Pyrador (Labrador & Great Pyrenees Mix): Info, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts

The Pyrador is a cross between arguably the world’s most popular dog breed, the Labrador, with the protective and attractive Great Pyrenees. Although the resulting designer breed is more aloof than his Labrador parent, the breed makes an excellent family pet for owners that are happy to provide plenty of exercise and socialization.

Although the Pyrador adopts the looks of the Labrador, she will usually be much larger than the parent breed, taking her size from the Great Pyrenees. She will also usually have a fluffier coat than a Labrador: another trait that she gets from her Pyrenees ancestry. In particular, her fluffy tail is a dead giveaway that she is a cross because the parent Labrador does not usually display this characteristic.

One of the reasons for the incredible popularity of the Labrador is their family-friendly nature: in fact, the Lab is friendly with all people, whether family or stranger. Although the Pyrador can be a little more aloof and can tend towards being more protective of her owners, she still displays a lot of the same friendly character.

Pyrador Puppies

The price of a Pyrador puppy tends to be governed by its size. Larger examples show a dominance of the Great Pyrenees parent breed, and these are more expensive.

Hybrid breeds tend to have one dominant parent breed, which will govern the physical and emotional attributes of your dog. The Labrador is a sweet and friendly dog that is ideal for families, while the Great Pyrenees is an energetic working dog. Try to gather as much information as possible about the parents to determine which is likely to be the most dominant breed in your puppy.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Pyrador

1. The Labrador Is the Most Popular Breed in the USA

Not all kennel clubs around the world publish breed adoption figures, so it is impossible to determine the most popular breed globally. However, the American Kennel Club has recognized the Labrador Retriever as the most popular breed since 1991. The breed has proven similarly popular in the UK and a host of other countries around the world. He is prized for his sweet nature and friendliness and is known for being a goofy and very playful. These characteristics tend to show in the Pyrador crossbreed, too, and they can essentially be considered giant Labradors.

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2. The Great Pyrenees Is an Ancient Dog Breed

The Great Pyrenees breed was used by shepherds to guard livestock in the Pyrenean mountains between France and Spain. They are believed to have been bred from white mountain dogs around 3,000 BC, and the breed is so old that fossilized remains from 1,500 BC have been found. He has always been popular with working-class livestock owners, but around the 17^th century, he also gained huge popularity with the elite and noble classes, especially in France. In 1675, King Louis XIV named the breed the Royal Dog of France. Following this, Queen Victoria of England owned one in the 19^th century and they were brought to the USA by French military officer, the Marquis de Lafayette at around the same time.

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3. The Great Pyrenees Is a Nocturnal Breed

The Great Pyrenees were primarily used to guard livestock against predators including wolves and bears. These animals tend to hunt at night, especially because of the lack of a human presence around the flock. As such, the Great Pyrenees was employed to fend off predators at night. They are a nocturnal breed, and Great Pyrenees owners report that they are alert during the night, with many of this breed having a tendency to bark at night-time noises.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Pyrador 🧠

The Pyrador combines the Labrador and Great Pyrenees, and while the designer breed is still relatively new, we can look at the parents to determine their likely characteristics.

The Labrador is a sweet, loving, welcoming, and occasionally silly, family dog. He will bond with all family members and usually takes very well to outsiders. They can be trained relatively easily, although they can also be distracted very easily, and they have plenty of energy that makes them popular with active families.

The Great Pyrenees is more of a solitary dog, historically used to guard flock during the night. They are not considered an aggressive dog, but they are protective of anything or anybody that they consider to be under their charge. They are giant dogs, require a lot of grooming, and have the energy and agility to run for hours on end.

The combination of the Labrador and Pyrenees has given rise to a dog that typically falls somewhere between the medium size of the Labrador and the giant size of the Great Pyrenees. She also borrows other attributes from both parents. She is more loving and trainable than the oft-stubborn Great Pyrenees, but more protective than the Labrador, who is known to welcome absolutely anybody into the house at any time.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

The Pyrador is an excellent choice of family pet, especially if the Labrador breed is the dominant parent. Although she will be a little more aloof than the Labrador, she is still friendly, eager to meet new people, and with good socialization and training, she should no signs of aggression whatsoever. She is a big dog, however, so some care should be taken around small children and small animals.

Labradors, especially, are known for their enthusiastic greetings, and they are always keen to play, often bringing and throwing toys to get the attention of their human family members. As such, you should supervise your Pyrador when she is spending time with very your and small children, but she will make a great companion pet once your humans are big enough to be left alone with her.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

The Pyrador friendliness doesn’t stop at humans. This breed will usually interact well with other dogs, although they can be a little protective over their family members so you should ensure that they are well socialized from an early age. If you want to keep two or more dogs or want to mix your Pyrador with cats and other animals, this shouldn’t pose much of a problem. They may try and convince cats to play, typically with little success, so you can expect a scratched nose on occasion. Dogs should never be left alone with very small pets.

Things to Know When Owning a Pyrador:

The Pyrador takes physical and mental traits from both parent breeds. She is willing to please, like the Labrador, but may exhibit the independence of her Great Pyrenees ancestors.

Physically, she will look like a large Labrador with a bushier tail and longer coat. The Pyrenees has a white coat while the Labrador tends towards beige, so expect a coat that falls somewhere on this spectrum. As a puppy, your Pyrador will likely be very fluffy and have a stunning ice white coat. Visitors will not be able to resist fluffing their coat and ruffling their fur.

The Great Pyrenees has long been used to patrol fields and ensure that cattle and livestock are kept safe from predators. As such, they are more aloof than the Labrador and they have been used in this way because they can be highly independent. Shepherds could leave their Pyrenees with the flock and be assured that they would make intelligent decisions on how best to protect their flock.

The mixed-breed will usually adopt a mix of the two characters – they will be friendly and sweet-natured like the Labrador but may appreciate some time alone and away from people and other animals. Early socialization, and a large household, helps ensure that they tend towards the Labrador’s temperament.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

The Pyrador is a big dog with high energy levels. As such, they also have a high dietary requirement. Expect to feed your dog three cups of good quality dog food every day.

Labs, in particular, are known to over-eat, and because the breed is deep-chested, they are prone to bloat. As such, you should avoid leaving food down for free eating. This breed will benefit from being fed little and often, so you should consider giving at least three meals a day.

Exercise 🐕

This hybrid breed will require a lot of exercise, and thanks to the Pyrenean mountain dog history, they will relish time outdoors. Exercise is important throughout their lives, to ensure that they are physically and mentally stimulated, and to maintain good health. It is also important in older dogs of this breed because it will stop them piling on unwanted weight.

Try to walk your dog twice a day, between 30 minutes and an hour each time, and be prepared to keep her on a leash. Although some examples of this breed do well off the leash, the Great Pyrenees are known for roaming and have a strong hunting instinct, so recall skills must be excellent before you consider letting them run free. You should try to avoid strenuous exercise after meals because this can bring on or exacerbate bloat.

Consider puppy classes when your dog is young. Not only do classes help educate your dog, but they also teach you effective training techniques to use at home. Classes are also a great opportunity to socialize a puppy in an understanding and accepting environment.

Training 🦮

How easy you find it to train your Pyrador depends on which breed is dominant. The Labrador is eager to please her owner, which makes her easier to train. On the other hand, the Great Pyrenees is prized for its independence, and this headstrong and aloof attitude can make her a greater challenge to train.

Try to keep training sessions fun and exciting. Use it as a bonding opportunity with your dog, and as well as the basics of sit and stay, you should teach your puppy not to jump up. In their excitement to greet people, Labradors can be prone to jumping up, and the size of a Pyrador makes this an especially unappealing trait.

Grooming ✂️

The Pyrador adopts its Great Pyrenees coat. It is long and quite wooly in texture, and you should expect to give her a good brush at least once a day. During shedding season, you will likely have to increase this to twice a day to keep her coat looking good and your home looking fresh.

The breed has floppy ears, which are prone to infection. Check them every week and clean away any wax or debris with a damp cloth. Brush her teeth at least two or three times a week, and bathe rarely. Bathing your dog strips away the natural oils in their fur.

Health and Conditions ❤️

Although hybrid dogs are considered healthier than purebred dogs, you still need to look at the parent breeds to determine whether your hybrid is more prone to certain conditions. You should also take breed characteristics such as size into account.

Your Pyrador has floppy ears that need to be checked regularly to prevent any infection.

She is also a big dog, which means that she may be more prone to joint dysplasia, especially the hip and elbow. If your dog shows any symptoms, you should get them checked out as soon as possible, because dysplasia can become very painful and debilitating.

They are also deep-chested, which increases the chances of developing bloat. You can reduce the likelihood of your dog getting bloat by avoiding exercise immediately after food and feeding smaller meals more frequently while removing leftover food between meals.

Unfortunately, the Great Pyrenees is more prone to cancers than other breeds, in particular bone cancer.

Male vs Female

Generally, male and female Pyradors exhibit the same attitudes and characteristics. However, the female of the breed may be slightly shorter and weigh a little less than the full-grown male.

Final Thoughts

The Pyrador is a large hybrid breed that combines the endearing and loving nature of the Labrador and the protective but independent will of the Great Pyrenees. She is considered fairly easy to train, especially if the Labrador is the dominant breed, and she will make a great family pet that mixes with other people and animals. The hybrid breed is considered a healthy breed, with an average life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, matching both parent breeds. However, you should watch for symptoms of bloat, joint dysplasia, and have her checked for cancer.

Maintenance is a little higher in this breed than others, primarily because of the fleecy coat of the Pyrenean ancestry and the floppy ears. You will need to brush daily, bathe rarely, and wipe her ears out every week to help avoid problems like ear infections.

The Pyrador is effectively a big Labrador that requires its own space and that will thrive in a large household. The breed is unlikely to flourish in an apartment, however, because of its need to roam and parade.

See Also: 

• 450+ Amazing Names for Labrador Retrievers: Ideas for Loyal and Loving Dogs
• Great Pyredane (Great Pyrenees & Great Dane Mix): Info, Pictures, Facts

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Featured Image Credit: Lora Taylor, Shutterstock