The Great “Escape Artist” Pyrenees: How to Keep Your Pyr in the Yard or Pasture

July 30, 2019 Bri Wyzard

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Whether you have a Great Pyrenees to guard your livestock or to serve as a fine family pet, one thing’s for sure about these dogs: they are escape artists. You may have built a fence that’s good enough to keep your goats in (and that’s saying something!), or you may have built a fence around your yard that’s 6 feet tall, but somehow your dog keeps busting out.

And, of course, it’s not just Great Pyrenees – it can be any of the livestock guardian dog (LGD) breeds: Akbash, Anatolian Shepherds, Caucasian Ovcharkas, Kuvasz, Komondors, and so many more (see a list of the most common breeds here). These dogs were born to roam.

So how do you prevent Great Pyrenees and other LGD breeds from escaping your yard or pasture? LGD breeds, such as the Great Pyrenees, roam instinctually. You can prevent escape by building tall fences, modified on both the top and the bottom, to prevent the dog from jumping over or digging under. Modifications include coyote rollers on top and buried wire down below. Boundary training may also help.

Below you will find detailed information on how to modify fences so that they’ll keep your dogs enclosed (the fast way to prevent escape), and information on how to train your dogs to stay in a specified area (the long game). I have included information both for livestock guardians and for LGD breeds raised as pets.

Why Your Great Pyrenees or Other Livestock Guardian Dog Roams

If you’re keeping LGDs to actually guard livestock, you know exactly why they roam. If, on the other hand, you have a Great Pyrenees as a pet, it may be less obvious to you. These dogs have been bred for centuries, and some LGD breeds for millennia, to roam as a means of protecting livestock.

LGD breeds were developed to roam great distances to mark territory, patrol for predators, and basically just figure out everything they could about what was out there and what was going on. These dogs were serious about their jobs to protect livestock at all costs. Roaming helped the dogs do their jobs, both to keep predators from approaching (through marking and leaving their scents around) and to engage with predators far away from the livestock.

In the modern world, many ranchers no longer need their LGDs to roam very far anymore. In fact, roaming for the modern American LGD can be incredibly dangerous. You can check out my article about the dangers of roaming here.

Even if you’re keeping a Great Pyrenees as a pet, who clearly doesn’t have any livestock to protect, your dog will still likely have those roaming instincts. Some LGD instincts have been lost in pet breeding lines, but roaming seems to be a hard one to lose. Your dogs will want to escape the yard to mark the neighborhood, see who’s around, and know everything that’s going on. They may even be doing this as a means to protect their home and family (although they really seem to have a lot of fun doing it too).

If your Great Pyr or other LGD breed is roaming, don’t scold or otherwise punish her. She can’t help what’s in her nature. You’re much better off trying to understand your dog’s needs, and to work with her to find a solution that works well for both of you. This is what positive training is all about (see the Boundary Training section below)… And of course, if you’re not willing or able to boundary train your dog, there are several fencing modifications that can help.

One more thing, don’t forget that LGDs take a long time to mature. Most of them aren’t fully mature until they are 2-3 years old and some breeds, like Spanish Mastiffs, may take closer to 4 years. This means that even though your dog may look like a giant adult, really, she’s a puppy at heart. Puppies will have a harder time with training and with being calm in general. That modified fence idea is sounding better and better.

The First Step: Physical and Mental Stimulation for LGDs

Because these dogs were bred to guard livestock, both in partnership with shepherds, but also independently, they are incredibly intelligent and curious problem solvers. They need mental stimulation for their well being – this is another part of their nature. If your dog is bored, she is much more likely to want to escape the yard or pasture as a means of something to do.

If you have a pet Great Pyrenees as a pet, it is imperative that you interact with your dog A LOT! She will need a heavy load of attention from you. You will need to play with her and spend a lot of time training her (which she should also think of as play – again, positive training is key). If you aren’t home a lot, consider getting PetChatz and PawCall, here on Amazon, so you can interact with her some while you’re gone – see more information on these in my article here.

For other forms of mental stimulation, you can also give your dog puzzle toys or feed her using puzzle feeders – see my article on toys for livestock guardian dogs.

You will also need to make sure your Great Pyrenees is getting enough exercise. A long daily walk or several short walks should suffice. Playing in the yard is a good way to exercise your dog as well.

Fencing to Prevent Your Great Pyrenees or Other LGD from Jumping Over

First of all, if you haven’t bought an LGD breed dog yet, keep in mind that some breeds respect fences more than others. When I tried getting Spanish Mastiff puppies last spring, the breeders I talked to told me that their Spanish Mastiffs were good about respecting fences. They warned me that I would need to have something hard framing the top of the fence, such as wood (which I do), because the dogs will like to stand up with their paws on the fence to look over. Over time, the weight of these 200 lb dogs would bend a wire fence with no framing. But jumping the fence? Not a problem.

Why do Spanish Mastiffs tend to respect fences? Because they are a more close-guarding breed – that is, they’re not as prone to roaming to begin with. Check out the video below, featuring another close-guarding LGD breed, the Italian Maremma Sheepdog. Notice this dog has her paws on the fence to look over, but doesn’t at all seem to be interested in jumping the fence, even though she easily could.

For more on close-guarding vs. roaming breeds of livestock guardian dogs, check out my article here.

For more about the nature of livestock guardian dogs and what this means for pet owners, check out my article, Raising Great Pyrenees and Other LGD Breeds as Family Pets.

How High Does Your Fence Need to Be?

These dogs are large and they are athletic, meaning many of them can jump very tall fences. Check out the giant Great Pyrenees jumping below.

Now imagine this Pyr was trying to jump a fence where his paws could actually reach the top and help to pull him up.

If these dogs can find a place on the fence to stick their paws, they will climb over effortlessly. Check out how the dogs do this in the two videos below, where the fences are clearly too low. I’m not sure what breed the puppies are in the first video. The second video is a Great Pyrenees mix.

Regardless of how bad these situations are, I find it truly hilarious and adorable watching these dogs climb their fences. The funniest part of that second video to me, though, is not the Great Pyrenees Mix climbing the fence, but the owner’s caption: “took us forever to figure out how she was getting out.” Really?

I’m sure you can understand how tall your fence may need to be to keep one of these dogs in, and anything much under 6 feet isn’t going to cut it. And unfortunately, some dogs have been known to jump over even 6 foot high fences.

How to Modify a Fence so Your LGD Can’t Jump Over

So, then what do you do? You modify the top and bottom of your fence. And, no, this doesn’t have to be expensive. You can buy expensive products if you please, but you also can just DIY in an afternoon (depending on how much area your fence covers).

The most common and possibly most effective solution is coyote rollers. Coyote rollers are long rounded devices. Commercial rollers are often made of aluminum, whereas DIY ones are often just PVC pipes. You’re supposed to attach them to the tops of your fences, and then if a coyote tries to jump over your fence to eat your poodle, he won’t be able to do so because he can’t get a foothold on the fence to get over. The coyote roller rolls when the coyote tries to grab the top of the fence and he falls off instead.

Coyote rollers are viewed as a humane way of keeping your pets safe from coyotes.

If you have an LGD breed dog, however, coyote rollers can be just as effective at keeping your dog in as they are at keeping coyotes out. Check out the video below that shows a dog jumping the fence before coyote rollers were installed, and then attempting to jump the fence after the coyote rollers were installed. I actually feel a bit sorry for the guy. I would intervene with a hug as soon as he looked stressed and whined.

Commercial coyote rollers may run in the hundreds of dollars, as you can see at coyoteroller.com. However, you can design coyote rollers at home with supplies from your local hardware store very cheaply.

The first video below shows professional dog trainer, Robert Cabral, showing his DIY coyote rollers, and explaining how he built them. The second video, from Ipswich City Council TV, gives step-by-step instructions on how to build another variety of coyote rollers. I love this video because they actually show you every step. Fast forward to 2:35 for the coyote roller segment.

If you watch the first half of the second video above from Ipswich City Council TV, you’ll see another DIY option for keeping your dogs from jumping the fence. This option uses conduits that curve toward the yard that are covered in chicken wire. The extra height and the curved inward shape will make it very hard for your dog to jump over the fence. If you’re interested in this option, watch the video so you can follow their step-by-step instructions. You also can buy this kind of setup off of Amazon here if you really don’t want to try to DIY, but it’s incredibly expensive.

I found a couple of other ideas where people got a little more creative. In the video below, the man attached a wire to the top of his fence posts. The idea is that if the dog puts his paws on top of the wire, they will be uncomfortable, and he won’t be able to get a foothold to jump over the fence. If his paws land under the wire on the wood, he won’t be able to fit his body under the wire.

The man says in the video that he’s had the wire up for seven years, and it’s worked to keep his dog from jumping over the fence. However, I worry about the safety of this wire, and that your dog may injure himself if he gets his legs under the wire and tries to go over the fence anyway, but maybe that wouldn’t happen.

The video below shows yet another DIY option a rancher tried in order to keep his Great Pyrenees LGD in the livestock fence. He originally put wood framing (horizontal wood boards) across the tops of the fence posts. He didn’t think his dog, Willow, would be able to jump over the fence with those there, but she did get over and she actually badly injured herself in the process. She had to stay in the house for months.

The rest of the video below shows him modifying the fence again. He puts hog panels on top of the wood panels to give the fence an additional 30 inches of height.

I think a great lesson here is that while you can get creative in attempting to keep your dog from jumping the fence, be extra careful your solution is a safe one!

Fencing to Prevent Your Great Pyrenees or Other LGD from Digging Under

The best way to prevent your dog from digging under the fence is to dig down into the ground at the bottom of the fence and place some sort of wire down – chicken wire, woven wire, or other fencing material, and then cover it back over with dirt. If your dog tries to dig under the fence, he’ll dig into the wire and shouldn’t be able to get through it.

The first video below shows a rancher family’s DIY approach to keep their Great Pyrenees and other animals from getting out of the fence.

The two videos below show two other DIY examples for keeping pets in the yard. The first video shows a method where you don’t have to dig down into the ground – you can just insert the fencing material into the ground. The second video uses wire panels - this is another video from Ipswich City Council TV. I love these goofballs.

Boundary Training for Livestock Guardian Dogs: How to Train Your Great Pyrenees to Respect the Fence

Boundary training, using positive training methods, is another way you can keep your Great Pyrs and other LGDs in your yard or pasture. This is the long game – this will take time, consistency, and work.

Because videos are so much better than text at explaining training techniques, please watch the two videos below to get an idea about what boundary training is and how to do it:

The first video shows great techniques for boundary training to invisible lines. I’ve included this because this approach is super helpful if you are okay with your dog roaming to a certain point. I plan to have a couple of Spanish Mastiff puppies within the year, and this is the type of training I’ll do with them. I’ll mark the boundaries of our 80 acres with boundary flags or by laying out trail marking ribbons (Amazon links) for training sessions. I’ll of course get it on video and share it!

The techniques in the second video above are also useful, but you might be thinking, how does this apply when your yard is fenced? The fence is the boundary you don’t want your dog to cross, so there are a couple of ways you could use these same techniques. If you don’t want your dog to even jump up on the fence, then that would be your “no.” When he looked like he was going to jump up on the fence, you would distract him and reward him when he did not jump.

Alternatively, if you don’t mind your dog putting his paws up on the fence to look over, then you would use your “no” when he starts to climb the fence. In this case, when your dog looks like he’s thinking of climbing or jumping, you would distract him, and then reward him when he did not climb or jump.

Still uncertain? Let me break it down for you in a clear step-by-step manner.

Step 1 – Figure Out Your Dog’s Favorite Reward

Most dogs like to be rewarded with one of four things:

Food – small pieces of boiled chicken, treats, kibble. You’ll only want to use very tiny pieces of food for training. You definitely need to be careful not to overfeed your dog as heavy LGDs are at risk of very serious health problems. See my articles on Livestock Guardian Dog Food and Livestock Guardian Dog Treats for more ideas on food and treats that are good for LGD breeds.
Bones or chews – if your dog loves a bone or chew, you could give him just a few chomps on the bone as a reward. See my article on Livestock Guardian Dog Treats and Chews for more ideas.
Toys – if your dog loves tug-of-war, play a very quick game as a reward. If your dog likes fetch, throw the ball once as a reward.
Attention - this may come in the form of praise, belly rubs, ear scratches, or kisses.

Whatever thing your dog loves most, this is the reward you will use during training.

Step 2 – Work on Basic Obedience Training

In order to work on boundary training, you’ll first need to work on easy obedience commands – “look at me,” “sit,” and “down” are my favorites to use as they have a calming effect on your dog. You want your dog to ultimately look to you and to be calm instead of jumping the fence.

For help on how to learn to teach these basic commands in a way that’s fun for your dog and effective for you, check out my free step-by-step dog training manual.

Step 3 – Always Be Present When Your Dog Gets the Urge to Jump the Fence

Yes, I know this step sounds annoying to some of you, but you will always have to supervise your dog outside until she learns not to jump the fence. Of course, this is much safer for your dog anyway. If you have a chronic fence jumper, you really don’t want to leave her alone outside for her own safety.

Step 4 – Give Your Dog Something Else to Do Other Than Jumping the Fence

When you see that your dog is thinking about jumping the fence, distract her. Get very close to her, and then you can try saying her name, making a funny noise, or saying “look at me.” I like “look at me” as my dogs always behave better when we’re making eye contact. At this early stage, give her a treat as soon as you distract her. It’s okay if after she gets the treat, she goes back to trying to climb the fence. You always want to start by rewarding the tiniest win. Do this again when your dog next looks like she’s thinking about jumping the fence – reward her as soon as you distract her.

You don’t want to do this particular step too many times because you don’t want her to start associating climbing the fence with getting the treat. So, after she’s done this a few times successfully, make her look at you for one second longer before getting the treat, then 5 seconds, and so on. If you get to a point where you aren’t able to hold her attention for as long as you’re trying, then you’ve pushed past her limit. Go back to a shorter time frame and work up the length again.

Eventually, you’ll want to challenge her a bit more. After holding her attention for a few seconds, have her sit and eventually lay down. Reward every tiny step towards her obeying these commands, so if initially she just kind of lowers her bottom for a second like she’s thinking about sitting down, reward that. Every little step gets a reward.

Eventually you’ll be able to get your dog to stay in a sit or lay position as long as you want her to, and then when you release her, she won’t go back to trying to jump the fence.

This is the gist of it. Some dogs can learn this training really quickly. Others may take weeks or months of consistent training sessions – it just depends on your dog. LGD breeds who are known to be big roamers, such as Great Pyrenees, Akbash, Anatolian Shepherds, or Kangals (see my article about this here) will likely take a lot longer to train.

Don’t get discouraged and keep your training sessions short – 5-15 minutes is usually about right. You want to set your dog up to win, and you want your to dog to enjoy it. This is how your dog will best learn, so if you think you’ve reached your dog’s training limit for a session, end the session on a happy note: with one more win (no matter how tiny) and a treat!

Step 5 – Add in Triggers and Other Challenges

Once your dog masters staying in the yard in your presence, you’ll want to try to add in some triggers. Get a family member to help, and one of you go on the other side of the fence (if you can) and make some noise or move around, anything your dog would love to jump the fence for. Work on training with this trigger – follow the exact process as above.

If your dog is triggered by other dogs, have a friend with another dog come walk around outside the fence and work with your dog again, exactly as outlined above. As your dog masters the training in one scenario, you want to toss another trigger in to challenge her, until there is nothing left your dog will jump the fence for.

You may also try to challenge her by standing further away from her and the fence (on the other side of the yard, for example) and giving her commands from there – dogs always have a harder time with training when you’re farther away.

You can use this same process for teaching your dog not to dig under the fence.

That’s it – the process is easy, but the road is long. Good luck and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Disclaimer: I am not a professional dog trainer by any means, just an amateur with experience training my pets with positive training methods. I used the online program Brain Training for Dogs (affiliate link) to learn how to teach my dogs using positive methods and highly recommend it for Great Pyrenees owners.

For Love of Livestock