{"id":8072,"date":"2023-05-31T17:07:09","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T17:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/notabully.org\/?p=8072"},"modified":"2023-11-11T20:49:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T20:49:29","slug":"how-much-exercise-does-a-great-pyrenees-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/notabully.org\/how-much-exercise-does-a-great-pyrenees-need\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Exercise Does A Great Pyrenees Need? (Answered By Vet Tech)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Great Pyrenees are gentle giants that make loving additions to any household<\/a>. Despite being so large, these dogs can be rather lazy. They seem to like to lay around and take naps on and off throughout the day. Like any other dog, Great Pyrenees need exercise to stay happy and healthy.<\/p>\n

But, how much exercise does a Great Pyrenees need?<\/p>\n

Most Great Pyrenees need around 40 minutes to an hour of exercise daily. Since they’re not high-energy dogs, exercise for a Great Pyrenees doesn’t have to be at a high-intensity level. Because these dogs are natural shepherds some of the best exercises for them include walking, hiking, and just playing with other dogs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let’s talk a little bit about just how much exercise a great Pyrenees needs each day throughout different life stages and the different ways you can get your pup active.<\/p>\n

How Much Exercise Does A Great Pyrenees Really Need?<\/h2>\n

For a large breed dog, Great Pyrenees aren’t very high energy<\/a>. 40 minutes to an hour of daily exercise is sufficient for a Great Pyrenees. Plus, their exercises don’t need to be high in intensity to make a positive impact.<\/p>\n

The reason for the slow exercise requirement has a lot to do with their history.<\/p>\n

Thousands of years ago, Great Pyrenees were bred to act as guardian<\/a> and shepherd dogs. These huge dogs protected flocks of livestock and also families from big cats. The great Pyrenees not only acted as a great alarm because of their loud bark<\/a> but could also face down predators because of their size and strong bite<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This might sound exciting but most of the Great Pyrenees days and nights were spent in a state of semi-alertness. This meant that the Great Pyrenees often spent their days snoozing and staying in one place. While they weren’t completely asleep they could still listen for signs of danger. And yet they were still able to lie around and not do too much.<\/p>\n

This slow lifestyle is one of the reasons why the Great Pyrenees don’t need too much exercise today.<\/p>\n

How Much Exercise Does A Great Pyrenees Puppy Need?<\/h3>\n

As Great Pyrenees are growing, they don’t need nearly as much exercise. Though great Pyrenees puppies grow quite large, they’re still just babies. Their underdeveloped skeletons and muscles can’t handle long days full of exercise. While it’s always a good idea to exercise your puppy to make sure they go strong and tall, over-exercising them can leave them exhausted and nutrient deficient.<\/p>\n

A good time to aim for is about 30 minutes of exercise for your puppy each day. You might find that they want to play and run around for much longer, and that’s fine! As long as you’re not forcing them on a run extra exercise should be OK.<\/p>\n

What Are The Best Exercises For Great Pyrenees?<\/h2>\n

So, if your great Pyrenees needs about an hour of exercise each day, what can you do for them? Below, we’ll list some of the best exercises to keep your Pyr healthy and happy without any overexertion.<\/p>\n

Hiking<\/h3>\n

Hiking is one of the best and most natural exercises for Great Pyrenees.<\/p>\n

These dogs were born and bred to thrive in the mountains. Many of their special traits, like extra dewclaws<\/a>, prove that they’re experts in navigating rocky terrains. Hiking is a great way to allow your Pyrenees to use different muscles tendons and ligaments and they would normally use while walking on flat surfaces. The balance aspect of hiking is a great way to help your Pyrenees improve their coordination.<\/p>\n

When hiking, you’ll always want to consider the weather before you head out. Because of their thick coats and large body sizes, Pyrenees can’t tolerate hot weather. Hiking in anything above 70\u00b0F could potentially be dangerous<\/a> for your pup.<\/p>\n

Walking<\/h3>\n

Since many of us don’t have access to hiking trails that we can go to every day, walking is a great alternative. Walking is a great exercise for Pyrenees because it’s pretty low impact and good for their tire joints that supported their large bodies. Taking your dog for a walk is a totally acceptable form of exercise and is usually a little bit easier than going for a hike at the end of a long day.<\/p>\n

Dog walks can be a great way to bond with your free friend and also work on leash training. You can use this time to establish a strong connection between the two of you.\u00a0 Plus, you might meet some friends on the way!<\/p>\n

Swimming<\/h3>\n

Did you know that some great Pyrenees love water?<\/p>\n

That’s right, you might be one of the lucky owners of a water dog. Great Pyrenees aren’t bred to be swimmers. But, some of them are great swimmers that love to spend time in the water<\/a>. This might just be due to the cooling effects of the water, but that doesn’t make it any less good of an exercise.<\/p>\n

Great Pyrenees often weigh 100 pounds or more so giving them low-impact exercise options is essential. As your large dog ages, more and more pressure will be put on its joints.\u00a0 Swimming is not only a great way to get daily exercise but can also have therapeutic effects on tired joints.<\/p>\n

If you’re nervous about letting your Pyrenees swim in a large body of water, we have the perfect solution. Check out this list of our favorite lifejackets for Great Pyrenees<\/a>.\u00a0 Or, you can always try letting your Pyr splash around in a safe kiddie pool like the one below.<\/p>\n