Pyrenean Mastiffs owners please help!

[AlphaBravoCharlieDeltaEcho]

Long time lurker on this board but have finally been able to save enough to buy a dog! My heart is set on a Pyrenean Mastiff but wanted to hear about owner's experiences!

Are they hard to train?
Toddler friendly? Cousins are 18 months and 9 months.
Will working part time being left in the house be an issue?
Any health problems related to this breed in particular?
Words of advice and/or encouragement appreciated! FB group suggestions appreciated.

Family of six - me, DP DDTs 9 DS 9 DS 4
Active, country walks etc cousins 18 months + 9 months whom we see every weekend without fail.

TIA

I don’t have one but I’ve met a few in the show circles and they tend to be quite aloof and difficult to train I think. Maybe it’s best to contact some breeders and ask directly?

If you are looking for a relaxed family friendly fluffy giant have you considered a leonberger? Not that I’m biased at all but they are possibly the best breed ever

Oooh no I haven't and I can't say I know any so I'll do some research about leonbergers! Thanks @Leonberger

A mastiff owner here but not a Pyrenean type.

I imagine like all mastiffs they have similar characteristics, strong guarding instincts, a bit aloof with strangers, kid friendly but do knock small children over. Trainability ok, very food motivated so lots of treats.

Mastiffs need to be well socialised dogs, so puppy training classes, and as much exposure to strangers and new people as you can possibly manage. Socialisation is key with any dog, but especially so with a guarding breed. They need to learn they don't need to guard you all the time and can relax.

Also hope you don't mind drool and slobber 🤣

@AlphaBravoCharlieDeltaEcho they have a similar look however are bred as more of a companion than a livestock guardian so don’t have any sort of prey drive. They would be useless as a guard dog but they do have the presence. Lots of them are pets as therapy dogs as they are so soft despite being so big, my male is 70kgs and is so gentle with the smallest of children and animals. They don’t drool either thankfully

Oh I've just googled a leonberger...I think I'm in love 😍 plus no drool!! Haha I'm forever putting my hand over my cup of tea when a head shake is intimated so I don't hear "plop" in to my cuppa 🤣

I wanted a Pyrenean Mountain Dog and did a lot of research. They are very, very big. I couldn't get one in the car by myself if we needed an emergency run to the vet. They are not very trainable as they were bred to be independent herd guardians and their recall is very variable. If what you want and what they want aligns all is good. I grew up with a husky type dog so the 'will you just get over yourself?' look when you call them in from whatever they are doing is fine by me but they are not hanging on your every word like some breeds.

They bark a lot, at the neighbour, at passing cars, at a leaf falling and because they fancy a chat with a falling leaf.

If you really want one get to know some owners and meet the dogs for the unvarnished truth.

I've never owned one but as a dog walker, I recently met one at a meet and greet.

She was lovely while her family were home - friendly, took treats from my hand, gave me kisses, let me fuss her etc. All fine.

However when I went into her house the next day (alone) to let her out to the toilet, I couldn't get within 5 metres of her without her growling, snarling and guarding like crazy. I had to give up and tell the owner it was too dangerous for me to complete the visits.

If I had gone any closer to her, I am in absolutely NO doubt that she would have attacked me and bitten me, that's how scared I was. Her body language screamed discomfort.

They are not a breed to have around small children who will be guests in your home. They are big, strong and bred to guard cattle. Not a good idea.

Why that breed?
You don't seem to know much about them.

It's much more sensible to evaluate your lifestyle abd the choose a breed that suits you rather than just pick a breed you like the look of.

What sort of lifestyle do you have (time/money/exercise etc)
How much money (food and insurance/vet fees will be costly)
How much exercise do you do how houseproud are you?
How much experience with dogs?

If a giant breed is something you are looking into, have a chat with some reputable breeders first. Newfoundland, Leonbergers, St Bernards etc, all friendly breeds.

Best to visit dogs first, guage their size as adults and see if it's for you.

@Veterinari I thought I'd talked about my lifestyle in my OP?! The tone of your post is a bit weird

@icedcoffees thanks for sharing your experience with me. There will be younger children in the home and knowing that you are a dog walker and have seen two distinct sides like that really makes me think twice about it being a suitable breed for us due to their cousin's ages. I've never experienced anything like that with all the dogs I've grown up with or had in the last twenty years so it's not something I would say is normal.

Growing up and previously we had golden retrievers, border collies, labradors and we started off with a shetland sheepdog. All typical working dogs I'd say! Lots of country walks as that's our main hobby.

Thanks to everyone else with replies.

I would definitely look more into Leonberger or Newfoundland if giant and hairy plus kid friendly is what you're after. They are bred more for human companionship whereas the Mountain Dog is still very much rooted in a flock guardian role - hence those two distinct behaviour sides when you're family and when you're not!

Thanks @bunnygeek that sums up the differences nicely! Very helpful.

@AlphaBravoCharlieDeltaEcho
You think asking why someone has chosen a breed they appear ti know nothing about is weird? Why so?

And no, apart from liking country walks and mentioning being generally active (what do you mean by that?) you've given no information in your OP in your lifestyle, finances or why you've picked this particular breed.

It's fine if you don't want to engage, but no one can advise you properly if you aren't willing to have a discussion

@AlphaBravoCharlieDeltaEcho

Thanks *@bunnygeek* that sums up the differences nicely! Very helpful.

Do you realise the Pyrenean mountain dog bunnygeek refers to is a different breed to the Pyrenean mastiff you're asking about?

If you could give us more info on the type of lifestyle you have, we'd be better able to suggest appropriate breeds

@Veterinari so they are! I'm so used to the Mountain Dog I forgot about the Mastiff - they do, however, have very similar looks and are still primarily both bred with the same purpose - livestock guardian, not a companion dog, so I guess the same issues in terms of behaviour and wariness of strangers is going to be expected in both breeds of dog.

Mountain Dog I would say is more "common" (and still not that common) than the Mastiff as well - in terms of looks, giant white polar bear of a dog, is more "appealing" to some than Mastiff.

[quote bunnygeek]@Veterinari so they are! I'm so used to the Mountain Dog I forgot about the Mastiff - they do, however, have very similar looks and are still primarily both bred with the same purpose - livestock guardian, not a companion dog, so I guess the same issues in terms of behaviour and wariness of strangers is going to be expected in both breeds of dog.

Mountain Dog I would say is more "common" (and still not that common) than the Mastiff as well - in terms of looks, giant white polar bear of a dog, is more "appealing" to some than Mastiff.[/quote]
Yes mastiffs are certainly scarcer in the UK. That was one of the reasons that drove my questions - why them rather than an English mastiff or one of the other commoner giant breeds mentioned.

My point was really that it's much better to select dogs that suit a lifestyle and the OP can't really do that without evaluating her lifestyle and considering which breeds suit it (and also ensuring she's actually talking about the breed she's interested in)

We just lost our old shep mix and I’m considering another dog to keep our other dog company.

I was considering an English mastiff as I love giant breeds but honestly their aloofness puts me off a bit. My heart is set on a Leonberger but I live in the tropics and it’s just not good for them here. DDog2 is a mini Leo in that he looks very similar and is double coated but only 80lbs and he was a street pup so he’s used to the heat.

Hand on heart, if I lived anywhere else I would have a Leonberger in a heartbeat. Gentle, goofy, sweet tempered, trainable and loyal.

If getting a giant breed I’d always go for one that is bullet proof to train and is naturally good with strangers.

@icedcoffees thanks for sharing your experience with me. There will be younger children in the home and knowing that you are a dog walker and have seen two distinct sides like that really makes me think twice about it being a suitable breed for us due to their cousin's ages. I've never experienced anything like that with all the dogs I've grown up with or had in the last twenty years so it's not something I would say is normal.

It's certainly not normal for a regular pet but these dogs are bred to guard and have been for years. Her behaviour, while very scary and off-putting for me, was normal for her breed iyswim. Luckily I had the sense to leave the property and inform the owners (who were very apologetic and understanding) - if someone with less experience or no brain had tried to go further into the home, I dread to think what the consequences would have been like.

In my research into which breed should I get if I took the plunge I went to Discover Dogs at Crufts and it was really helpful to talk to owners and see how big some of these dogs are. Leonbergers are absolutely lovely but I was out off by the lovely owner who had a huge, I mean huge female who was apparently the smallest in the litter. Such gorgeous dogs. So go and get your hands on some dogs. I found that I really liked corgis which was a surprise. The dog plan is on the back burner at the moment but one day a Cardigan Corgi may come home with me.

I don’t know about the mastiff vs mountain dog- we had a mountain dog when I was younger who was lovely .
Things to consider - she died when she was 6 due to cancer which I understand is more common in giant breeds ( although happy to be corrected!) I think lifespan of a giant breed is shorter
Also we were advised she shouldn’t do any long hikes / walks until she was at least 2 years old due to her growth plates so not sure if this would impact on your lifestyle

Just done a Google image search for Pyrenean mastiff.

At first glance, they look really similar to St Bernards, and the mean really similar! So I'm intrigued as to why you have your heart set on that breed (presumably quite rare?) rather than the famously family friendly St Bernard?

Second thing: if you do get a Pyrenean mastiff, everyone will assume it's a St Bernard, which is problematic because you will get so, so many people approaching and fussing it without asking. Including small DC. Not something I would want with a protective/standoffish breed!

I think they’re good with family, but outsiders not so much. Will you have a lots of visiting children, or visitors in general.
A neighbour has one and he is so strong on the lead, he’s very cute, but I’ve seen him hulk up and he can bark an awful lot.
He does not get on well with the chow chow’s a bit further down the road, but he’s been fine with my Lab. I’d be nervous with any breed that may not enjoy a constant fuss, if they’re big and furry it invites touching and people don’t often bother to ask if it’s ok.