Living Quarters
The first choice is indoors or
outdoors. Most new puppy owners will opt for the former so before
your puppy comes home plan its routine, decide how much of the
house you intend to let him have the run of and where he will
sleep. A new puppy will almost inevitably cry when left along at
night for the first time but if you take him up to your bedroom
to comfort him then bear in mind he will still be expecting you
to do the same when he is fully grow! Pyreneans are a heavily
coated breed so even though the central heating may make life
comfortable for you then remember it is important that your dog
has somewhere cool and quiet to retire to for feeding, sleeping
and spending his time if it is necessary to leave him for short
periods or if you have visitors. Initially, for the first few
weeks, it will be necessary to provide some heating at night if
you buy a puppy in the winter and for the majority of owners the
kitchen is the first choice for introducing a new puppy to the
home.
A strong cardboard box is the ideal medium for
your puppy's first bed as he will grow rapidly and soon be too
large for any of the commercially available dog beds. A box will
help to protect the puppy from draughts and an old cardigan or
blanket will help to comfort him at night. It is better to buy
the puppy his own toys to chew and play with rather than give him
old slippers etc. as it is unreasonable to give him old slippers
and then expect him not to chew your new shoes! Some Pyreneans
will become attached to a particular item of furniture to sleep
on but even if you are happy for them to do this it is still a
good idea to assert your authority every now and again by moving
the dog and sitting there yourself, remember to do this while
your Pyrenean is still a puppy as it is at this stage that the
puppy must learn who is the "Boss".
If you decide that your dog will
live outdoors (and even if he is to live 
indoors then where possible it is a good
idea to have outside quarters for him) then the ideal situation
can be to convert an existing building, or garage, for him to
live in. The first step when planning such accommodation is to
think big, your dog will need a kennels at least six feet high
with a surface area in excess of six ft. square, if the floor is
concrete then a raised sleeping platform is also necessary.
Should an existing building be used then take care that no
electrical fixtures and fittings are within the dog's reach, and
put metal strips on any exposed wooden edges that may be chewed.
Even if you decide that no outdoor kennelling is needed then you
do need either a dog-proof garden fence or more ideally, an
outside run. Unless your garden is surrounded by a very high wall
then you may soon find that your seemingly dog-proof boundary is
anything but and for your peace of mind, the safety of your dog
and the appearance of your garden an outside run is a must for
any Pyrenean owner.
Using wood and wire can be a
false economy when constructing a compound and concrete and metal
is cheaper in the long run. The run should be close to and within
sight of the house, making sure that there is plenty of shade.
Commercially available strong mesh panels which can be bolted
together are the ideal way to construct a run. These are usually
six feet high and wide with or without a gate and a run six feet
by twelve is large enough. Pyreneans tend to dig a lot so a
concrete or slab floor is needed. When constructing your run bear
in mid the direction in which water will drain away when it rains
for weeks on end in the winter, and when you have to wash it
regularly to keep it clean and healthy in hot weather.
