If you’re a Great Pyrenees lover, you might be wondering just how fast these majestic dogs can run. Well, wonder no more! I’ve got the answer for you right here.
The truth is, Great Pyrenees aren’t known for their speed. They can reach a maximum speed of around 25 mph, but they can’t maintain that pace for long distances. This is due to their low metabolism rate, low reserved energy, massive and heavy body, and tendency to conserve energy throughout the day to run fast when needed.
As a responsible owner, it’s important to be aware of your Great Pyrenees’ running capabilities. There are both upsides and downsides to their running abilities, so knowing what to expect can help you provide the best care for your furry friend. So, let’s dive into the world of Great Pyrenees and enhance our understanding of these amazing dogs.
The correlation between great Pyrenees and their running speed
The Great Pyrenees is considered one of the gigantic dog breeds around the world. They were initially bred for livestock guardian purposes.
As I mentioned above, their metabolism level is pretty much low. They don’t have a lot of reserved energy in their body.
So, even though the great Pyrenees can run quite fast, they cannot maintain it for long distances.
But here hate to use the word “cannot,” to be honest, they are instinctively smart enough to conserve their energy. Because they know their abilities and limitations.
I mean, when the great Pyrenees feel there is a serious predator attack that is going to happen on their flock, they tend to burst their energy and chase after predators with their maximum speed.
Sometimes they even tend to destroy predators. Can you understand how smart they are to use their energy efficiently?
Recommended reading: Can Great Pyrenees live with cats?
Why Great Pyrenees cannot run for long distances?
As I mentioned above, the Great Pyrenees know how to maintain their strength until they needed it.
The Great Pyrenees cannot run long distances due to their massive body, and other reasons that I have mentioned above.
Remember, If you make them run fast for a long distance, It can hurt them badly, and especially it would be under animal cruelty.
I mean, some heartless people make their great Pyrenees run beside their vehicles. So never do such kind of a thing.
They need to retain that energy to maintain their massive bodies. Moreover, running fast for a long can lower great Pyrenees’ sugar levels, and it can be very harmful to them.
Typically they are unable to keep their top speed more than 40, 50 yards.
Okay, back to the topic!
Sometimes you may have a problem like,
“If the great Pyrenees don’t have energy run fast for long distances, how can they guard their sheep or livestock?”
Here’s how the Great Pyrenees use their energy to protect their flock.
If a predator arrives in their territory, first, they start to barking and try to intimidate them. If the predator refuses to leave, the Great Pyrenees may begin to fight with them.
But they are smart enough to hold the energy for small bursts, not for marathons. If they run for a long distance can be lead to burn too much energy.
Because the Great Pyrenees are medium energy dogs, and often they stroll with their sheep.
Why do great Pyrenees run away from you?
Generally, great Pyrenees are known as escape artists. They love to roam, It’s probably because of their genes.
I mean, when we think about their genes, we clearly know that the Great Pyrenees roam all day taking care of their sheep or flocks.
So there are no rules or restrictions for their freedom. We can clearly expect that behavior from a normal domestic Great Pyrenees.
So there are a few reasons why your great Pyrenees run away from you.
- Since they are one of the huge breeds, they require quite an ample home space. If your house is small and they feel something like cramped or stuck in the house, Once you both come outdoors, they will try to run away from you.
- Maybe it’s because they don’t get enough exercise.
- Due to genes.
- The tendency to chase animals
- Due to playfulness.
- Anxiety.
Let’s say you are living in a rural area. Often these dogs are used to protect farms in remote areas. But some people keep them as house pets.
If you live in a city area, be mindful to keep them leashed while walking with you. Because the Great Pyrenees can be run after other dogs or people. Or simply they can escape from you.
So, in this case, you don’t wanna worry too much. Because you can catch him up. But it better to have leashed him.
However, some Great Pyrenees have a natural tendency to run away from the owner as soon as they get a chance. But it really depends on the individual.
But I would mention here that it’s pretty easy to train them for off-leash walking. Because there are fewer distractions in remote areas.
We discussed these dogs have been bred to walk at a small pace all day. If something feels threatening, they will get bursts of speed.
So the Great Pyrenees will easily run fast away from you if you unleashed him. If you trained him well, they would stay with you all the time.
How to keep great Pyrenees from run away from you?
If you have read this article so far, you know how much they would love to roam. So it’s quite hard to keep them run away from you.
So, let’s explore a few things you need to know.
- Since Great Pyrenees is a very large dog breed, they need a lot of space. If your house doesn’t have enough space, I wouldn’t recommend a great Pyrenees for you. In fact, they are not suitable for apartment living. If your home small, at least try to have quite a large backyard.
- Give enough exercise.
- Do not left alone your great Pyrenees for a long time.
- Give basic obedience training.
- Properly socialize him. You can go to the dog park with a specific schedule. Or else visit neighborhood with him. If you spend so much time with your great Pyrenees, you will become his best friend. So he will always be with you.
- Build a fence about 6 feet high. A fenced yard would be always a solution.
- Engage in a variety of activities. Ex: swimming or hiking.
Recommended reading: Can Great Pyrenees swim?
Important: Do not use any kind of shock collar in order to tame them. Instead, use your kindness and the other methods I mentioned.
Can you keep a great Pyrenees as your running partner?
No! You cannot keep them as your running partners. Because they have massive bodies, and especially their energy level is moderate.
As we discussed above, the great Pyrenees cannot run fast for a long time. So if you are active enough and love running, great Pyrenees isn’t the well-matched partner for you.
But if you keep them as your running partner, it would be so bad, and he will get too tired, there might occur some health issues.
But there are some other dogs that perfectly matched with athletes.
- Weimaraners
- German Shorthaired Pointers
- Vizslas
- Parson Russell Terriers
- Greyhounds
- Pit Bulls
Are great Pyrenees suitable for hiking?
The great Pyrenees are good livestock guard dogs and have the ability to walk all day. So they are well suited for hiking and prolonged walking.
So, most people can enjoy the activities of these mountain dogs. Although the great Pyrenees can’t run fast for long-distance, They are good defenders as well as the right partners for hiking.
There are several reasons why this dog is one of the best dogs to walk in the woods. The Great Pyrenees are well bonded to people. He will keep his eye on you.
Because he will treat you as its flock. He thinks protecting your life is his first responsibility. So he will inherently chase out from predators.
But if he refuses to leave, the great Pyrenees will engage with the predator. He will not stop until the predator runs away.
When he can understand, the threat is over, so he will keep his eyeballs on you.
Moreover, the great Pyrenees are so funny and you won’t find any difficulties during hikes or long walks in the woods.
Conclusion
Most people love the Great Pyrenees dogs. So they love to find a lot of information about them. It’s fair to have a problem like “How fast can the great Pyrenees run?”. This article contains an in-depth answer to that problem.
