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

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Pyrador (Labrador & Great Pyrenees Mix)

Height: 25–30 inches
Weight: 60–100 pounds
Lifespan: 10–12 years
Colors: White, beige, golden, brown, black
Suitable for: Active families with pets and kids
Temperament: Loyal & Loving, friendly, intelligent, playful, energetic

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

Although the Pyrador adopts the looks of the Labrador, they’re usually as large as the Great Pyrenees. They have a fluffier coat than a Labrador, which they get from the Pyrenees ancestry. In particular, their fluffy tail is a dead giveaway that they’re a mixed breed 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. The Lab is friendly with all people, whether family or strangers. Although the Pyrador can be a little more aloof and protective of their owners, they display many of the same friendly traits.

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Pyrador Puppies

Energy
Trainability
Health
Lifespan
Sociability

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 Used to Be the Most Popular Breed in the USA

Not all kennel clubs worldwide publish breed adoption figures, so it is impossible to determine the most popular breed globally. However, the American Kennel Club recognized the Labrador Retriever as the most popular breed until the French Bulldog took the top spot in 2023.

The Lab has proven similarly popular in the UK and a host of other countries around the world. They’re prized for their sweet nature and friendliness and are known for being goofy and very playful. These characteristics also appear in the Pyrador crossbreed, and they can essentially be considered giant Labradors.


2. The Great Pyrenees Is an Ancient Dog Breed

Shepherds used the Great Pyrenees breed 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.

They have always been popular with working-class livestock owners, but around the 17th century, they 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 19th century, and they were brought to the USA by a French military officer, the Marquis de Lafayette, at around the same time.


3. The Great Pyrenees Is a Nocturnal Breed

The Great Pyrenees were primarily used to guard livestock against predators, including wolves and bears. They hunt at night, especially because of the lack of a human presence around the flock. They are a nocturnal breed, and Great Pyrenees owners report that they are alert during the night, and they frequently bark at night-time noises.

Parent Breeds of the Pyrador
Image Credit: Jumpstory

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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. They bond with all family members and usually get along with outsiders.

They can be trained relatively easily, and they have plenty of energy that makes them popular with active families. The Great Pyrenees is more of a solitary dog since they used to guard the flock during the night. They are not considered aggressive dogs, 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. 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.

They also retain other attributes from both parents. They’re more loving and trainable than the stubborn Great Pyrenees but more protective than the Labrador, who is known to welcome anybody into the house at any time.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

The Pyrador is an excellent pet, especially if the Labrador breed is the dominant parent. Although they can be a little more aloof than the Labrador, they’re still friendly and eager to meet new people, and with good socialization and training, they should have no signs of aggression whatsoever.

Since they’re large pups, you must supervise their interactions with small children and small animals. Labradors, especially, are known for their enthusiastic greetings, and they are always keen to play, bringing and throwing toys to get the attention of their owners.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

The Pyrador friendliness doesn’t stop at humans. They usually interact well with other dogs, but 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 mix your Pyrador with cats and other animals, it 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. Pyradors should never be left alone with very small pets.

pyrador
Image Credit: Robert Ayers, Shutterstock

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Things to Know When Owning a Pyrador:

The Pyrador takes physical and mental traits from both parents. They 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 in that spectrum. As a puppy, your Pyrador will likely be 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 they would make intelligent decisions on how best to protect them. 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 help ensure they adopt the Labrador’s temperament.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

The Pyrador is a big dog with high energy levels that needs high-quality dog food to keep them fueled. Expect to feed your dog 3 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.

Therefore, you should avoid free-feeding your Pyrador to keep them healthy. They benefit from eating smaller meals, so you should consider giving at least three meals a day.

Exercise 🐕

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

Try to walk your dog twice daily, between 30 minutes and an hour each time, and be prepared to keep them 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 it can bring on or exacerbate bloat. Consider puppy classes when your dog is young. Not only do classes educate your dog, but they also teach you effective training techniques to use at home. Classes are also an excellent opportunity to socialize a puppy in an understanding and accepting environment.

pyrador
Image Credit: aows, Shutterstock

Training 🦮

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

Grooming ✂️

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

They have floppy ears, which are prone to infection. You can check them weekly and clean away any wax or debris with a damp cloth. Brush their teeth at least two or three times a week and bathe them only when necessary. Bathing your dog frequently strips away the natural oils in their fur.

Health and Conditions ❤️

Although hybrid dogs are considered healthy, you must look at the parents to determine whether your hybrid is more prone to certain conditions. You should also take breed characteristics such as size into account.

The Pyrador has floppy ears that must be checked regularly to prevent infections, and they’re vulnerable to hip and elbow because of their size. If your dog shows any concerning signs related to their movement and gait, 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, particularly bone cancer.

Minor Conditions
  • Retinal atrophy
  • Deafness
  • Wobbler’s Syndrome
Serious Conditions
  • Joint dysplasia
  • Bloat
  • Osteosarcoma
  • Cancers

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Male vs Female

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

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Final Thoughts

The Pyrador is a large hybrid that combines the endearing and loving nature of the Labrador and the protective but independent will of the Great Pyrenees. They’re relatively easy to train, especially if the Labrador is the dominant breed, and they will make a great family pet that mixes with other people and animals.

Grooming them requires more time and effort than with other breeds because of the fleecy coat of the Pyrenean ancestry and the floppy ears. You will need to brush them daily to prevent mats and tangles and keep their skin and fur healthy.

The Pyrador is effectively a big Labrador that requires plenty of space and thrives in a large household. They’re unlikely to enjoy living in an apartment because of their need to roam and run.

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Featured Image Credit: Lora Taylor, Shutterstock

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