumbling are early symptoms of this condition.
- Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor of the bone. Abnormal production of cells that create and break down bone is responsible for the tumor. Longer bones are more often affected, but the disease can attack any size bone and can also affect non-bony tissue. Signs of osteosarcoma include lameness and swelling.
- Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a problem that affects many larger dogs. It resembles arthritis in the way is causes joint pain and slows down the movement of your pet. Like arthritis, hip dysplasia often develops in older age, but it can also affect younger dogs.Pain, stiffness, decreased activity, and sudden aggression can all be signs your pet is suffering from hip dysplasia.
- Cancer
Cancer is the leading cause of death in older dogs, and your Great Pyredane is predisposed to it by its Great Pyrenees ancestry. Genetics causes the risk of cancer to become very high for the Great Pyredane breed after the age of eight, increasing every year. There is little that can prevent the onset, but veterinarians can treat some forms with chemotherapy.
Male vs Female
The female Great Pyredane is noticeably smaller than the male counterparts in height and weight. The female also has noticeably softer facial features. The temperament of the two is about the same.
Final Thoughts
We hope you have enjoyed following along with our detailed look at the Great Pyredane. This large but friendly breed is a fantastic addition to any home. They get along with children as well as other pets, and they don’t require a lot of maintenance or exercise. If we have gotten you excited about purchasing this interesting breed, please share this guide to the Great Pyredane on Facebook and Twitter.
See also:
- Komondor Great Pyrenees Mix: Pictures, Care Guide, Temperament & Traits
- Great Pyrenees Pitbull Mix: Pictures, Care Guide, Temperament & Traits
Featured Image Credit: Just_Julie, Shutterstock
