Lab Great Pyrenees Mix Facts
The Great Pyrenees Lab mix is the result of breeding a Labrador retriever and Great Pyrenees dogs. Dog breeders call this mix Pyradors or Labreenes. Being a hybrid, it shows hybrid vigor, which explains that the breed has better traits and characteristics compared to its parents.
The Great Pyrenees Lab mix is perfect for a family who will ensure socializing the dog and taking their pet for exercise walks. The combination is an excellent addition to a family who yearns to have a loyal and protective dog.
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3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get a Great Pyrenees Lab Mix
- It takes ample space in your house. Great Pyrenees Lab mix is an example of a large breed, meaning you need a lot of space for it to fit. You don’t want to limit the scope for your dog since it gives negativity to the animal, which can cause aggression. Although the breed is not very playful and active, you need to give it a place to run and play inside your house. Of course, there can be a problem when you want to travel with a Great Pyrenees lab mix. The dog will take a lot of space in your car or any public vehicles.
- It’s aggressive towards other animals and people. Since the mix has quality and characteristics from Great Pyrenees, it has a lot of protective personalities. Sometimes, this personality exceeds too much that they will be aggressive to other animals even when they aren’t a threat. People, who the dogs identified as a stranger, triggers the aggressiveness of the Great Pyrenees lab mix. Another thing to take care of is the destructiveness of the combination. Great Pyrenees lab mix tends to destroy objects when they feel boredom or when their owners leave them alone.
- You need to build fences around your backyard. A Great Pyrenees lab mix likes to wander around the vicinity of your area. However, they also tend to go wherever they can and can walk outside your area. Building fences around your backyard might be a solution to this problem. The fence also protects the dog from being aggressive to your neighbors and people walking in your area. Moreover, you need to be wary of the loudness of your dog. The Great Pyrenees in your mix may give a loud barker characteristic to your dog.
3 Reasons Why You Should Get A Lab Great Pyrenees mix
- It can act as a watchdog for your family. Labrador retrievers and Great Pyrenees alone are a good watchdog since they are protective to their owners. Since hybrid vigors apply, labrador Great Pyrenees mix has the capability of being a better watchdog. It’s keen alertness to its surrounding, and a good sense of responsibility makes it qualified to be a guard dog. However, it’s essential to take note that its labrador side can manifest, which is being a loving dog. Labrador Great Pyrenees mix, if trained, are easy to open up with other people and even to strangers.
- It has a balance stillness and playfulness. The dog’s behavior depends on its parents’ temperament and personality. Sometimes, a labrador Great Pyrenees mix will manifest more Great Pyrenees trait or more labrador retrievers characteristics. However, it often happens that those two characters are observable in the Great Pyrenees labrador mix. There are times when the dog will be protected with a little bit of playfulness. But there can also be a time when your dog will have a labrador-like personality with a little bit of quietness. Whatever the combination of the trait, the mix will always protect your children and family.
- It resembles a white bear. Aside from personalities and behaviors, do hybrids are becoming popular due to its looks. A Great Pyrenees labrador mix has a significant advantage when it comes to its appearance. The combination referred to as a white bear due to its coat color, which is often white. Since the mix is a large breed, a bear-like appearance associates to the dog, especially when it stands with its two hind legs.
Appearance, Personality, and Traits of a Great Pyrenees Lab
| Weight | 75-95 pounds |
| Height | 25-28 inches |
| Size | Large |
| Coat Type | Dense, wooly texture and long, thick double coat |
| Coat Color | Black with white spots, Yellow with white spots, White, Grey, Brown, Beige, Black |
| Amount of Shedding | Sheds a lot |
| Eyes | Black |
| Nose | Black or greyish |
| Ears | Medium-sized and flat |
| Temperament | Intelligent, Loyal, Gentle, Patient, Friendly, Protective, Loyal |
| Life Expectancy | 10-12 years |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
| Kids Friendly | Yes (if trained) |
| New Owners Friendly | Yes |
| Breed Recognition | Dogs Registry of America Inc. |
The breeding of Great Pyrenees and labrador retriever resulted in a mix, which is large in size with characteristics coming from both parents. Female Pyradors usually are smaller than the male ones in terms of height and weight. The coat color and type are a combination of the traits coming from the two parents. However, for most cases, the coat color of a Great Pyrenees lab mix is white. It’s temperament also is a mixture of both personalities. While both parents are intelligent, the herding nature came from the Great Pyrenees while the hunting and playful natures are from the Labrador.
Since the breed is relatively new, there are a lot of considerations and questions if it’ll be named a race. However, the Dogs Registry of America Inc. recognizes the Great Pyrenees lab mix as an accepted breed of dogs.
Lab Great Pyrenees Puppies For Sale
Before purchasing a Labrador Great Pyrenees puppy, you need to be careful in where you will obtain your puppy. Keep in mind that you need to avoid online ads and online pet stores that sell Pyrador puppies unless you know someone who benefited with it. Online ads and stores often omit health problems of the hybrid’s parents so customers will buy without knowing its risk. Before purchasing a puppy, make sure to check all medical histories of its parents. Try to ask for the medical record of the puppy itself so that you’re sure that it inherited no severe health problems.
If you found a breeding facility, make sure that there are no sick animals present in the facility. Try to ask if they use genetic testing and to have a tour around the facility. If the personnel does not agree, find another facility.
Although Labradors are a healthier breed of dog, Great Pyrenees come with a lot of possible health issues. If you find it hard to look for potential sources of puppies, here is a list to help you:
- https://www.greenfieldpuppies.com
- https://www.akc.org
- https://www.thelabradorsite.com
- http://gpcaonline.org/rescueinfo.htm
If you want to give abandoned Pyrador dogs a chance, try visiting https://www.adoptapet.com/ or https://www.petfinder.com/. They may have Great Pyrenees mixed with labrador dogs up for adoption. You can also go to http://gpcaonline.org/rescueinfo.htm to look for rescued Labrador mixed with Great Pyrenees.
The coat color of your puppy depends on the color of its parent, so if you want a specific color, better request it to your breeder. The behavior of your puppy will also depend on its parents so make sure to have a background check on its parents’ temperament.
Grooming Your Lab crossed with Great Pyrenees
Both Pyrenees and Labradors have low-maintenance coats, so you don’t have to worry about having special grooming for your Pyradors. Daily brushing of its fur and occasional baths will keep your dog’s skin in perfect shape. The dog’s skin is soft when maintained so if you observed that something’s not right, better groom your dog immediately. Its coat matted easily, too but daily brushing can keep that problem away. The Great Pyrenees lab mix inherited the double coat of a Labrador retriever. However, the regular brushing of the dog’s coat will keep it completely clean and in a good look.
Since the mix has flat or floppy ears, it’s essential always to clean its ears to avoid infections. Check its ears around three times in a week and clean it if necessary. Doing his will keep your dog from ear wax accumulation and possible ear infection. The nails and mouth are needs weekly checking. Brush your dog’s teeth and clip its nails if necessary to keep it clean.
While the double coat does not directly affect the grooming, it positively affects the fur shedding of the mix. Great Pyrenees lab mix sheds a lot, especially in shedding season, which happens twice a year. However, even without the shedding season, the combination will still shed a lot due to its large size. In the shedding season, you need to brush your dog’s fur at least twice a day to keep its coat perfect. Start grooming your dog when it’s at the puppy stage so your dog will get used to it.
Great Pyrenees crossed with Lab Health Problems
Although a labrador retriever is a healthy dog to be a parent, a Great Pyrenees dog has a lot of complications as a pure breed. Since Great Pyrenees lab mix is breed between the two, it tends to inherit health problems from its parents. However, the concept of hybrid vigor tells customers that the mix is healthier than both of its parents. It’s still essential to know the health issues of your dog’s or puppy’s parents to determine possible health problems. Here are some diseases that your Pyradors may get:
- Bloat: In the medical world, bloat is known as gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). While it does not pose harm to humans, bloat can be fatal in some dogs. Veterinarians say that there are no exact reasons why dogs experienced bloat and bloat cases are random. However, larger dogs like great pyrene lab mix often experience GDV. Twisting of the stomach and filling up of gas characterizes the disease. The twisting causes stomach rupture and damage and may affect nearby organs like the spleen as well. The gas may also put pressure on the dog’s diaphragm, which eventually causes hard breathing and affects blood flow.
- Elbow and Hip Dysplasia: Dysplasia is a disease where the specific sockets have an abnormal formation In the Great Pyrenees lab mix, the dysplasia often happens in its elbow and hip parts. Dysplasia is common in large breeds of dogs like the Great Pyrenees lab mix. Labrador retrievers, one parent of the mix, often experience this kind of disease and the combination may inherit it. The disease causes lameness and joint arthritis to the dog, which affects its walking capability. The environment where the dog lives in also contributes to the incorrect formation of joints.
- Osteosarcoma: Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer that can affect dogs. Just like bloat and dysplasia, this condition affects larger dogs the most. However, there are cases of bone cancer in smaller dogs. While the situation is not specifically genetics, breeds can inherit the condition from its parents. Osteosarcoma symptoms include bone pain and inflammation in the area where the tumor is growing.
- Degenerative myelopathy: The condition targets the spinal cord of the dog, which eventually paralyzes the hind legs. Weaker limbs are observable with dogs suffering from this disease. Degenerative myelopathy is also progressive. One hind leg can be in pain, and after some time, another leg will experience the same pain. The dog will also experience difficulty in standing and walking until it cannot walk anymore.
- Congenital deafness: Genetics and inheritance of traits cause congenital deafness, but scientists correlated congenital deafness to coat color of a dog. Dogs with significantly whiter coat colors tend to have congenital deafness. However, not all white dogs are deaf, and not all deaf dogs are white. The lack of pigment in the ears of dogs allows the nerves to die at a very young age. While the symptoms of this condition are not physical, behavioral changes are observable. Dogs that suffer from this disease have difficulty in following commands and have special vocalizing episodes.
- Wobbler Syndrome: Also known as Cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM), this condition affects the cervical spine at the neck area of the dog. Often characterized by compression of the spinal cord, Wobbler Syndrome causes neck pain. The dog with this syndrome will experience a wobble walk due to the nerves affected.
- Fatal Heatstroke: Heat Strokes are common in any breed of dog. Any hot environment causes the occurrence of heat stroke in dogs since their sweat glands are only in their paws. Instead of sweating, dogs pant instead, but excessive panting can be a sign of overheating. A dog with thick fur like Great Pyrenees lab mix can be a victim of heat stroke. Owners should always prepare water for their Labrador Great Pyrenees, especially on hot days.
While there are a lot of possible health issues the breed has, it’s essential to familiarize signs of bloating. Most of the listed health problems are genetics, so ensure that your breeders employ genetic testing on their parents.
Great Pyrenees crossed with Labrador Food Requirements
Great Pyrenees Labrador is a large breed, so you need to maintain a well-balanced diet to prevent obesity. The best large breed dry dog food is prepared so as not to overburden the pup’s stomach. If you stick to the recommended servings, you will maintain a healthy weight in your dog.
Since Labrador Great Pyrenees tend to experience bloating, prevent your dog from exercising after eating. Provide your dog smaller portions of food, and feed it at least three times a day to avoid overeating. You may even offer them the best dry dog food for small dogs, as it has fewer calories per serving.
Young dogs need premium-quality kibble, so choose only the best puppy food brands for your cub. And if you have a senior doggy citizen at home, they deserve the royal treatment in the form of the best senior dry dog food.
Feed your dogs with high-quality foods for proper growth and development.You may opt for some of the best dry dog food brands, such as Wellness Core Dog Food, Dog For Dog Food, or Nutra Thrive dog food supplement. Avoid giving your pooch the worst dry dog food, ridden with fillers like carbs and grains, and make sure to provide meat-based dog food. Glucosamine is also a great additive to the dog food to keep your dog’s joint stronger.
Always consult a veterinarian regarding your dog’s diet. If you are finding it hard to find high-quality dog food, here are additional examples:
- Now Fresh Grain-Free Large-Breed Adult Recipe: This product has the right amount of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are suitable for your dog’s joint. The dog food also contains grain-free carbohydrates which will prevent your dog from overfilling its stomach. It also has essential vitamins that are good for coat and fur.
- Wellness CORE Grain-Free Large-Breed Adult Recipe: Wellness CORE’s product includes good protein and fat proportions to support dog body weight. It also provides glucosamine for joint health and omega fatty acid for fur and skin.
- Fromm Large Breed Puppy Gold Formula: The dog food is specifically for a large breed of dogs to keep their weight slowly growing. The product also has the right amount of proteins, fats, and proper calcium to phosphorus ratio for bone development.
Labrador mixed with Great Pyrenees Exercise Requirements
Labradors Great Pyrenees need a daily walk and play time to exercise its weight and as a form of exercise. However, Great Pyrenees Labradors get bored quickly if you will do the same routine and it causes stubbornness and tantrums. Here are some dog toys and products to add to your dog’s exercise:
- Jumbo Tennis Ball: Every dog loves playing. Make it more exciting by playing with a tennis ball that’s three times larger than regular ones. Your dog will have fun chasing it around, and it will not rip it apart easily.
- ChuckIt! Kick Fetch Toy Ball: Another toy for fetch that includes a particular ball. The toy’s design allows you to play with your dog by kicking the ball instead of throwing. The product also has unique grooves so your dog can bring it back.
- Classic Kong Dog Toy: Give your dog simple treats by placing it in the toy. Your dog needs to play with it to get its reward and will keep them occupied for a while.
Great Pyrenees Lab Mix Training
Due to its personality, training a Labrador mixed with Great Pyrenees comes with no difficulty. Here are some things you need to do in your dog’s training:
- Start the training at a very young age. Great Pyrenees mixed with Labrador has those characteristics where they can be stubborn and not follow your command. Training your puppy can correct this behavior.
- Train your dog to socialize with different kinds and sizes of animals. Socializing your dog needs to start at an early age to avoid future aggression to smaller animals.
- Since the mix is a large dog, you need to take it for a walk at least an hour every day. However, you need some changes in your daily walk or training since your dog gets bored easily. Try playing games that will make your dog think.
- Every now and then, give your dog a reward or treat to keep him committed to the training.
Labrador Great Pyrenees And Families
With the loyal and loving nature of Labrador Great Pyrenees, it will be a great addition to a family, even with children. Although you need to train them in socializing, Great Pyrenees Labrador will surely protect and love your family. But make sure to have a larger space for your dog since it’s a large breed. A great backyard with fences is a good investment if you want to take care of a Labrador Great Pyrenees Mix. Great Pyrenees Lab mix is a loving dog that wants care and welfare as much as they give.
References:
- Davison, L.j., et al. “The CaninePOMCGene, Obesity in Labrador Retrievers and Susceptibility to Diabetes Mellitus.” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, vol. 31, no. 2, 8 Feb. 2017, pp. 343–348., doi:10.1111/jvim.14636.
- Ritt, Mg, and Tw Fossum. “Successful Treatment of Uterine Torsion and Fetal Retention in a Postparturient Great Pyrenees Bitch with Septic Peritonitis and Prothrombotic Complications.” Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, vol. 33, no. 6, Nov. 1997, pp. 537–539., doi:10.5326/15473317-33-6-537.
- Cunliffe, Juliette. Great Pyrenees. Kennel Club Books, 2009.
- Walton, Joel, and Eve Adamson. Labrador Retrievers for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, 2007.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyrenees
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever
