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The Great Pyrenees is a very old breed, thought to originate about 10,000 years ago. They were used as guard dogs during wartime and to protect livestock in peacetime. They are a very popular livestock guarding dog and family pet, and despite the Great Pyrenees’ size and their protective instincts, they are generally gentle giants that are good around children and small animals. They are one of the few livestock guarding dogs that thrive in either role, as a pet or guard dog, being able to bond with sheep or with people. They will instinctively guard whatever they bond with. For this reason, many people feel they should only be allowed to bond with the livestock they will be guarding and not humans. This is not very practical when you need to handle your dog, and the good news is, Great Pyranese can be trained to bond with and protect sheep, and also bond with and obey their human handlers.
The Great Pyrenees' personality is a bit of an enigma. They naturally exhibit strong guarding behavior for whatever or whomever they are bonded to and also submissive gentle behavior with what they are guarding. They will be aggressive with predators or threats to the sheep they are guarding, rushing at, growling, barking and intimidating, wolves, coyotes or other dogs. However, trained with adult sheep, Pyrenees will behave submissively, gaining the sheep's trust and eventually living with and protecting the sheep. They generally are gentle and get along well with children and small animals, such as cats, ducks, and chickens, which is important on a farm where family and livestock need to be able to move about unthreatened, while still being protected. The Pyrenees’ unique ability to combine aggression towards threats, generally other canines, and submissiveness towards livestock makes their behavior ideal for working on a farm and protecting sheep.
Many young Pyrenees dogs are trained to guard sheep by association with other mature livestock dogs. It is best to train a Pyrenees with another Pyrenees, as their guarding behavior and bonding instincts are different from most other dog breeds, and an appropriate model for behavior is another Pyrenees that has already become established in a flock. To bond with sheep, several mature sheep that are not easily intimidated are generally used in controlled environments, such as smaller pens with the young Pyrenees, to allow bonding to take place.
The Protect an Area Method
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Most Recommended
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Provide boundary
Have the area you want your Pyrenees to protect clearly defined. The area should be fenced. Where sheep are being contained, a relatively solid fence with sheep wire usually provides a clear boundary.
Contain
Introduce your young Pyrenees to the area. Initially keep your Pyrenees on a leash and walk the boundaries of the property or contain him in a smaller enclosure within the area such as a dog run or smaller yard. You will need to start with a dog that has limited experience of the outside world, so a rescue, or mature dog, being transferred from another home is not appropriate for this method.
Limit experience
Avoid taking your Pyrenees anywhere else. Do not leave the property with him, except for veterinary care when necessary. Do not go for walks or car rides. If possible, have veterinary care provided on site.
Correct any chasing
Start allowing your Pyrenees off leash around the property. Supervise your Pyrenees around sheep and other small animals present in the area. Although these dogs are naturally gentle with smaller animals, an excited pup may chase a small animal that runs, in play. Discourage chasing if it occurs. Distract your dog and say “no”. As Pyrenees do not have a strong prey drive, chasing behavior is usually easily corrected.
Increase responsibility
Gradually extend off-leash time in his guarding area as your Pyrenees begins to bond and protect all animals within his territory, including sheep within his designated “home”.
The Bond with Sheep Method
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Effective
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Put puppy with ewe
Put a weaned puppy , usually about 8-12 weeks of age, in a pen with a ewe and a 2-3 week old lamb.
Provide retreat
Make sure the pup has a shelter from the sheep, where he can get food and retreat when required, such as a dog house or kennel.
Ewe teaches manners
The ewe will protect her lamb from unwanted intrusions and ensure that the Pyrenees pup learns to respect her and her lamb by head butting the puppy if he gets too close or acts inappropriately.
Increase sheep socilization
Move the puppy to a pen with several ewes and lambs once he starts to understand ignoring the lambs and giving space. Allow him to socialize and bond with the sheep. Make sure your dog has a safe place he can get away from the sheep. Once comfortable, after several days, move your young dog to a pen with young sheep of the same size as him. Supervise to ensure he continues to respect boundaries, move to a previous step if necessary.
Expose to flock
Once your dog has learned not to harass sheep, he can be moved to the flock's regular enclosure and be allowed to cohabit with the entire flock and protect the sheep.
The Dog Role Model Method
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Introduce dogs
Introduce your young Pyrenees to an older Pyrenees that already guards a flock of sheep. Introduce dogs in a neutral location, not where the sheep are, as the older dog may see the younger dog as a threat.
Control situation
Keep you young pup out on a leash at first so he respects the older dog's space. Allow dogs to smell each other. Provide attention and praise to both. Repeat frequently over several days.
Socialize
Increase socialization with the older dog, allow them off leash together in a controlled environment, free from sheep to bond.
Familiarize with sheep
Start introducing the young dog to the sheep pen once the older dog has accepted the younger dog, keep the younger dog on a leash. Walk around sheep, discourage excited behavior and encourage submissive behavior. Introduce the younger dog to a few sheep in a small enclosure. Choose sheep that are not easily intimidated, such as a couple mature females or rams, and let the young dog learn to submit to the sheep.
Allow older dog to model guarding
Start allowing the young dog to accompany the older dog in the sheep pen once your new dog has learned appropriate submissive behavior around sheep and the older dog is comfortable with him. The older dog will “finish” the training, modeling appropriate behavior to guard and protect the flock.
Written by Laurie Haggart
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 03/16/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
I have two foster Pyrenees. I also have sheep and pigs and chickens. The people that surrendered them said that they had been LGD. I don't believe anything I do not see with my own eyes. Initially they chased my chickens. They don't any more. It has been about 8 months that they have been in my home. Last year, the female killed a goat kid. It was my fault. I did not introduce them properly and I left them alone. This last February, one of them killed a lamb. They were in their yard and the lamb got out of her pasture. Again, my fault. I had not yet introduced anyone. I have taken both dogs around the sheep on leash -- the female, off leash because she is better at minding me. She will wonder among the sheep and only approached them if they sniff her and then she returns the sniff. I do not leave her alone with them. The male was on leash with me out in the sheep pasture today and puppy pounced at a ewe. He immediately stopped when I "EH"ed at him and said "no". Both dogs will protect the chickens, pigs and cows. They have chased off coyote, raccoons and a Florida bear. I just haven' let them protect the sheep because I know I have not trained them well enough and I don't know if they can be trained. They are 6 years old. My question is, "Is there a way to train them to guard the sheep?"
June 16, 2020
Ruger's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, Honestly, I would not ever trust them to guard the sheep. You could likely train them to avoid the sheep to stop future killings at pets who do not live with the sheep, and even to potentially guard with a barrier between them and the sheep - like a secondary fence outside of the original sheep enclosure, so that predators have to go through pup's fence before they could get to the sheep fence within the other fence, but your dog's still have a boundary between them and the sheep fence. Imagine a square within a square - sheep in the inner square, dogs on the outer square, with fencing between the dogs and sheep and between the dogs and rest of the yard. I would also ask your question on some livestock dog forums to see if anyone has done so successfully. There are exceptions to things certainly, and someone there might be able to offer some insight. Personally, the risk to your sheep seems to great, even though the dogs could likely improve enough that they did okay most of the time - it only takes once though, and since they have already killed livestock, the usual route for training is to treat the dog's to avoid the livestock to stop the killing - which isn't very compatible with being able to guard them at the same time. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 17, 2020
Hello, We have 2 Great Pyrenees who guard our goats, chickens, and ducks. The female just had her first set of puppies yesterday. We have her and the puppies separated from the livestock right now. At what age do we start having the puppies around the livestock. We would like for them to be livestock guardians as well. Thank you.
May 27, 2020
Sasha's Owner
Darlene Stott - Dog Trainer and Groomer
102 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I think you should ask the vet, to know healthwise, at what age is safe (I am thinking vaccines and parasite protection). Because I am not knowledgeable in this area, I will refer you to an article from Premier 1. This article gives insight as to when a dog should be around livestock: https://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep-guide/2016/04/12-keys-to-raising-successful-livestock-guardian-dogs/. Young dogs can easily get hurt if they don't understand how to act around the animals. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-great-pyrenees-puppy-to-guard-chickens. Good luck and happy training!
May 28, 2020
Hello, I have a question about our new LGD pups. Bo and Cash are both 10wks old and were purchased from a farm where their parents were LGDs. We have sheep and chickens and lots of predators. We have a kennel by the barn (on the back property that is fenced in). We do not let the dogs inside, we have kept them in the kennel at night and they are amazing with our sheep and chickens, constantly around or right in the middle of them all. We purchased them at almost 8wks old. The last couple nights I have left their kennel open and they want to stay on our back porch to sleep at night. My question is: Should I lock them back up in the kennel? We have a Great Dane who is an inside dog. I think they want to be inside with us and Sadie, our dane. We give them attention, but limited human interaction. I do not want them to be more "pet" than "worker". I do not mind them being around the house at night, but I am afraid they might start migrating away from the area we need them to guard. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
May 9, 2020
Cash and Bo's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Rich, I would suggest kenneling them closer to the livestock for longer, but I would also suggest asking this question on a livestock guarding dog forum to get the feedback from other's with livestock guarding dogs and see what their experience has been in this area. You definitely don't want to let the pups inside or with your other dog either way. https://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f33/best-livestock-guardian-breed-11176/index7.html https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/around-the-farm/61887-livestock-guardian-dogs-tell-me-more http://www.greatpyr.com/forum/showthread.php?39445-Livestock-Guardian-Dog-as-Pets-(Ethical-Argument https://www.dogforum.com/threads/lgds-livestock-guardian-dogs-breeds-problematic-behaviors-temp.331882/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
May 11, 2020
Dear Cash and Bo's parents, we just got our GP 3 days ago from her farm. She is 5 months old. We have chickens and sheep as well and want her to guard them. She has a great little area in the barn next to the sheep stalls and coop but she is wanting to be by us despite us trying our best not to give her too much "pet" attention. I also have two indoor Mini Schnauzers and they have to go outside too. She sits by our back gate to our deck and cries and stares at us and is not with the sheep much. I know it's only been 3 days here but how is it going for you now? How long should I expect it will take her to bond to the sheep. I feel like we cant really go out there as I keep hearing she isn't supposed to bond to us but I LOVE my two little sheep and treat them like pets so I feel like I don't know what to do. HA. ANY advice would be much appreciated. Thank you! -Lisa
June 9, 2020
Max C.