The breeds · side by side
for guarding stock
Great Pyrenees or Anatolian Shepherd Dog.
Two livestock guardians that live with the flock, not the family. Climate and coat separate them; so does how they carry themselves with strangers at the fence. Neither is a pet that happens to be big.
Every value below shows its source and how sure we are. Breed sets the odds; the parents set the dog. Nothing here is a prediction about one dog.
What the question turns on
Role
Livestock guardian, not a herder. FCI 137 utilization: pastoral guardian in the mountains; selected to guard flocks on its own against predators, with a propensity for independence and initiative. AKC: bred for the strenuous work of guarding the flocks in all weather on the steep mountain slopes of the Pyrenees; territorial and protective of flock or family, strong willed, independent. UKC: historically left on its own to protect the flocks; also used for centuries as a watchdog. RKC history: guarded flocks in the Pyrenees from the Middle Ages, castle guardian, Royal Dog of France under Louis XIV, messenger and pack dog for the French Army in World War II, suggested as a smuggler's pack dog. Breed club: guard dogs by instinct, not training; nocturnal; takes about 18 months to become an effective livestock guardian; absolute intolerance of predators, including strange dogs and people, with extraordinary patience toward stock. USDA bulletin: a guarding dog is not a herding dog but a full-time member of the flock; Great Pyrenees seem to reach behavioral maturity earlier than Komondors and Anatolians (those two at about 18 to 30 months); in a yearling evaluation 83 percent of 59 Great Pyrenees were rated good guardians against 38 percent of 26 Anatolians. Andelt 1999 (Colorado sheep producers): producers using one breed rated effectiveness the same for Akbash, Great Pyrenees and Komondor; producers who used several breeds rated the Akbash above the Great Pyrenees
Livestock guardian, not a herder. AKC standard: a working guard dog without equal with a unique ability to protect livestock, developed for a purely utilitarian purpose; alert, calm and observant, instinctively protective, highly territorial, a natural guard; reserve around strangers acceptable. UKC: shepherd's guard dog of ancient lineage, original function flock guarding for sheep on the Central Anatolian Plateau; steady and bold, without aggression; independent, intelligent, tractable. RKC: nomadic flock guard from Turkey, lived outdoors all year in hot summers and freezing winters. Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America (AKC feature): show dogs come straight from working on farms; first defense is visual deterrence, then a throat-clearing bark that escalates; independent thinking is integral since dogs are often out of sight of shepherds. USDA bulletin: Anatolians reach behavioral maturity at about 18 to 30 months; in a yearling evaluation 38 percent of 26 Anatolians rated good against 83 percent of 59 Great Pyrenees, mainly because of a higher tendency to injure or kill sheep. Andelt 1999: producers using several breeds generally rated Anatolians more effective than Great Pyrenees, but the sample was too small for firm conclusions; Anatolians were rated faster than Great Pyrenees
Weight
dogs 100 lb · bitches 85 lb
dogs 110 to 150 lb · bitches 80 to 120 lb
Coat
AKC: weather-resistant double coat, long flat thick outer coat of coarse hair, straight or slightly undulating, over a dense fine woolly undercoat; ruff or mane more pronounced in males; plume on the tail; feathering and pantaloons; curly and stand-off (Samoyed type) coats are faults. White, or white with gray, badger, reddish brown or tan markings; markings covering more than one third of the body are a fault. UKC: solid white or white with grey (badger or wolf), pale yellow or orange patches; any other colour is a disqualification. FCI 137: most appreciated markings are badger grey
AKC: short (one inch minimum, not tight) to rough (about 4 in), neck hair slightly longer, mane and ruff, thick undercoat common to all, feathering may occur on ears, legs, breeching and tail; all colour patterns and markings equally acceptable. UKC: double coat, outer coat short or half-long and dense, thick undercoat; a very short smooth coat or one without undercoat is a disqualification; all colours acceptable. RKC colours: fawn with mask, grey fawn with mask, red fawn with mask, tricolour, white no mask
Heat tolerance
2 of 5 · AKC: weather-resistant double coat, a long flat thick outer coat of coarse hair over a dense fine woolly undercoat, with a ruff or mane. UKC: dense and double
3 of 5 · AKC: coat short (one inch minimum) to rough (about 4 in) with neck hair slightly longer; a thick undercoat is common to all. UKC: double coat, short or half-long and dense, thick undercoat, capable of enduring extremes of heat and cold
Exercise need
Up to 1 hour per day (Royal Kennel Club band for the Pyrenean Mountain Dog)
More than 2 hours per day (Royal Kennel Club band for the Anatolian Shepherd Dog)
The rest, read the same way
Height at the shoulder
dogs 27 to 32 in · bitches 25 to 29.5 in
dogs 29 to 32 in · bitches 27 to 31 in
Shedding
Royal Kennel Club: sheds, yes. Breed club: when the dog sheds its coat, daily brushing is necessary for several weeks so dead hair does not bind against the skin
Royal Kennel Club: sheds, yes. UKC: coat tends to be longer in winter, with great variation influenced by climate. AKC breed page: shedding level 3 of 5
Median lifespan
10.9 years (10.5 to 11.3)
10.1 years (7.6 to 11.2)
Exercise need
Royal Kennel Club: up to 1 hour per day, large house and large garden, town or country. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. Great Pyrenees Club of America: must be confined in a well-fenced area (minimum 6 ft fence) or they will patrol a large territory; on leash at all times outside the fence; by nature nocturnal and works in the night
Royal Kennel Club: more than 2 hours per day, large house and large garden, country. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. UKC: an active, hard-working breed, capable of enduring extremes of heat and cold; originally guarded flocks travelling great distances across the Central Anatolian Plateau, staying out in all weather
Energy
3 of 5
3 of 5
Grooming load
3 of 5 · Royal Kennel Club: grooming more than once a week. Great Pyrenees Club of America: brush once a week, parting the coat and combing from the skin out; daily brushing for several weeks while the coat is shed. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5
3 of 5 · Royal Kennel Club: grooming more than once a week. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5
Grooming
Thick weather-resistant double coat with a mane and pantaloons. Mats form behind the ears, around the neck, on the belly and the back of the legs (breed club). Pyrs who are brushed regularly seldom need bathing (breed club)
Double coat, short to rough (about 4 in) with a thick undercoat common to all; longer and thicker at the neck and mane; UKC says the coat tends to be longer in winter and varies a great deal with climate
Why they get given up
Great Pyrenees Club of America: hundreds of Pyrs end up in rescue or shelters each year because owners did not understand the breed (guard instinct, barking especially at night, independence, roaming)
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Also used on
Royal Kennel Club history: messenger dog and pack dog for the French Army in World War II; suggested to have carried packs of contraband across the Pyrenees; court dog of France under Louis XIV. FCI 137: castle guardian in the Middle Ages. UKC: watchdog as well as flock guard. Breed club: farm and ranch guardian that lives near the farmyard, part pet and part guard dog
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Hip dysplasia
9.5% · 9.5% dysplastic of 7,509 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 89.3% normal; mild 5.7%, moderate 3.4%, severe 0.4%; breed rank 138 of the breeds listed
9.8% · 9.8% dysplastic of 3,083 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 89.3% normal; mild 5.9%, moderate 3.2%, severe 0.7%; breed rank 134 of the breeds listed (OFA name: Anatolian Shepherd)
Elbow dysplasia
2% · 2.0% abnormal of 1,838 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 98.0% normal; grade 1 1.5%, grade 2 0.4%, grade 3 0.1%; breed rank 126
6.2% · 6.2% abnormal of 1,559 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 93.7% normal; grade 1 5.3%, grade 2 0.8%, grade 3 0.1%; breed rank 71
Most common disorders
The parent club's recommended health tests, listed on the AKC CHIC page, are hip evaluation and patella evaluation. The Great Pyrenees Club of America brochure names no specific disorder and refers readers to its health pages
The parent club's recommended health tests, listed on the AKC CHIC page, are hip evaluation and elbow evaluation. The Royal Kennel Club lists hip testing (BVA/KC) for the breed
Aggression, as studied
1986 University of Idaho survey of about 400 guarding-dog users (763 dogs, 57 percent Great Pyrenees): most dogs were aggressive to predators and other dogs, though Great Pyrenees seem somewhat less aggressive to dogs than other guarding breeds. Fewer Great Pyrenees injured livestock than Komondors, Akbash or Anatolians
Not recorded for this breed yet.
What to ask a breeder for
Clearances
- Patella evaluation (recommended by the parent club) · US
- Hip evaluation (recommended by the parent club) · US
- Hip testing, elbow testing and eye testing (listed on the Royal Kennel Club breed page) · UK
- Elbow evaluation (recommended by the parent club) · US
- Hip evaluation (recommended by the parent club) · US
- Hip testing (listed on the Royal Kennel Club breed page) · UK
The health clearances each breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.
The selector
Which one, for your life?
A few minutes of honest answers: the birds, the ground, the water, the house, the week. The selector ranks both of these against what you said, explains every rank, and shows exactly where the one you came in wanting lands.
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