Pyredoodle (Great Pyrenees & Poodle Mix) Dog Breed: Info, Pictures & Care Guide

The Pyredoodle is a mix between the Great Pyrenees and a Standard Poodle. As a companion canine, Pyredoodles are one of the most loyal dogs in the world. Drawing characteristics from both parents, this large dog is an intelligent and protective crossbreed that’s happy when guarding your family.

Originally bred in the 1980s, this designer dog is a low-shedding breed, perfect for people with allergies. The parent lineage has a rich history. The Standard Poodle dates back to the 16^th century and was first discovered in Germany, while the Great Pyrenees originates from the 17^th century and was commonly used to guard sheep in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.

Breed Overview

Despite their large size, this dog breed is known as a gentle giant. It’s gentle and very protective of young children and interacts well with other pets. Whether you have a family or live alone, these pups are suitable for apartment living and large homes.

If you are considering getting a Pyredoodle for your home, here are some tips and facts that you need to know to take care of your pet.

Pyredoodle Characteristics

Pyredoodle Puppies

The price of a Pyredoodle depends on factors such as the puppy lineage, breeder’s location, reputation, litter size, training, socialization, and breed popularity. You can easily get one from a reputable breeder, rescue groups, or your local rescue.

As you look around, make sure you are careful with breeders offering meager prices. These poor prices could indicate that you are getting a poorly bred dog with health issues and other problems.

This pup loves spending time with you as much as enjoy spending time with them.

Temperament & Intelligence of Pyredoodles 🧠

Pyredoodles are very loyal and intelligent breeds. As a descendant of the intelligent Standard Poodle, they pick intellectual traits from the parent breed. As a family dog, it’s sweet-natured and loves to socialize with family members.

Due to the personality and intelligence levels, this breed is an easy dog to train. However, the training should be done at an early age. Training a pup is much easier than an adult dog because it’s yet to pick any negative behaviors. However, you can still train your adult dog because this breed is brilliant.

As young puppies, Pyredoodles need to be socialized correctly. This is because they tend to be shy dogs if they don’t interact with other dogs and people. A well-socialized dog is easier to train and has enough confidence to guard your home. When they are in your home, also involve them in your family adventures and walks.

Furthermore, due to their intelligence, these breeds get bored quickly if not mentally stimulated. Get your pet some toys or puzzles and schedule exercise sessions regularly to prevent boredom. Once your dog hits boredom, they tend to be destructive.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

Pyredoodles make great family dogs. As excellent watchdogs, they tend to be warm and affectionate to their owners and families. Drawing these traits from their parent breeds, they are gentle and non-aggressive to their keepers. They also love attention and enjoy playing with children.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets? 🐶 😽

Early socialization for these dog breeds is necessary if you want them to fit well with a family or other pets. As young puppies, they should be introduced to other dogs and people to adapt to social situations early enough. As naturally shy dogs, this socialization plays a significant role in building confidence.

Once you get a puppy, you can take it for classes where it interacts with other dogs. Additionally, you can take them to a park where there are other dog owners. Walking your dog in these places introduces them to new surroundings and makes the dog comfortable around strangers.

For those with other types of pets, such as cats, you need to socialize your dog early as a puppy. Once they learn to interact with other pets, Pyredoodles tend to be comfortable and get along well.

Things to Know When Owning a Pyredoodle

Though somewhat a low-maintenance dog, a Pyredoodle needs proper care to stay healthy. Suppose you just got one from your breeder or local rescue center; you’ll need to have a clear guide on your dog’s needs.

Here are some of the things you should know about the Pyredoodle breed.

Food and Diet Requirements 🦴

Pyredoodles are a large dog breed; therefore, they need a high amount of food. As they grow older, these dogs have varying nutritional needs.

As a puppy, your dog should be eating about 1,670 calories per day by the time they weighs 60 pounds. In addition, the food should be high in calcium and phosphorus to keep the bones healthy later in life.

You can feed the puppy as many times as possible when they are below three months. However, with time you can switch this plan to two or three times a day with occasional treats.

As adults, your dog should be fed twice a day and about 2200 calories per day. Keep in mind that Pyredoodles are large dogs that tend to get obese very quickly. Therefore, to keep them fit and trip, keep the diet healthy and protein-rich.

This dog breed doesn’t have a specific special diet requirement. They just need quality dry food with the right number of vitamins, protein, nutrients, and calories.

Exercise 🐕

Pyredoodles require at least 30 minutes to an hour of exercise every day. Due to their large stature, they are highly prone to obesity; therefore, it’s best to keep them active at all times. However, even though this breed is an active dog, it tends to be lazy, and that’s why you need to take it for a walk.

If you love jogging or hiking, Pyredoodles make the best company. They love mental stimulation, and this form of exercise will keep their brains active and busy. When planning a hike or walk, plan when the temperatures are not extremely high to prevent the dog from overheating.

Pyredoodles can survive in an apartment but require some time in the outdoors. You can start exercising your puppy at three months of age by taking short walks.

As they grow older, you can continuously increase the length and frequency of the walks. Apart from walking, you can take the dog swimming.

Walking these dogs without a leash in the dog park is not advisable. They tend to wander a lot and might be defensive and aggressive when they meet strangers. A good leash will control these behaviors.

When scheduling the exercise sessions, ensure it’s not around the dog’s feeding time. Plan an hour or two before or after eating to prevent bloating.

Training 🦮

The high intelligence and easy temperament make it reasonably easy to train a Pyredoodle, but they tend to be a little stubborn. To conquer this challenge, you have to be firm and consistent with the training.

As you carry out the training, you should have positive reinforcements. Since this breed tends to be shy, it will be tough to forget a negative experience such as yelling. Negative experiences can make the dog more shy and timid.

The training also helps with mental stimulation to avoid boredom. A well-rounded dog is perfect for your family.

Grooming ✂️

Based on its genetic history, the Pyredoodle is a low-shedding dog. They have a short or long coat, depending on the dominant breed they inherited. The short-medium coats are wavy, just like the Standard Poodle, while the ones with longer and thicker coats take after the Great Pyrenees.

For Pyredoodle keepers, the good news is that the Standard Poodle coat is mostly the dominant one and doesn’t shed at all. This aspect is perfect for people who have allergies.

Despite the low shedding, your dog will need regular grooming to prevent matting. Use a comb to get the tangles out from when they are puppies. Besides, you can take your Pyredoodle to the groomer every 6 to 8 weeks. Regular grooming ensures the dog doesn’t develop any skin issues.

When it comes to bathing your pet, only do so when necessary. Having a lot of bathing sessions interferes with the fur’s natural oils.

Apart from the fur coat, you need to regularly brush your teeth’s dog approximately three times a week. Also, maintain hygiene by cutting nails occasionally.

Health Conditions ❤️

Designer cross-breeds, such as Pyredoodles, are bred to bypass any health concerns that the parent breed might have. However, several conditions arise or escape the breeder’s notice, especially if they are genetic. Some of these are minor, while others are severe.

Minor Conditions

Serious Conditions

These are medical conditions that can cause severe problems for your pet. They include:

Male vs Female

The male Pyredoodle tends to be taller and heavier than the female counterpart. The two sexes don’t have vast differences and will tend to have the same temperament. However, the males are more stubborn and tend to be affectionate than the females.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Pyredoodle

1. They Are Hypoallergenic

Pets can be very sensitive for people with allergies. If you tend to sneeze a lot around dogs, the Pyredoodle is a good option for you. Despite their heavy coats, they shed very little, which is perfect for people with allergies.

To identify a low-shedding pet, you have to understand the qualities of the breeding parent. In this case, the Standard Poodle sheds very little, which is passed on to the next generation. The dominant breed determines whether the dog will shed a lot.

2. They Are Excellent Guard Dogs

The Pyredoodle picked up protective traits from their parent breed, the Great Pyrenees, which was used as guard dogs by the French years ago. These dogs have an imposing nature that is protective against any strangers or intruders to your home.

If socialized well as a puppy, they pick protective habits due to their high intelligence. They’ll bark a lot to alert you when there’s a stranger in your compound or house. Because of this, they make great nanny dogs, especially if you have young children.

If you need a watchdog, get yourself a Pyredoodle.

3. They Are Good With Kids

Despite their imposing stature, this breed is an excellent choice if you have children. As gentle giants, Pyredoodles are loyal, caring, and protective. In addition, they love guarding children; therefore, they would be an easy addition to your family.

If your family and children are active, the Pyredoodle makes a great companion. With great socialization, they can interact well with your kids.

Final Thoughts

The Pyredoodle dog breed is a mix of two intelligent species. Known for its loyalty and protectiveness, it makes a perfect dog for a family with kids and other pets. It is a large-sized dog known as the gentle giant due to its level of affection.

As puppies, this breed needs intensive socialization to make it comfortable among other dogs and people. Despite its immense stature, this dog tends to be very shy; therefore, you’ll need to train it with kindness to boost its confidence.

When getting one of these puppies from a breeder, have in mind that they are prone to genetic-inherited diseases. Therefore, visit a reputable breeder who can carry out pre-tests to ensure your dog will be healthy. Also, watch out for the costs and only buy if the average price is reasonable.

If you are looking for a family dog, the Pyredoodle is the perfect choice for you. It needs little maintenance, regular grooming, an hour of exercise, and the proper diet and nutrition to thrive.

Looking for more crossbreeds? Try the Saint Pyrenees or one of the many Poodle Mixes available!

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Featured Image Credit: Reimar, Shutterstock