Great Pyrenees Growth Chart: Everything You Need To Know

Great Pyrenees or Pyrean mountain dogs are one of the largest domesticated dog breeds in existence. Pyrs are notoriously gentle and calm despite being such big dogs.

When you get a great Pyrenees puppy, it can be difficult to imagine how big your dog will get. It’s important to keep an eye on their growth to make sure they’re growing at the right rate even though it will probably seem accelerated no matter what!

That’s where this great Pyrenees growth chart will come into play.

Because the Great Pyrenees dogs are so large, they grow for quite a while. In about one year many great Pyrenees will go from weighing 5 pounds to weighing around 105 pounds. While there is some variability based on genetics, upbringing, and sex, you can always expect a great Pyrenees to grow a lot. 

In this article, we’ll give you all the numbers you need to calculate the anticipated growth of your Great Pyrenees puppy, and both weight and height charts for female and male Pyrenees. Plus we will answer the most common growth-related questions when it comes to this large breed!

Calculating Great Pyrenees Growth

There are a few factors to consider when we’re talking about Great Pyrenees growth.

Great Pyrenees are born large. At birth, a great Pyrenees can wait anywhere between five and ten pounds. That’s as much as a small Chihuahua. The growth doesn’t stop there because Great Pyrenees grow for a long time. Around six months your Pyr puppy will have put on anywhere from 60 to 80 additional pounds. Remember that while your great Pyrenees may be growing in size, they’re still a puppy.

Like many other dog breeds Great Pyrenees may continue to put on weight after they’ve already grown to their full height.  In their first and second years of life, Great Pyrenees may put on a few extra pounds around their chest while they’re filling out into their true adult weight.

If you’re at all worried about the size of your great Pyrenees, consider adopting a female. Females always stay a little bit smaller than males from the time they’re puppies and through adulthood.

Even if you have a purebred Pyrenees, there may be some variability in size. It’s normal for adults to be on the smaller or larger side of the growth chart. This has a lot to do with genetics, upbringing, and what part of the world your Pyrenees is from.

The best thing to consider when looking at your Great Pyrenee’s growth rate is the size of their parents. You can expect that your Great Pyrenees will weigh somewhere around what their parents weigh. If you’re adopted you’re a Great Pyrenees and don’t know their parents that’s OK too. You’ll just want to pay extra attention to your Pyr’s weight and make sure they’re growing at a good rate.

The following charts should help you calculate and expect how much your Pyrenees should weigh.

Great Pyrenees Puppy Growth Chart

Female Great Pyrenees Growth Chart (Weight & Height)

*It’s important to note that height values are estimated based on adult height standards and height at birth.

Male Great Pyrenees Growth Chart (Weight & Height)

*It’s important to note that height values are estimated based on adult height standards and height at birth.

Great Pyrenees Growth Stages

According to the American Kennel Club, most dogs have similar growth stages. Whether they’re tiny or huge breed dogs, their growth stages occur at approximately the same ages.

From birth to 2 weeks, Great Pyrenees puppies are considered neonatal and totally rely on their mothers to navigate the world. From ages 2 weeks – 4 weeks is the transitional stage where hearing, sight, and teeth start to come in. Great Pyrenees will start growing more quickly at this stage.

During the socialization period from 3 – 12 weeks, puppies develop physically and mentally. While your dog will be growing quickly, they’ll also be learning new behaviors and actions.

The testing period or teenage years comes from 3 months to 6 months of age and show how your puppy will start to gain some independence. Great Pyrenees at this age may already be 50 lbs and their exploration can cause some trouble.

6 months to 18 months is the adolescent stage where the Great Pyrenees will eventually reach their final height. After that, your Pyrenees will continue to put on some weight in adulthood but should stop growing around 2 years old.

How Fast Does A Great Pyrenees Grow?

So, do Great Pyrenees grow fast?

Since Great Pyrenees are large breed dogs, it might seem like they grow quickly. If you look at the growth charts above, Pyrs put on 10-20 lbs a month for the first years of their lives! However, Great Pyrenees are actually slow growers. This is because some Great Pyrenees aren’t fully grown until 2 years of age, which is a lot later than many smaller dog breeds.

When Do Male Great Pyrenees Stop Growing?

Male Great Pyrenees will usually stop growing anywhere from 18 months – 24 months of age. After 18 months, a male Great Pyrenees has usually reached their full height. However, they might continue to put on weight around their chest in the form of muscle. And of course, if you feed your pup too many treats, they’ll continue to grow big, but not in the way you want them to!

When Do Female Great Pyrenees Stop Growing?

Like male Great Pyrenees, female Great Pyrenees stop growing around 18 months – 24 months. As we can see from our growth charts, females are usually smaller than males and so a female may reach full maturity a little earlier than a male from the same litter.

How To Help Your Great Pyrenees Grow Big And Strong

Size is probably one of the many reasons that attracted you to your Great Pyrenees. They’re meant to be big and fluffy! Here are some ways to help make sure that your Pyrenees can grow as fast as the chart above says they should:

Feed the right amount of quality food. If you own a Great Pyrenees, you’ll need to consider getting kibble or food specifically formulated for large-breed dogs. Plus, you’ll want to make sure you’re giving them the correct amount for their breed, age, and size.

Exercise appropriately. Too much exercise can be a bad thing, but making sure your  Great Pyrenees gets exercise once a day is a great idea. Daily exercise will give them the opportunity to build strong bones and muscles. For Pyrenees, you can usually let them take long walks, play, or even swim if they enjoy it!

Choose treats that are high in protein, not fat. Every dog deserves treats! Just make sure you’re choosing protein-dense treats that will encourage muscle development and healthy body composition in your pet.

Provide your Pyrenees with access to novel experiences. Making sure you socialize your puppy young will lead to a life with reduced stress for them.  Less stress means less cortisol and better weight management.

Why Is My Great Pyrenees So Small?

If you feel like your Pyrenees is small for their age and gender, don’t worry.  There are a few explanations as to why your gentle giant might not be as big as you think it should be! Here are a few things that could make your Pyrenees a little smaller than normal.

Not Enough Exercise

Great Pyrenees are mountain guardian dogs. These dogs are designed to stay out in the cold weather year-round. They’re also made to walk and roam almost constantly to keep an eye on their folks.  Naturally, a Great Pyrenees needs plenty of space to exercise and build healthy muscle mass.

One of the best ways to get your Great Pyrenees some exercise is to get them a friend. Pyrs are used to living in large groups of animals and will be happier and more active with the company.

For a friend, you can try getting another Great Pyrenees. Or, if that sounds like a little much for you, try one of these very compatible dog breeds. Even having farm animals around will encourage your Pyr to move and stretch their limbs while they’re growing.

Getting your Pyrenees out and exercising is especially important if you live in a small house or an apartment. Pyrenees can actually make decent apartment dogs as long as you take them on daily walks or runs. Or if you live near a body of water, you can always try taking them for a swim.

No matter what you do, allowing your Pyr to test their strength will allow them to grow big and strong.

Not Enough Protein

What your dog eats can have a big effect on how large they grow. Choosing food with protein will help them to build muscle and maintain a healthy body composition as they grow.

Most pre-formulated puppy diets are very high in protein. Puppies need more protein to help them build the bones and muscles they use for the rest of their lives. You should keep your Great Pyrenees puppy on puppy food for at least one year after they’re born. Since Pyrenees can grow for up to two years, you can keep feeding puppy food even until then.

Always make sure to check in with your veterinarian and confirm that you’re feeding your dog the right food and the right amount of it.

Genetics

Genetics plays a big part in how large your Pyrenees will grow. If you were peer is starting to diverge from our growth charts, don’t worry. You might have a taller dog that ends up being a little bit leaner than the average Pyrenese. Some dogs of this breed can be tall and lanky while others are shorter and stockier.

There’s always a chance that your dog isn’t a purebred Pyrenees. If you don’t have papers showing their bloodlines, it might be that they have some other kind of dog mixed in with them.

For the most part, other dog breeds are smaller than Great Pyrenees so any mixes will end up being a bit smaller. If that’s the case, don’t fret. Mixed-breed dogs tend to live longer healthier lives than purebred dogs.

How To Manage A Very Large Puppy

At one year old, you’ll have a nearly hundred-pound dog. While this dog might have the body of an adult, their mind is still immature. Your dog probably doesn’t even realize how big they are and might still play like they’re a puppy. Sometimes this can be cute but at other times it can be downright dangerous.

Great Pyrenees are gentle giants, but they do have their limits. These are guardian dogs and can get very protective over their owners, families, and other animals in the household. Having a large protective puppy can be very scary because you never know what they’ll do next.

It’s so important that you pay close attention to your Great Pyrenee’s mental development as they grow. Although Great Pyrenees are pretty independent, they’re also very smart. This means that with proper training they should be able to learn what’s right and what’s wrong as they’re growing.

Self Control Games

Self-control training and games are essential for large dogs. You can think of self-control training as a way to exercise your dog’s patience. Without practicing self-control, your dog may give in to their impulses and instincts. For a great Pyrenees that means protective and guarding actions.

Stay

Teaching stay is a great way to help your growing Pyrenees learn some self-control.

To teach your dog to stay start small. Reward them each time they freeze while you’re backing away. Give them a treat in the place they’re staying in. It can be hard to get a puppy to stay still sometimes but once it clicks, it gets easier. Make sure to always use the same commands and rewards while training.

Practice stay in different locations and throughout the day. Eventually, you’ll have a dog that you can count on to stay in place when needed.

Leave It

Leave it is similar to stay but involves your dog controlling its impulse to go interact with someone or something.

Leave it is harder to teach because you’ll need to practice this behavior with new stimuli. The video below gives some great tips and tricks on how to teach your dog to leave it.

Leash Training

Leash training is so important for a dog that can weigh almost as much as you do.

Start getting your dog used to its leash from a young age. You can walk them around the house for practice if that makes you more comfortable! Always take treats on walks and reward your dog when they have slack on the leash and they aren’t pulling you around.

Some helpful leash training tools for large dogs are martingale collars and gentle leaders. These will help teach your pet not to pull ahead of you and help you avoid losing control of them as they grow.

Polite Behavior With Other Dogs And People

A growing Great Pyrenees can pose so many challenges. The way your dog interacts with people and strange dogs in the puppy stage will dictate how they act for the rest of their lives!

Jumping up to greet people is one of the main social issues you’ll run into with large dogs. When a small dog jumps up onto someone, it can be annoying and embarrassing. But when a big dog jumps onto someone, it can hurt them or knock them over. Try to have guests that come into the house greet your puppy at their level so your dog doesn’t feel the need to jump up for attention.

As your Great Pyrenees learns to play with other dogs, it’s important to expose them to a variety of breeds and sizes. Your Pyrenees should start to understand how big they are and be able to play with small dogs eventually. At first, it’s always a good idea to keep your giant pup on a leash and work on solidifying your recall.

Behavior In The House

Remember that anything your dog does as a puppy, they’ll also do as a 100lb + adult.

If you don’t want your dog jumping onto furniture or knocking things over when they’re bigger, make sure to set boundaries right away.  It can be confusing for puppies to have to learn that they can’t occupy the same spaces that they used to. Try avoiding these large dog issues by preventing them from ever happening in the first place.

Remember, even though your puppy is small now, they’re sure to grow a lot over the next couple of years.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this growth chart article has helped you to understand just how big your Great Pyrenees should be. If your puppy isn’t matching up quite right with our charts, remember that variability is normal. Your dog might be smaller or larger based on sex, genetics, exercise, and diet. Regardless, if you have a Great Pyrenees puppy, expect them to be giant before you know it!