Are Great Pyrenees Good Apartment Dogs?

Apartments are very common in this day and age, and many of us live in them, but are Great Pyrenees suitable for apartment life?

While it is generally debated about whether or not Great Pyrenees can be apartment dogs, the fact of the matter is, Great Pyrenees are just not suited for apartment life. Even though others say otherwise, Great Pyrenees tend to prefer the outdoors rather than the indoors. Why? Great Pyrenees are not only large and will feel cramped in an apartment, but they also weren’t bred to live in small compact spaces.

Why You Shouldn’t Keep A Great Pyrenees In An Apartment

While I mentioned one reason why you shouldn’t keep a Great Pyrenees in an apartment, that’s not the only reason why you shouldn’t.

In this section I will be discussing all three reasons why I believe Great Pyrenees shouldn’t be apartment dogs. Here are the three.

Great Pyrenees Are Too Big

As I just mentioned, one of my main reasons why I don’t think you should keep a Great Pyrenees in an apartment is that they are simply too large.

Even if we forget the other reasons, this alone should make you think twice about putting your Pyr in an apartment.

I know what you may be thinking, “Yeah, but how do you know that he doesn’t actually like being in an apartment?” The answer is I don’t, but I do know that Great Pyrenees owners say that theirs prefers the outdoors.

In fact, many of them said they have a hard time taking their Great Pyrenees indoors unless the weather isn’t fair.

Here are some of the answers I got when I asked if their let their Great Pyrenees sleep outside.

Unless it’s storming, getting them to come in at night is almost impossible!
Leigh Thomason Honnell

Mine prefers outside, even in the rain and snow. He has dry places to lay. He prefers to patrol the property.
Pam Hughes

Mine sleeps outside. They are guard dogs, not house dogs.
Leah Cooper Cox

Of course, I also had some that said theirs slept primarily inside, though there is no guarantee yours would prefer outdoors and even if it does, apartments are just too small, in mu opinion.

Great Pyrenees Tend To Bark Too Much

Another reason why I don’t believe they should be be in apartments is that they tend to bark a lot.

So, if you were to have a Pyr in an apartment, you could get some very angry neighbors. It’s just not considerate to let your dog bark all the time when there are a lot of people living in the area.

This, coupled with the last reason I will be talking about, can make some very irritated neighbors and may even get you evicted from your apartment if your Pyr is consistent.

They Mainly Stay Up At Night

The last reason why is that that they stay up mostly at night. While this fact alone isn’t a very good reason why you shouldn’t keep a Pyr in an apartment, this coupled with the fact that they bark a lot can disrupt a lot of your neighbors’ sleep schedules.

This can also disrupt your own sleeping schedule as well if he tends to bark a lot.

Understanding What Great Pyrenees Were Bred For

Now, let’s understand exactly what Great Pyrenees were bred for. Why is this important, you ask?

Understanding what Great Pyrenees were even bred for in the first place can help us determine whether or not you should keep a Great Pyrenees in an apartment.

So, what were they bred for? Great Pyrenees were bred to be herding and guard dogs. Thus, they had to be outside just about all of their adult-hood helping keep the flock safe by deterring predators and not in an apartment.

On the AKC’s website, for the Great Pyrenees profile, they said that they were “bred centuries ago to work with peasant shepherds and herding dogs in the Pyrenees Mountains.”

They also said that their job was to “watch the flock and deter predators, whether wolves, bears, or livestock rustlers.”

What Makes A Good Apartment Dog

So, we understand what Great Pyrenees were bred for and we know a few reasons why Pyrs don’t make good apartment dogs, but makes a good apartment dog?

Let’s find out!

Being Small In Size

The first thing that makes any dog apartment friendly is that they are small in size, thus being less likely to be cramped in an apartment.

Even if they are active, if they are small enough, you won’t have to walk them every hour as they can exercise more at home.

When they are small, they are also easier to manage when they get really excited and are less likely to knock a lot of things over

Hesitant To Bark A Lot At Strangers

A good apartment dog is hesitant to bark at people or cars as there are a lot of them near apartments.

As I mentioned earlier, a dog that barks a lot is not fit to be an apartment dog.

Most dogs bark a lot, however. This is likely one of the main reasons why so many apartments prohibit dogs all together.

Preferring Inside Rather Than Outside

Lastly, if you are going to keep a dog in an apartment, he should prefer the indoors rather than the outdoors.

There’s always a possibility that your apartment doesn’t have a backyard, and if it does, it’s probably not a very big one. Then, of course, if you don’t have the time to walk your dog multiple times a day, he’ll probably stay inside most of the time.

What Are The Best Apartment Dogs – A Few Alternatives

Before we end the article, you may be wanting a few possible alternatives to Great Pyrenees that would work out for apartment life. This is a logical question to ask and if you are asking this question, I suggest finish the rest of the article.

So, what are a few alternatives? Here are a list of some of the dogs that would be fit for apartment life.