The Great Pyrenees are giant, wintery beasts that can become overheated from exercise. There are a few problems when deciding what activities to do with them, but we hope to help with that.
The Great Pyrenees needs about 40 minutes to 1 hour of exercise daily. That’s a bit less than the average large dog, but due to their short attention span and tendency to overheat, it can be a bit difficult to achieve. However, you can vary their activities to find the best way to get their exercise.
When choosing the best activities for a Pyr, there are many factors to consider. As puppies, over-exercise can hurt their joints. They also aren’t built to be great runners. These tips and more will emerge throughout the article.
How much Daily exercise does the Great Pyrenees Need?
The Great Pyrenees is a bit easier than most large dogs for daily exercise. They still need plenty of exercise to stay in good shape, but they aren’t as high-energy and active as other large breeds.
They need about one hour of exercise per day. A good split of 30 minutes of walking and 30 minutes of other activities is a reliable way of getting in the hour each day.
Historically, they were active flock guardians, meaning they didn’t need walks at all.
Here are a few exercises that they both enjoy and work for them:
Hiking
The great Pyrenees love being outside. Getting to smell all the plant and animal life along a hiking path will stimulate their senses massively, providing them with lots of mental stimulation. Plus, you get new sights and sounds as well!
Fetch
Like most dog breeds, Pyrs are great fans of fetch. You can vary it up with balls, frisbees, and sticks, plus find different areas to play in.
Swimming
The great Pyrenees are excellent water dogs and are almost immune to the cold. Swimming is also easy on their joints, so it’s a perfect option for when they are still growing.
Training
It’s always a solid choice to combine walks with command training as a way to get all the necessary exercise they need for a day. After they grow up, you’ll appreciate that you’ve now got a well-trained pup.
Obedience training can feel a bit stifling, but it’s a chance to get a lot of exercise in and to make it fun. Pyrs are great learners, although they do get bored easily. That’s why mixing in a variety of different training exercises works best for them.
You’ll know they’re bored with an exercise when they start doing it in slow motion.
Small Carts
One of the earlier jobs for Great Pyrs was pulling milk carts, and it’s an activity they quite enjoy. So, if you want, you can have them pull small carts at home for fun.
However, many dogs don’t like the constraint at first and may panic, so this can be a tricky activity to get started with. A lot of gentle groundwork to begin with, and getting them used to the harness is a good idea to start.
How much walking does the Great Pyrenees need?
The Great Pyrenees used to take care of flocks, and when doing an activity like that, they didn’t need any additional exercise. Therefore, if you do enough other activities with them, they may not ‘need’ to go for walks at all.
However, for most dog owners, taking their pets on walks is one of the best ways to keep up with their own exercise needs. It doesn’t have to be their full hour of activity per day, but a solid 30-minute walk will keep them happy and healthy.
Remember that specific high-impact exercises can be strenuous on a Pyr’s joints. Any really high-impact activities should be checked with your vet before you start. You may have to wait until their growth plates have fused before you put too much pressure on their joints.
Warm and hot weather can also be a problem for them, as their coat can keep them very hot. It’s not a good idea to shave down the coat, as it protects them from the sun. Sometimes, the heat just doesn’t work for them.
How far can a Great Pyrenees puppy walk?
There’s no perfect estimate for how much a Great Pyrenees puppy can walk before tiring out or hurting their joints too much.
Keeping to their 30-40 minutes range is a good idea, but beyond that, we can estimate how far they are moving on leash compared with your own walking distance. If you use a long leash, they will tend to cover more ground than you.
If you walk 1 mile with a long leash, your Pyr will tend to walk 1.5 to 2 miles. At 2 miles, they’ll cover 4.5 to 6 miles. Then, at 5 miles, they’ll manage to cover 7.5 to 10 miles.
With a short leash, the numbers are pretty different. For example, walking 2 miles on a short leash will cause your Pyr to walk about 3 miles. At 5 miles, they’ll tend to cover about 7 miles.
Can you run with a Great Pyrenees?
The Great Pyrenees were bred for endurance, not sprinting.
To prevent bone, joint, and ligament damage, it’s important not to push Pyr puppies too hard when it comes to running. For these reasons, they don’t make the best running companions. However, at 18 months, when they are fully grown, this does work a bit better.
They were bred to chase predators away so that they can handle very short bursts of energy but not much else. However, this breed can easily overheat, especially in hot or humid weather, so be careful.
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What are the benefits of Exercising my Great Pyrenees?
There are many benefits to exercise, including general health benefits. However, exercise tends to use up energy, which can get dogs, especially puppies, in trouble when they need outlets for that energy.
In the long term, exercise provides both mental and physical stimulation that keeps your Pyr happy and healthy.
In addition, it maintains their weight and muscle. Especially between the first and second years of their life, gaining strength and weight is a good idea before developing too much of a particular routine.
The one problem is their soft-growing bones and joints. These can become overstressed if they are exercised too much as a puppy, so that’s something to be careful about.
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How much Exercise is too much for my Great Pyrenees?
The great Pyrenees don’t need as much exercise as other large breeds and can damage their joints as a puppy. For these reasons, it is easy to over-exercise them.
Learning as much as you can about the Pyr can help you gauge how much exercise is too much. Watch out for their natural pauses and exhaustion.
By combining different activities, such as playing with toys, training, and hikes or walks, you can help keep your dog from getting too much exercise in any particular direction.
Mental stimulation is also essential. Working breeds like the Pyrenees like to have work to do and enjoy various activities. Remember, too, that their need for exercise will change as they grow up.
So do more and shorter sessions when they are young before they get older and can handle longer activities.
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Tips for exercising your Great Pyrenees
Regardless of age, here are a few tips for keeping your Great Pyrenees happy, healthy, and safe while exercising.
- When they are puppies, take shorter walks with frequent breaks.
- Over time, increase the length of the walks.
- Avoid walks and outdoor activities on hot and humid days.
- Teach your puppy how to walk on a leash before they grow up.
- Call the vet if they are having serious trouble walking.
- Be patient and confident when doing activities.
- Keep it positive – becoming negative with your Pyr will only hamper their progress.
- Take it slow with training. They have short attention spans.
- Practice training whenever you get a chance.
- Lastly, always be ready for setbacks.
Final thoughts
The Great Pyrenees are a bit of a strange breed for exercise. With a short attention span and less need for exercise, it can feel awkward to find suitable activities to do with them.
We hope to have provided you with a solid foundation to begin exercising them safely and happily.
