Professional dog breeders have been mixing two purebred different breeds of dogs to create a designer dog or hybrid dog.
It started with breeding dogs together to make them smaller, such as a teacup size dog that could live in small spaces and could be taken just about anywhere with you in a pocket or bag.
Now, larger breeds of dogs are being combined for their great attributes all rolled into one new breed.
What is a Great Dane Pyrenees Mix?
Just as it sounds, this mixed breed dog is the cross between a purebred Great Dane and a purebred Great Pyrenees. Both are considered giant breed dogs although the Great Dane is a bit taller and heavier than the Great Pyrenees.
If you choose a puppy from this designer breed, you can be sure it will be a giant breed dog at maturity.
These kind and gentle giants are called a Great Pyredane for short. Learning about the heritage of both parent breeds will give you a good idea of what to expect from your lovely puppy.
Great Dane History
Historically, Great Danes were working breed dogs. They were bred to be very large and heavy to hunt wild boars with the intelligence to leave them when commanded to by their owners.
The Great Danes would then retire for the evening to the owner’s bedrooms to guard and protect them at night, giving them the name of a “chamber dog.”
Now, over many years, the aggressiveness has been bred out of Great Danes to make them in high demand, as family companion dogs who are very sweet and gentle earning them the name of “the gentle giant.”
Great Pyrenees History
The Great Pyrenees was also bred to be a working dog. His thick double coat protected him from the cold weather while he guarded flocks of goats and sheep from predators, such as wolves in the Pyrenees mountains of Spain and France.
He was such a loyal guardian that he was named the “royal dog of France.” Today, the Great Pyrenees is still used to guard herds or flocks of livestock in the country. They are also highly regarded as guardians of their families and beautiful addition to any home.
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get a Great Dane Pyrenees Mix
Not every household has enough room for a giant breed of dog. They do best in a home with a yard for exercise and play.
Most giant breed dogs are not happy living in a small apartment or condo, so you need an ample amount of space for this kind of pooch.
If you live in a small space without a yard, then this may not be the best breed of dog for you and your family.
Giant breed puppies take a lot of training and socialization so they can act appropriately as they get older.
If your family dynamics include two working adults and kids in school, you will likely not have enough time to adequately train your pup and, due to his mature size, this can be a disaster when a huge dog jumps on everyone and knocks them down.
Giant breed dogs also need larger items. Of course, they have to eat more to maintain their weight than a small dog, but they also need larger and thicker collars, leashes, and larger beds, as well as specialty chew toys for heavy chewers.
You should be ready to acknowledge that your new giant breed puppy will be an extra expense for you monthly.
Reasons Why You Should Get a Great Dane Pyrenees Mix
A Pyredane dog is a fantastic family member who is very good at being watchful and guarding his entire family since both parent breeds come from guard dogs.
This hybrid honey will be certain to alert you if a stranger is in your yard, but he won’t be overly aggressive. Most times, just the sheer size of a Pyredane is enough to scare off a person with bad motives.
This mixture of breeds is about medium in the levels of energy, because the Great Dane can be a bit excitable, but the Great Pyrenees is extremely docile,
If you have a backyard with an extra-large doggie door, your pooch will be happy to go outside and burn off energy at any time during play. Your puppy will also be highly intelligent and one of the most affectionate dogs you can find for a four-legged family member.
Appearance, Coats, and Colors of a Greta Dane Pyrenees Mix
Besides being a giant breed of dog, both parent dogs look very different from each other, so your puppy will grow up to look like a mixture of them in some manner.
The Great Dane has a thin but very muscular body, with males being more massive and heavier boned than females. The head is rectangular and long with a distinguished appearance.
Great Danes’ eyes are medium in size, dark in color, and deep-set in the face. His ears are cropped to be high on his head with a medium size.
The Great Pyrenees looks much larger and heavier than he actually is because of his very thick double coat. He is also very muscular and has a thin build.
He has a wedged head with a crown that is slightly rounded and medium-sized eyes that are almond-shaped in a rich dark brown color. Its ears are small to medium in a V-shape and rounded at the tips.
Your Pyredane will be a mixture of these two types of bodies and appearances. So he will be very large and will most likely have a short and straight coat like a Great Dane. However, your puppy could also have a short dense undercoat as the Great Pyrenees does.
Since the Great Dane can sport a huge variety of coat colors and patterns, you will likely have many variations in your Pyredane puppies from which to choose.
Great Danes may be blue, black, fawn, merle, silver, mantle, black and white, brindle or have a harlequin coloring.
The Great Pyrenees may be solid white or it can have badger markings on the body of tan, gray, or reddish-brown. He could have just a few markings in colors or he may have a lot.
Your Pyredane will take after the two-parent dogs as a mixture of them. So, you can choose a pairing of adults that have colors you like and get a puppy from their litter.
The breeder should be able to tell you what color the puppies from each sire and dam generally are.
A Great Dane will reach a height of 28 to 32 inches tall and a final weight of 110 to 175 pounds.
The Great Pyrenees is a bit smaller and lighter and it will reach 25 to 32 inches in height and have a final weight of somewhere between 85 and 160 pounds.
So you can expect your playful pup to be a giant breed of dog that is possibly 32 inches tall and with a weight of between 100 and 175 pounds.
Personality, Traits, and Lifespan of a Great Dane Pyrenees Mix
The personalities of both parent breeds of your Pyredane are much alike, so it’s pretty easy to guess what kind of personality and traits your particular pup will have as he grows up.
Pyredanes are exceptionally intelligent and very willing to please their handlers and family members. They have an average amount of energy and love everyone no matter their age.
They do like to be lap dogs and may still try to sit on your lap when they are full-grown and weigh more than you do.
Pyredanes are great watchdogs, but they do not act aggressively towards people. They love to play and participate in sports such as cart pulling and agility courses.
The lifespan of a Great Dane is between 7 and 10 years and the average lifespan of a Great Pyrenees is somewhere between 10 and 12 years.
Breeding these two giant dog breeds together may give you more years to spend with your four-legged family member than a Great Dane. On average, a Pyredane should reach a lifespan of about 8 to 12 years.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix Puppies For Sale
You can expect to pay between $600 and $3,000 for a Great Dane Puppy. A Great Pyrenees puppy is generally priced between $1,300 and $1,500, so your Pyredane should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,400 to $3,000, depending on the bloodlines of the parent dogs.
Grooming Your Great Dane Pyrenees Mix
Grooming needs are very simple for your Pyredane. You only need to brush him about once a week and daily when he is shedding heavily.
The Great Pyrenees is a heavy shedder all year round but the Great Dane is not, so your pup should fall somewhere in between these in terms of shedding.
Also, brush your pup’s teeth at least once a week and check his skin over when you brush him to make certain it is healthy. Having a double coat can hide skin lesions in some dogs.
You should bathe your Pyredane when he is dirty or smelly or has been mischievous and gotten into something he shouldn’t–which can happen when he is a puppy and inspecting everything. Otherwise, a bath once every few months is suitable with a doggie shampoo.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix Health Problems
Both parent breeds have some of the same possibilities for health issues. They are both susceptible to hip dysplasia and bloat as well as some cancers. Great Danes can also have heart and eye diseases.
The Great Pyrenees may have neurological and immune disorders. These are all items to watch out for in your puppy.
The good news is that a reputable breeder will screen both parent dogs before having a litter of puppies for all of these health problems.
They should only have puppies that will have a clean bill of health and you need to do your homework to make sure your puppy will be healthy before adopting it.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix Food Requirements
Your giant breed puppy should be fed food for the correct stage of life and for a giant or large breed dog.
This food is specially formulated for dogs that will be very big when they mature and it has all of the protein and minerals they will need to be healthy.
Choose a dry kibble for the puppy, adult, and senior giant breed dogs with the first ingredient being a protein from a source of meat.
You should feed your puppy his daily ration in 3 to 4 meals a day so he doesn’t overeat at one time.
When he is about a year old, you can reduce the feedings to 2 times a day. It’s important to do this because both parent breeds are susceptible to bloat from overeating when their stomach swells up and it can be fatal within only an hour or so.
Signs of bloat include a hard abdomen that is visually bloated and unproductive retching to throw up with little to nothing coming out. They may be pacing and restless and have a hard time getting comfortable in any position.
If you notice any signs that are unnatural in your dog’s actions and he looks uncomfortable, take him to an emergency vet immediately for care.
Another thing you can do in unison of several feedings a day is not to exercise your pretty pooch just before or after a meal. This allows his digestive system to work properly and avoid bloat.
Keep in mind, giant breeds of dogs don’t mature until about 2 years old, so they need puppy food until then. Make sure you have a very large bowl of water both inside and outside because puppies drink a lot of water.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix Exercise Requirements
Your Pyredane will require about one hour of exercise a day to stay healthy and at a good weight as well. You can simply play fetch with him outside, go to the dog park or go on a walk in the neighborhood.
Pyredanes do need mental stimulation if you leave them at home for long periods of time. Educational dog toys or interactive toys, such as a Kong filled with peanut butter, can keep your puppy busy for hours trying to lick all the tasty treats out of it.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix Training
Your hybrid puppy will truly amaze you at how smart he is, as both parent breeds are highly intelligent. He can learn new commands and tricks pretty quickly and is willing to please you at almost all times.
If his personality takes more after the Pyrenees, though, he may just ignore you when you are trying to train him to sit, heel, or stay because he may not see the point in this kind of activity.
This can be because the Great Pyrenees was bred to be independent and think on their own to watch herds and flocks without anyone teaching or guiding them.
The Great Pyrenees will also try to be the pack leader if you let him get away with incorrect behavior. It’s funny when puppies do something unexpected, but this smart pup can get the upper hand on you very quickly.
Great Danes always want to please their handlers, so they can offset the aloofness of the Great Pyrenees when they are bred together to produce a Pyredane.
You may enlist in some puppy training classes to help you figure out what makes your furball tick and respond the best to learning new things.
Teach your new puppy the basic commands as soon as you take him home and let him get acquainted with his new home.
Many times, the sit command is mastered first with a tasty treat for positive reinforcement training, and then he may be told to sit to get his meals. This method works well in dogs that are food-driven.
If your dog takes more after the Great Dane side of his heritage, he will be more excited with a lot of praise and petting, rather than dog treats. It will just depend on the personality of your particular pooch as to what motivates him.
Socialization is very important for giant breed dogs so that they learn to behave properly in many different situations.
Teach your new puppy to walk on a leash properly without pulling ahead, as larger breeds of dogs do when they are young.
You should think about using a harness for your dog to walk him, rather than a collar. This will make walking easier as he won’t cut off his air supply if he pulls forward at first.
Take your new puppy everywhere you go if possible to introduce him to a wide variety of people, places, and other pets. The dog park is one of the best places to socialize a new pup.
He can meet other dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes and make new friends. Of course, the other dog owners are dog lovers too and they will want to pet your puppy and talk to him–he will be very handsome.
This can assure your pooch that people are okay and not to be fearful or aggressive towards them unless a situation warrants it.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix and Families
Your designer dog is one of the most affectionate dogs you will ever come across. He loves the entire family, is quite open to new things and people and he is on a medium level for playfulness.
His amount of barking, vocalizing, and energy level are all on the medium scale and his level of guardianship is the highest level possible.
Great Dane Pyrenees Mix and Other Pets
A Pyredane is very calm and sweet and he will get along with other pets in the household and even accept new pets to his home.
He’s very gentle with smaller pets so as not to harm them because he’s smart enough to understand that he’s bigger than they are.
You should now be able to make a decision as to whether a Pyredane is a good match for your family and your situation.
Being that this is a giant breed of dog, you need to make certain you are the pack leader from the start in training to have a successful and long-loving relationship with your new puppy.
