Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees mixes are likely to be independent, strong-willed guard dogs. Also known as the Anatolian Pyrenees, this hybrid dog combines two large, working breeds whose primary purposes have been to guard flocks of sheep. If you have a smallholding and are looking for a versatile, pup that can both protect your livestock and enjoy time with an adult family, the Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees could be just right for you. These confident dogs are gentle giants in the right hands, but need an experienced owner and lots of socialization.
Contents
- How big do they get as adults?
- Are they good guard dogs?
- Is this a healthy hybrid?
- Buying puppies or adopting a dog
Where Do They Come From?
The Anatolian Shepherd comes from Turkey and is a great example of one of the original domestic canine breeds. In fact, it’s believed that this ancient breed has been around since 2000 B.C.
Their original purpose was to guard flocks of sheep and goats. Herders needed a dog with a strong protective instinct. But also one that was both independent enough to think for itself and dependable enough to do its job.
The Great Pyrenees shares a similar heritage in that it was also a flock guardian. This breed hails from the Pyrenees Mountains on the border of France and Spain, but it’s thought that they descend from Central Asian, or Siberian breeds.
What Do They Look Like?
Anatolian Pyrenees are big dogs. They measure between 25–32 inches high and weigh 80–150 pounds. They have a muscular, strong and powerful appearance.
Their coats vary a lot depending on which parent they take after. Your puppy will have a dense double coat, but it could be short or long.
Great Pyrenees dogs are always white but may have markings in badger, gray, red brown or tan. When combined with an Anatolian Shepherd they come in a wider range of colors. If they take after this parent the most common combination is a biscuit-colored coat, with a black mask over the face.
Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees Mix Temperament
Anatolian Shepherds are independent, intelligent and protective. They’re also incredibly loyal to their families and won’t hesitate to defend them if they think it necessary.
Great Pyrenees are calm dogs who may seem uninterested but will be watching everything carefully. They can be stubborn and won’t always respond quickly to instructions.
It’s always difficult to predict with any certainty which of these characteristics your mixed breed pup will inherit. But they’re likely to have a strong instinct to protect their family.
Training A Large Confident Dog
This mix has an extremely independent spirit. While this can certainly be a good thing, it also means training will be more of a challenge than for some other breeds that love to please their owners.
They may ignore your commands if they don’t deem them important enough. While this is true for both breeds, the Anatolian Shepherd in particular requires careful training.
If your puppy inherits these traits, you will need to pay very close attention to how you train your puppy. Likewise, they should not ever be trained as a guard dog if you want them to be a family pet.
Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees Mix Health
Your mixed breed puppy may inherit any disorders that their parents could have. So even though they are a cross, both parents should still be health tested. Hip scores and an eye test are essential, as both breeds are prone to problems in these areas.
Anatolian Shepherds are tough and healthly dogs, a testament to their background. These dogs should be screened for hip and elbow dysplasia. Many breeders will screen for entropion and ectropion, where the eyelids roll inward or droop outward too.
Anatolian Shepherds are very sensitive to anaesthetic, and can have a severe reaction if a normal dose for a dog of their size is administered. Be aware that this sensitivity may also be present in mixed breed puppies.
Breeders of Great Pyrenees have been focused on testing dogs for a range of conditions. They should be tested for hip dysplasia and patella luxation. Other optional tests include those for elbow dysplasia, eye examinations and hearing tests. They also suggest testing for Neuronal Degeneration (NDG).
Unfortunately, cancer is the most common health problem in Great Pyrenees, and they are pretty prone to bloat too.
Do They Make Good Family Dogs?
Both Anatolian Shepherds and Great Pyrenees are happiest as working dogs. If you live in an apartment or have limited outdoor space, a mixed breed puppy may quickly become frustrated.
Both these breeds are instinctively protective of their family and may make their own decisions as to when to protect you. This, combined with their stubborn nature, means this mix may be best suited to families with experience of owning large dogs.
Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees Mix Puppies
This mix is becoming more common, so you may find a breeder near you who specializes in Anatolian Pyrenees mixes. Make sure to do your research before bringing home your new puppy. Any reputable breeder will be happy to talk you through health tests and let you meet both parent dogs. They should also be keen to provide ongoing support as you integrate your new puppy into your family.
All puppies are hard work, so make sure you have the time and dedication to help them grow into the best dog they can be. With an Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees mix, this is likely going to involve an above-average amount of obedience training and socialization.
Kristi Seiber says
We are considering this mix for our property we are moving to this summer. Do these dogs scare away deer and turkey? We don’t want to run off all of the wildlife, just the predators.
Pippa Mattinson says
Hi Kristi, If left unattended any dog might chase the wildlife, but the herding tendencies and prey drive in an Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees would give this dog an even greater likelihood of doing so. However, they are very clever dogs and respond well to positive reinforcement training, so with some work you could potentially teach them not to.
Cami says
i have an Anatolian Pyrenees mix named Milo. he guards our farm animals amazingly. Milo is a very friendly dog, and loves attention and pets. he also is great with our cats and they will lay right next to him. such a good cute dog!
Barbara Beauchamp says
My daughter who once lived in Texas had 2 Anatolian-Pyrenees mixes. She said they were wonderful and that there were quite a few of that mix in the part of Texas where she lived. I will soon be moving to a home in a very rural area with approximately 6 acres and I am interested in buying at least one (maybe 2 — but not for breeding so it doesn’t matter if they’re siblings). I have no idea where to start looking — I’m in Florida now but will be moving to the Del-Mar-Va area in early September. Any suggestions as to who to contact would be most appreciated.
CHERYL R. RHODEN says
There are alot of these in north central Florida. If u really want one, a friend of mine is fostering a pup… He needs a home. Not sure how I could get in contact. ?
CJ says
Oh no! Now
I’m scared… just got
A baby and she’s so chill
And easy except
Whines at night . We have acreage but no flock …. 4 kids. Hope it’s not terrible
But so far she’s perfect 😍
Jecille Hall says
We got a pup earlier this year. She had lived outside her whole life, here she has a doggie door and spends time inside and outside. Her first few nights were a little scary for her I think being inside and a new place. I played nature sounds on my tablet for her at night! It really seemed to make her feel more relaxed. She is now 10 months old ❤️… the instincts to protect are truly amazing! After dark she begins what we refer to as making her rounds, she goes outside for a bit then inside to check on her people. When she first arrived we were her only “flock” but soon got some chickens for her to guard! They are amazing dogs! Be prepared for an 80 pound PUPPY, I have to remind myself sometimes that she is still a baby! Best of luck to your family and new fur baby!
Pownie M Fierro says
I have a 7 month old 75 lb “puppy” mix-he is very loving and affectionate and has to be wherever I am all the time that I am home, we live in the mountains and he has loved the snow and the cold does not seem to bother him, he has a good shelter but still prefers to be outside except at night he sleeps in a kennel in the house, love him to death but he is independent and sometimes a little stubborn
Kathy King says
don’t mistake that behavior for stubbornness. They are independent thinkers. I realized really quick that their motivations and instincts are so different than the other dogs I have had in my 60 years. For instance: if my anatolian pyr mix is chewing on something I do not want her to, I don’t take it away then replace it with somethings she can chew… I offer something else to chew on first. And walking through doors. She will not follow me but go first as the guardian. They think differently and as I watch our 2-year-old intact girl who guards 16 acres, work her magic, is a beautiful, most respected thing. What a great place you must have to be a dog… have fun
Val says
I have this mixed breed. Wonderful herd protector for my sheep, but she has nipped the FedEx man and is quite aggressive with unknown visitors. I don’t mind this, given that I live alone in 78 acres of woods in rural upstate NY. When strangers drive up, they do NOT get out of the car. She looks and sounds fierce. She WILL bark all night long, 8 hours straight, if coyotes are prowling in the woods, which is pretty much a constant. Would not even CONSIDER having this breed with nearby neighbors. WILL NOT come when called. Seems to think when I yell her name I am exhorting her to go out and protect the far borders of the property. She does respect an electric fence. If you don’t have acreage for this breed to run around in off leash, don’t get one. Can’t imagine this breed as an indoor/leash dog, it would be a cruelty. She wants to be OUTSIDE, even in below-zero weather. Definitely a guard dog, not a lap dog. Wants to work.
SA says
We have 2 of this particular mix. One is 3/4 Pyr, 1/4 Anatolian and the other is 50/50. Both are absolutly lovely family dogs and accepting of new people (as long as they don’t get a differnt vibe from us). They are both very much lap dogs, not guard dogs. In fact, my youngest is a failed working dog. We got her at 10 months old because she wanted to be with people rather than guard a flock.
Both of mine are actually registered Colorado Mountain Dogs (CMD) which is intentionally breeding for less wadering and greater acceptance of unknown humans. Much of the issue is trait selection for breeding.
My point being – these breeds can go wither way. It simply depends on the trait selection that has (or hasn’t) gone on for their lines, training, and simple individual personalities.
Brenna Wiegand says
Thanks, good insight. I have a 75% GP – 25 AS. I’m surprised not to hear talk of their huge barking instinct
Freddo says
Oh, that non-stop barking…who knew? I adopted an older dog a few years ago that was rescued from a hoarding situation in TX. She was skin and bones but now looks exactly like the picture of the Anatolian Shepherd (same color, markings, beauty marks and all – and the curly tail) that is shown at the top of this article (and online when I google Anatolian Shepherds). She shows many of the traits described (independent, stubborn, protective). She is not aggressive, is very sweet to me, loves toys and is sweet to my 17 yr old terrier mix.
I had an embark DNA test done recently and expected to see some Anatolian there but there were only 3 breeds – 51% Cane Corso, 32% Great Pyrenees, 16% Border Collie. Needless to say, I have some questions for them. If anyone knows where she gets this perfect Anatolian look let me know.
She also has the barking trait – very loud, uncontrollable, non-stop at anyone who comes into the house – my adult children included. She will run outside and won’t stop barking for hours and hours even after they leave – she can’t disengage. If I try to go out to calm her she will run. I’ve not been able to find any good solution for this so far (the penny bottle, the clicker/treat, etc). The only solution for me is to leave a leash on her so when she stops moving for a moment I can get close enough to step on the leash and get control. Then she will calm down and let me walk her on leash into the house and into her kennel where she feels safe and will stop. Fortunately this doesn’t happen every day, and if I know someone is coming over I will crate her, but wish there was a fix for this that I have overlooked.
Cathy says
I have a Labsky with the same aggressive protective instincts. A proper introduction for family stopped the biting. Not true for FedEx.
Valerie Johnson says
WOW, thank you for the good information.
bella says
i have this mix too and she is not aggressive in the slightest. loves her kids and small dog sibling. we live in a suburb in northern california and she loves swimming and lazing around with us.
Cynthia says
Got our boy as a STARVING stray, Vet guessed about one year old. No leash laws here, rural ‘limited access subdivision’ with owners having from 2 to 20 acres, no fences. Wants to be OUTSIDE, happiest when temps are below 50 degrees F. Will NOT come when called…unless it’s feeding time. Very good ‘manners’, never jumps on people or furniture (good thing as he weighs 130 pounds). Sheds A TON of fur year-round – not for a person who wants a clean house. When outside he ‘patrols’ our acreage and that of several neighbors. The barking never stops…it’s CONSTANT when outside so must bring him indoors for the night. Very gentle with children. Unless you are young enough to do the work a Pro grooming is required every two weeks to help control the undercoat (not cheap) and they still shed A TON (did I mention they shed?). DO NOT get one unless it can roam free and you have acreage. Love him to death…but would not choose to have another one.
colleen bialke says
We have 2-3 1/2 year old boys, we got them when they were 8 weeks old.
These dogs are the sweetest dogs you would ever want, Badger is more Anatolian and TJ more Pyrenees. they were a handful in the early years, they tend to act def, Badger does not like to be on leash or go for walks, TJ just the opposite, I can take him for walks and he can go off leash till I meet a person with a dog, he will sit in front of me and put himself between me and whoever is approaching. Then there’s Badger, I was walking him one morning, I see there’s a cow with a newborn calf in the field, the cow came up to us and Badger got scared and hid behind me, hilarious.
We adopted a Great Pyrenees and Australian Shepherd mix, we got from a rescue when he was 12 weeks old, he looked like a little white teddy bear, so we called him Teddy. Teddy lived to be 15 he was small, he was often referred to as a runt Pyrenees, he only weighed 75 lbs. Teddy was an amazing dog, very smart, stubborn, more so than the 2 we have now.
All I can say is, these 2 breeds are very good around people my 95 year old mother lives with us and has been around since they were puppies, they are so gentle around her, they check on her all the time.
Badger will come up to each one of us in the morning to kiss us on the tip of our nose, TJ takes his paw and will rest it on your knee till you pet him, then he goes on to the next person for the same thing.
They have never gotten into a fight with each other, or any other dog, they get rather loud, they start barking if any animals come near, we have cows, deer, antelope, and elk. They let us know its time to let them in.
We love our two boys as we have all of our other pets, they are very loyal and loving and hope they will be with us for a long time.
Thanks everyone for letting me share with you.
Valerie Johnson says
Wonderful review of your amazing crosses. Sounds like you never know what youre going to get, espevially because ic the greatky enlarged gene pool. I am impressed.
Joyce says
We have a beautiful almost 4 year old Anatolian Pyrenees (DNA testing shows mainly Anatolian) that we adopted from a German Shepherd rescue. At the time we got her, she was 15 months old and was given up for barking. We had to modify her behavior to be an indoor dog, which took a month or so. She is exactly as the article describes and consistent with many of your dogs. We are doing so much training with her and I laugh when she grumbles at me when I tell her to be quiet, but am also annoyed as it means I’m not maintaining my alpha status well! Unfortunately, we are not on a farm, but a large yarded suburban home with too many stimulations for her. It is a constant battle to keep her calm and not so “battle-ready”. I often wonder if I should find her a better home on a farm/ranch…am I wrong to be thinking this? Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Dustin Lancon says
I bought a six week old puppy mix with Anatolian and Great Pyrenees ,he’s Now 14 weeks old and doubled in size and wonderful with my family and strangers and he stays inside my RV with me
Paula says
My Tucker is the light of my life. Adopted him at 16 weeks. Hus previous adopter turn in back after 1 week not realizing his eventual size. Tucker gets along well with my 12 yr. Macy (shepherd mix) by adding companionship and no dull moments into our household. Tucker is such a duffass and clumsy at 8 months. He completed basic obedience training. Yet he still remains a bit aloft to responding to come. Very independent. He does like to bark abut but is curbable. And those paws! Is the most difficult to train. He is at 82lbs now and stands 28″. I am so lucky to have him in my life.
Vickie Cadad says
I have a female Great Pyrenees and Anatolia 1year old who is a working goat dog.
She is absolutely wonderful as a working dog but also has a very loving personality.
I am looking for another puppy with this mix to add to the ranch.
Joyce says
Hi Vickie, did you find another puppy?
Sam says
I have a 1/8 Anatolian shepherd / Pyrenees female . Potty training was a challenge n getting her to realize she a huge puppy . That and she wld play with the cats but rough to point where she was trying to shake them but just repetitive no and putting in crate for few minutes every time n now she is wonderful with them at 5 months old now. I also have a put lab mix dog n he took a bit to come around with her but after first month of working with them both on propose behavior to work together they are now inseperable . But I think she deffinatly got the stubborn streak but once u work kindly n repetativly with her she came around patience is key with the breed. But the love she gives n the loyalty through it all is worth every minute spent with my big fluffy girl. She is not a fan of getting nails trimmed but it’s work in progress. She loves people so much so she cries in joy with whole body wag when she greets people. Just love that she turned out to be one of best dogs for family and my farm .
Sandie says
Hi there! I use a nail grinder instead of cutting them. I would turn it on so my Pyr got used to the noise, at the same time I would play with his feet. He does really well now.
Lori Dawn Weaver says
At the end of the road I live on, one of the last houseshas a small farm like area with little goats. Once or twice a week, my Husband and I drive to the end of the road and take walks in the forest behind it the place with the goats. One day I noticed the beautiful, majestic white dogs that were guarding their flock. I couldn’t wait to go for walks because I knew I would see those beautiful creatures. I longed to have a dog like that. Then I noticed that there were not just two dogs, but seven dogs! Five puppies! We were able to adopt the one male out of the litter. We were so excited!
Well, our little Buddie turned six months old on August 1, 2019. He is huge. We love him very much. I was able to teach him to sit, stay, down, come, off and speak soon after we got him at eight weeks. He is very smart and resourceful. He is 1/4 Anatolian Shep and 3/4 Great Pyr. We live in Redding, California where it gets very hot so he is currently in the house lying on the cool bathroom tile. He is our only canine and gets great fun out of chasing my cats. One is smart enough not to run, the other is not. That is the only issue we have with him, aside from his nocturnal tendancies.
I would adopt him again in a heartbeat. He has made our family complete.Thank you for reading my comments. I enjoyed reading all of those previous to mine.
Geoffrey Newman says
I love hearing about your great Pyrenees Anatolian mix m ine she’s a wonderful service dog for me and goes everywhere. She behaves so much better in public and really babes pretty well in private too although sometimes she barks a little more than I like she quiets when I remind her that I don’t like it what I have found is that she really does not like the smell of febreze and so I call that bark spray and I threaten her with it I no longer have to spray any of it I’ve had her now for 8 years and she’s wonderful although she very much looks at other dogs and now I’m in position of looking for her for a boyfriend she wants to have puppies I can tell she’s 8 years old and there’s not much time left but it’s a healthy thing for her.
I would love to see my girl and puppies and help train them to be serviced animals as well thank you for reading and sharing your stories I look forward to hearing from anyone who might have a good suggestion thank you so much…
Jeanne Ewert says
We have a three year old rescue, male, 130 pounds. 1 quarter Anatolian, 3/4 Pyr. We were supposed to be fostering but ended up keeping him because he was unplaceable. He had not been socialized in any way– when he got too big and bossy to manage indoors he was just thrown outside and told to guard an 8 foot enclosed chain link fence. Scar marks show owners did not deal effectively with insubordination (that’s a charitable assessment– our vet said some more profane things). I truly recommend not crossing these two big, protective breeds unless you are fully prepared for size, stubbornness, pack anxiety, and aggression if you don’t constantly assert gentle but serious control. After a year of near constant work (and it’s very time consuming), including three months in a training center designed to socialize large emotionally and physically abused dogs, we can walk him on the street unless another dog is coming, in which case he has to be turned and go the other way. Our daughter can have girl friends over, but not boys– he’s very aggressive with men. He cannot be put out (he will hurl himself against the glass doors for hours; he can’t be confined to a bedroom–he rips the doors apart.) We can’t have dinner parties or company with more than one (female person). We go out to eat. Our dog sitter (a great dog sitter, no fear of big dogs) declined to spend more than one weekend and she won’t walk him. And for those not fond of fur (we don’t mind– we’ve had Pyrs forever), the shorter thick double coat is much harder to cope with than the long Pyr coat. On the other hand, no baths necessary– you can brush it all out. If it gets really bad we walk him in a rain storm to loosen the dirt. I gave him one bath (whe he got board and ate a glue bottle) and will never to do again without a major dose of trazedone. For those not fond of drool– he got the Anatolian rubber lips. Pyrs don’t drool. Look up drool and Newfoundlands, and you’ll get the general idea.
What this dog needs: a large area to range range, something to guard, a warm shelter in cold climates and a cool one in hot climates, strong 6-8 foot fences, and a person to bond with that is fearless, firm and experienced, and would never, ever strike a dog.
In my opinion he got all the bad traits of both breeds: stubborn, independent, highly territorial and protective. There’s a good dog in there trying to get out, but my god I wouldn’t put these two breeds together unless I was sending them out to guard sheep on the range.
Pam says
That’s hilarious! I think we have your dog’s evil twin!! OMG! We’re exhausted! Soooooo stubborn! Our last dog was a Pyr and Lab mix and this one is Pyr and Anatolian Shepherd mix. I agree with you that these two breeds shouldn’t be mixed unless you are a glutton for punishment and never want to sleep! They should at least come with their own herd of cattle or sheep!
Debora says
I have this breed, plus a great Pyrenees & Anatolian. The Pyrenees was the worst . Anatolian is a bath hater aggressive to strangers, scary aggressive. But I have sheep , so there great . Then very loyal to the Alpha. My Pyrenees is alouf , the Anatolian is by my side every step I take. They love my grandchildren no one will ever get close to them with him around. There father can’t enter the yard…
Talons says
We have adopted “Lucy”, who we are told is an Anatolian/Pyr mix, although she looks pure Pyr, her personality seems not like a Pyr.
Perhaps it is because she is only 8.5 mos old. I cannot find any information about the Pry’s characteristics when they are little.
Her background is unknown, except that she was bred in Alabama and discarded because she has ‘popping hocks’, an undesirable (and unsellable) characteristic.
She is nothing but Energy. She cannot go near dogs, forget cats, and people are an issue too. She gets downright vicious with other people and she mouths all of us. And yes, she is getting her FULL GROWN ADULT and Very SHARP TEETH.
We have been able to train her some, believe that or not, but sit, come, down, (Stay is a work in progress) and leash training have all been coming along quite nicely. She LOVES to play! To Bark (of course) and run, run, run!
I am looking for information on the very early years of these dogs to make sure I am not in wayyyyy over my head.
Thanks!
Audrea says
I live in Oklahoma and rescued a 2 month old anatolian/pyrenees cross. I’ve been watching grooming videos for this cross where the undercoat is thinned out and groomed, but I’m not sure how frequently I should have my little (soon to be huge!) dude groomed in this fashion? Thanks for the help!
vince says
I have 2 Anatolian/Pyrenees mix dogs which I got to protent my goats about 5 years ago. I have sense gotten rid of my goats. the dogs used to stay with the goats in the barn. Now that the goats are gone I would like them to come in the house. I am having trouble getting them to come in.
Cami says
from reading your comment, i think that your dogs have probably never been in the house. and if they have, it was when they were really young, so they don’t remember it. they could not like the unfamiliar area inside, or maybe they were taught not to go inside. if you have stairs they could be afraid of going up them. would start by using something your dogs like a lot, like treats as a positive reinforcement. give them lots of love and treats to help them come in the house and feel safe!
Toni says
I have an Anatolian/Pyrenees mixed dog named Jordan. She is a wonderful dog and serves as my ESA (Emotional Support Animal). She has a large yard and lives with 2 other dogs and 2 cats as well as my twins (my human children). She LOVES her flock/family and does extremely well when I take her w/ me into stores and other social settings. She gets loads of compliments as she really is quite regal and beautiful with tender and intelligent eyes. The down side is that she is amazingly agile and EASILY sits atop our 6’ fence, balancing gracefully on the 2 by 4 with zero effort or concern and barks at all my neighbors, inviting them to come play with her. I’m not sure my neighbors see it that way though. Lol. Anyway, she is beautiful, smart, loyal and makes a perfect ESA for me and a perfect member of our family. Ps. The shedding? OMG!! Where do I begin? It’s EVERYWHERE! Lol. I don’t mind though, all her other wonderful qualities more than make up for it.
Kari says
My son brought one home and he is 1yrs old now. I love home to death. He has to smell my breath when coming up to me usually during the morning and evening time. It’s weird. Does yours do that?
Debora says
They want to know what you ate
Laeinea says
You’re not alone. My Anatolian Shepard checks me every morning lol. I think it’s a care check, if one of my daughter’s isn’t feeling well he will get me to come look at her and then check on her every hour or so, he also checks the cats. If he thinks one is hurt he gets very agitated until I come and see what the problem is. He’s only 10 months old and takes the care of his flock seriously!
Silvia says
I do have a puppy 13 weeks ceasar.also have a schnauzer mix 10 and a spaniel – husky mix 2.question is would they have a problem getting along ones the puppy gets older,? Because my othertwo are very sencitive???