Sealyham Terrier vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison

The Sealyham Terrier is a rare dog breed originating in Wales. The dog was developed in the 19th century by Captain John Edwardes at Sealyham House. The Sealy has been associated with members of the British Royal Family, but its numbers declined to such an extent that it was listed as a vulnerable native breed by the Kennel Club.

The Sealyham Terrier club was created in 1908 and the dog breed was officially recognised by the Kennel Club in 1911. This dog is now recognized by all the major kennel clubs. The American Sealyham Terrier Club was founded in 1913.

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 Sealyham is a dog that stands low to the ground and its height shouldn’t exceed 27 - 30cm and weight should be about 8 - 9kg.

The double coat is considered non-shedding and is wiry and weather resistant. It is nearly always white but can be fawn. They’ve got big heads with dark, deep set eyes. The ears are semi-erect, semi-floppy and the tail is usually docked.

Temperament:

Affectionately referred to as Sealy, there aren't too many of these little dogs left. At one time, they were a very popular terrier breed, but today they are uncommon – almost endangered.

He’s a social dog with his human family but tends to be reserved around strangers. He also tends to be just a little bit more mellow than some of the more rowdier terrier breeds.

He gets on well with other dogs in the home as well as with children. He is an intelligent little dog but is inclined to be stubborn so you have to show him both firmness and kindness and also think about obedience training for him.

He’s amicable and adjusts well to life in the city or the countryside.

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 Sealyham Terrier is such a robust little dog with a distinctive look.

He can be stubborn but he loves his human family and is sociable and amicable with them, slotting in to their way of life. He can be a couch potato or an active outdoor dog – whatever is required of him and he makes and excellent, loving family pet and companion.

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.

This is a hardy dog breed and you don’t hear of many health problems associated with him. It seems as though you might have to watch out for an eye condition known as lens luxation. It's an eye condition with dogs where the lens slips out of position because of weakening of the fibers that hold it in place.

There is a lack of fluid in the eye causing optic nerve damage and this can lead to blindness.

Retinal Dysplasia is another eye problem . This is a developmental malformation of the retina that the dog is born with. Symptoms in dogs are a reluctance to jump off things such as the bed or he may even bump into things.

Atopic Dermatitis is something the Sealyham is more prone to. Its an allergic skin disease which drives a dog mad with its itchiness. Your pet will certainly need treatment from the vet to relieve it.

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.

Provide your Sealy with his own warm, dry bed.

Brush the long, weather-resistant coat at least twice a week. Hand-stripping of the coat will maintain the wiry, hard texture, but because this method can be quite a laborious process, many Sealy owners rather have their dog professionally clipped.

Check inside his mouth for bad teeth as well as inside the ears for signs of infection. His eyes should also be clear and free of discharge.

His nails will also need to be trimmed.

The Sealyham doesn’t require a lot of exercise but he must at least be given a walk every day.

Ensure the vaccines are up to date. They start when your pet is just a puppy. Remember to get your dog to the vet when you suspect that he is ill.

Feed your Sealyham with good food. Make sure you’re feeding your pet a high quality food as this promotes health and longevity. Provide your Santal Hound with top quality food to ensure his health.

Always choose the quality commercially manufactured foods on the market – those that have natural, good ingredients in them. Try to include some home-made food for him which can be simply mixed into the dry kibble twice a week.

There is no need to offer your dog a host of different foods. Dogs want simplicity and consistency. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots is super tasty and nutritious. If you can, also try and include a little bit of raw meat to his diet occasionally as this can go towards ensuring he doesn’t get skin diseases.

Make sure that a constant supply of fresh, cool water is available to your dog.

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.