Northern Inuit Dog vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison

Looking at the beautiful Northern Inuit Dog, you’ll think that this crossbred dog is a wolf.

As with many other dogs, there are sometimes different stories regarding their history. It was in the 1980's that founder of the breed, Eddie Harrison, bred a number of mixed-breed rescue dogs with Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds and Alaskan Malamutes to produce the early Northern Inuit dogs. This is a dog that closely resembled a wolf in looks but which has the more companionable characteristics of the domesticated dog.

The dog is only recognized by its own independent breed club, but by none of the other major kennel clubs.

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.

Friendly, calm and gentle, the Northern Inuit Dog is a crossbreed, described as a medium to large sized dog that stands at roughly 58– 81cm in height, male and female, and weighs in the region of 25–48kg.

He has a double coat in typical wolf shades of grey, white, black and cream. He is regarded as a moderate shedder. The ears are erect, the face bright, intelligent and alert and the tail long, bushy and straight.

Temperament:

The Northern Inuit dog is independent, strong-willed and stubborn, and if you want to own one of these dogs, your dog will respond well if you are firm, fair, strong, kind and consistent. This is because the dog is stubborn, sharp, independent and intelligent.

The owner of such a dog must be a firm leader. Training and socialization should start when the dog is still young. He is good with kids, being playful and affectionate with them.

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.

It’s not surprising that people who love wolves would want a similar looking pet. However, they also want this wolf-like dog to be a friend and companion. This is precisely what they get with the beautiful Northern Inuit dog.

With his bright, alert face, the Inuit is actually a calm, gentle dog, bonding closely with his human family and not showing any aggression.

Intelligent and social, and somewhat stubborn, when you provide him with the home he deserves, you’ll see that this beautiful creature can be relied on to be a wonderful family pet.

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.

There are some genetic problems with this dog breed, although with good care, you are highly unlikely to see your dog with them.

Some of these are hip dysplasia and epilepsy.

Hip Dysplasia:

Hips are always a worrisome aspect with dogs as it can bring on lameness. There are some things that can be done to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia.

Joint laxity in dogs occurs when the head of the femur doesn’t fit into the acetabulum properly. This could be the result of several things such as the dog being overweight, injury or something else.

Epilepsy:

Epilepsy in dogs is a chronic condition that results in seizures. This neurological disorder is actually a life-long disease, occurring when there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain and which changes a dog’s behavior.

Some breeds are more predisposed to epilepsy than others but you will need to get your dog to the vet when you see your pet jerking uncontrollably. Most of these epileptic fits happen without warning, they last a few seconds to a minute or so and stop on their own.

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.

It’s no longer cheap caring for a dog – just like with a child, by bringing a dog into your home, you have a responsibility to care for it.

If you bring a puppy into your home, you will need to feed him 4x a day. If you feed him commercially manufactured food it will need to be specially formulated for puppies. You will have to read on the packaging to make sure you get the right food.

Later on your pet can start having one or two meals a day. Two smaller meals is best as then he doesn’t gobble up his food too fast which can lead to a life-threatening condition known as bloat. Home-made food is always a welcome treat for your pet, but keep it simple and consistent. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach chopped up and added to his dry kibble can offer him some variety from time to time as well as also adding in some raw meat when you get the chance. He must always have access to fresh, cool water.

Your puppy will be due at the vet for his first vaccinations. Your puppy's first vaccination will usually be at about 8 weeks of age.

Your new pet will require a warm, dry, comfortable place to sleep and to retreat to.

You will need to provide him with chewy toys to stimulate him both mentally and physically.

You will need to exercise your pet – nice long walks, ball- and rope games etc.

Nearly every dog sheds, and the Northern Inuit will require you brushing him twice a week to remove all those loose hairs. During the brushing session, check him over for fleas and ticks and run your hands over him and make sure there are no unusual lumps on his body.

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.