Question on Pyrenees Cohabitating

[tevyagolda]

We have a female Pyrenees.  We have been considering whether to get a second Pyrenees   Either a male, not related to the female, or breeding her and keeping one of her male pups.

We know Pyrenees are independent animals and don't always like being around other Pyrenees.  Is that strictly male to male / female to female situations

[Gypsy Jazmine]

We have a female Pyrenees.  We have been considering whether to get a second Pyrenees   Either a male, not related to the female, or breeding her and keeping one of her male pups.

We know Pyrenees are independent animals and don't always like being around other Pyrenees.  Is that strictly male to male / female to female situations

I'd strongly advise you not breed your dog without all the proper health certs, testing for hips & joints & most of all temperment..I have a properly bred Pyr & an improperly bred Pyr & the difference in temperment & confirmation is night & day!!!...So much as I drove from Iowa to almost Arkansas for my 2nd Pyr...My 1st Pyr was a mess who cost me so very much in time, $, & emotion to get "o.k."...In saying that, I feel no matter what Pyr combo you get their are going to be problems until they work out their own heirarchy...I also feel that 2 male Pyrs or a male/female combo would  be much easier to deal with than 2 females...Male dogs tend to get "into it" & than "get over it" whereas females tend to "remember it" & hold a grudge...Good luck with your dogs!~

[cricket36580]

Welcome to the group! 

I've read quite a bit about the dynamics of multiples and I have to agree...female/female is the hardest.  Quite a bit is going to be determined by your situation too.  Is your girl a working girl?  Or pet?  If you breed her, are you looking for working animals or not?  Even if they're to be LGD's, it's still a very good idea to have all of the testing done and to make sure it was done on her parents too and the parents of the stud.  You might still have problems down the road but not as many and you'd be better prepared.  Even if you kept one of the pups, you could still end up with very real dominance issues.  Just because they're related won't make them buds later.  Some of the worst fights are between parents/offspring.

[CujoandShamus]

Mine is a male working pyrenees and he is good with our Irish setter puppy . Our last pyr was good with a female lab and very protective of her but he would get really aggressive towards any other male. Our pyr will not let any other animal in our yard. He realizes the cats belong here but even if we get a ground hog or squirrel hit the ground he will attack, but like I said he is working. I do not have any experience with house pyrs. I think the males are less aggressive than the females though.

[DixieSugarBear]

I have a male/female combo. They are great buds as long as Dixie get to be boss. Sugar Bear is ok with that most of the time.

[longshadowfarms]

If you've got the option, I'd go with an opposite sex.  I've had less problems with female/female than male/male relations - it really depends so much on the dogs themselves and how dominant they are.  I too would highly recommend not breeding.  There are too many things that can go wrong and too many sad stories from people (myself included) who ended up with heartache from poorly bred dogs.  My last beloved Pyr (rescued) died very young of autoimmune problems and one before that we put to sleep because he was so dangerously, uncontrollably aggressive even toward myself and my kids (got him as a pup).  Personally, I am a huge supporter of rescued dogs.  If you go to the working dog forum you can read some posts on my new LGDs, Katie and Carter.  I was very specific with the rescue groups as to what I wanted and came up with two GEMS!  That said, I also turned down a few that I just didn't feel comfortable about.  The more research you do before you get another dog, the happier you will be in the long run.  This forum is a great place to start!

[PupDaddy]

We have a female Pyrenees.  We have been considering whether to get a second Pyrenees   Either a male, not related to the female, or breeding her and keeping one of her male pups.

We know Pyrenees are independent animals and don't always like being around other Pyrenees.  Is that strictly male to male / female to female situations

Dogs, like people, will have different relationships with each other. You can never tell how the relationship will work out.

If you are determined to breed your dog, nothing will stop you. But if you want to find the right dog as a companion for your present dog, consider adoption. Take your dog with you and let her pick out her companion.