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 alone at night for the first time give him a cuddly toy and a (warm) hot water bottle. Also a ticking clock helps them to settle. It is not recommended that you take him up to your bedroom to comfort him bearing in mind he will still be expecting you to do the same when he is a fully grown Pyrenean! Don’t be seduced by that little cry and those soft brown eyes, as that little bundle of fluff has a memory like a computer and knows full well that once he has his way, he will have it for life! If you need to, stay downstairs beside him a comfort him in his own bed – it’s worth spending a few nights on the kitchen floor rather than having to cope with a battle of wills as the dog grows to maturity.

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.