Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison

The Great Pyrenees could be from Spain or France because the dog hails from the Pyrenees Mountains, which spans both France and Spain.

The dog was used to defend flocks from predators but its lineage goes a long way back, thousands of years in fact. It is thought that they only arrived in Europe about 5,000 years ago. The dog was adopted into the court of Louis the XIV as a royal dog.

During the mid 1600s, the dog's numbers dwindled but the French developed kennel clubs where the dog could be bred and its numbers restored. It was in 1933 that the Great Pyrenees received American Kennel Club recognition.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier comes from Staffordshire, England, but the Irish Staffie was later developed by Irish breeders so its origin is essentially Ireland. They were developed from bulldogs and different terrier breeds.

The dog was always used for bull baiting, but when this sport died out, the Irish breeders wanted to create a taller, leaner dog suited for dog fighting. When dog fighting was banned the breed became rare again, but today it has been restored and is essentially a popular companion pet.

This is a beautiful dog, noticeable by the essentially white coat and his overall size, standing at 70 to 82cm and weighing between 40 to 54 kg.

The double coat is medium to long, coarse and straight or wavy and and it can be solid white, cream or white with patches of light tan or grey.

The nose is black, the eyes brown, the ears of medium length and floppy and the tail long and plumed.

Temperament:

The Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, strong willed dog with a mind of his own so he will be able to be trained and socialized successfully.

His huge size will require that he be trained because when he is indoors he can knock things over and he must be able to respond to you telling him to lie down.

As a large dog, he isn’t suited for tiny homes, as he requires lots of space even though he doesn’t require a lot of exercise. Not only that, he takes his watchdog duties seriously and he is inclined to bark a lot, and in a small place, you’ll be getting constant complaints from the neighbors.

When trained and socialized, your big dog is social, active and loving. He gets on well with children, the elderly and with pets in the home. He isn’t that overly active and will happily make himself at home on your couch and bed.

The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a medium sized pure-breed dog standing at roughly 43 to 48cm and weighing anything from 14 to 18kg.

He has a short, smooth coat which can be a mix of colors such as fawn, tan, black or brindle. The coat can also be bi-colored such as in fawn and white or black and white. He is a powerfully built dog with short legs which are fairly wide apart.

He has a large head and short muzzle with powerful jaws.Sometimes when he pants after a hectic bout of exercise he gets a comical, grinning look on his face. The ears are semi-erect, semi-upright and he has a long tail.

Temperament:

Your Irish Staffy is a feisty, confident dog that has been known to have a temperament which leads towards aggression. It is why he should be trained and socialized to make him more amicable and obedient. He is an intelligent and alert dog, so won't have difficulty with training.

A well trained and socialized Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier will get on well with children in the home as he is a playful, jovial dog, always ready for a game.

The Great Pyrenees is such a calm, independent, serious, well-mannered dog who loves to be around his human family and to please them. He is gentle and knows how to behave well around children, the elderly as well as with any pets in the home.

He makes a wonderful companion and although he loves indoor life as much as outdoor life, he is much happier settling into life in the country or the suburbs as opposed to life in the city and a tiny property.

Give your big white coated pet all the love he thrives on, and you'll enjoy a wonderful relationship with this large, amicable dog.

The older Irish Staffie has always been an aggressive type dog used for fighting, but today the modern breed is capable of being a splendid, entertaining, amicable pet with an even temper. He is feisty for sure, being brave, fearless, loyal and loving with his human family members.

All it requires with this dog is to have a firm, loving upbringing, some training and socialization as well as good food and plenty of love and attention. Many dogs get labelled wrongly because of the humans that rear them the wrong way. When done correctly, the Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier promises to be a wonderful, loving, loyal pet.

Your Great Pyrenees is a big dog with an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years. His large size means you will need to look out for typical 'big dog' ailments such as hip dysplasia.

This problem can cause your pet to be in pain and he can also become lame, battling to walk and play and battling to get up after lying down.

Also, look out for bone cancer with your pet and as mentioned previously, bloat, which is a life threatening disease where the stomach of the dog swells up.

The Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier, just like with any other dog, has a good chance of living a good number of years if he is fed properly. He can live to be anything up to between 10 and 16 years.

Say what you like, good nutrition and the lifestyle you provide for your Irish Staffie will determine how long he lives. An unhappy dog that has to beg for love and attention won't do well. Your Irish Staffie can live to a ripe age but he is still at risk for certain health problems.

Mastocytoma:

These mast cell tumors are graded according to their location in the skin. Certain dogs like Boxers and bulldogs are more susceptible to mast cell tumors than other breeds, and the Irish Staffie isn't immune either. Most times the tumor develops in an older dog, though young dogs have also been known to develop the tumor. These tumors can be inactive for a while and then experience some rapid growth with some redness and fluid build up. Immediate veterinary intervention will be required.

Exercise:

Your Great Pyrenees isn't going to be a dog leaping around you demanding a game or walk like what you get from some energetic dogs. He certainly doesn't require strenuous exercise but will require a nice, brisk walk every day. Give him some ball or rope games too. He's territorial and likes large grounds to walk around and guard and this constant guarding is a good form of exercise too.

Grooming:

With two layers, the coat of the Great Pyrenees will need to be brushed twice a week to prevent burrs attaching to the fur and to prevent it from matting, It also gets rid of loose hair during shedding.

He tends to drool so it's handy keeping a damp cloth close by just to give his face area a wipe down. Your dog's ears will need to be cleaned with special ear-cleaning lotion and his nails will also need to be trimmed.

Socialization and Training:

Socialize your Great Pyrenees with other dogs and people from a young age. Without proper socialization, this breed can become territorial and possessive of his family, which could lead to aggression. He bonds with his family but tends to be wary of strangers.

Diet:

It is far better to feed your Great Pyrenees smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to 2 large meals a day. A large dog like him can develop bloat from gulping down a large amount of food too quickly.

If you feed your Great Pyrenees commercially manufactured food, make sure it is high in omega 3 and 6 to keep his thick white coat luxurious.

Your dog will need a dog food targeted at a large breed. Remember to include some raw meat as well as cooked chicken, vegetables and brown rice into his kibble and always ensure fresh, cool water is available.

Exercise:

The Irish Staffie is an active dog, who is always game for anything. He will certainly need active owners who include him in all their activities. He has a lot of stamina and endurance and will want to join you on your walks, hikes and swimming. Ignoring his exercise needs can turn him into a restless, unhappy, frustrated, destructive dog.

Grooming:

Having a short, smooth coat means your Irish Staffie being a low maintenance dog. He does shed a bit so his coat will need to be brushed at least twice a week to get rid of all those loose hairs. Its always a good opportunity to check him for fleas and ticks too.

If the short coat gets too dirty, a wipe down with a damp cloth can keep the coat bright and shiny. Certainly avoid bathing him too often as this can aggravate the skin.

Check his nails and trim them if they get too long. Check his ears and teeth as these are all problem areas which can contribute to your dog becoming ill.

Diet:

Your Irish Staffie is such an energetic dog that he will need excellent food that promotes this energy. Whether you buy him the best commercially manufactured kibble, you want to also add in some home-made food such as cooked chicken, rice and vegetables as well as including some raw meat occasionally. The food you provide your Staffie with needs to be full of vitamins and minerals to avoid illness. Always make sure he has access to fresh, cool water.