Another Pyr Behaviour Question From What I Have Read

[GreatPyr]

I have read in every article I have been able to find on Pyrenees that they are protective but not attack dogs,not sure exactly what they mean...they rave about them being protective of property,livestock or humans but say they arent attack dogs.Differenc e Please?

[GoldenPyrs]

Mine won't go looking for trouble and they are super friendly to anyone that they meet that isn't threatening one of us.  However, the bark like fuzzy demons if they hear someone drive up to let the person know that there are dogs on duty if they're needed, but they don't assume that the person is a threat just because they are a stranger.  Typically, my pups wag their tails big time and beg for pets through the fence. I've said this so many times before (sorry), but in all these years of living w/Pyrs I have only seen one of mine (it was Cara) take a true protective stance 3x and each time I think that she was right.  Otherwise, they love everyone large and small especially if they love to pet furry people but if someone ever threatened any of us, I know that they'd be a force to be reckoned with.  I love that they are so sweet & gentle but capable.  This blend is so important to us, so we socialize our pups a lot and their pyrfect instincts take care of the rest.

[People Whisperer]

When Lily is guarding at home it is just amazing!!! She doesn't just bark...but she throws herself in the air, lifting left then right paws and barks like someone actually murdering us 
When I take her for walk at night and someone would pop out of the blue she gets very tence and her back fur would be standing, she gets very close to me and growls. I just love it!
I am not sure if they would attack 

[GoldenPyrs]

When Lily is guarding at home it is just amazing!!! She doesn't just bark...but she throws herself in the air, lifting left then right paws and barks like someone actually murdering us 
When I take her for walk at night and someone would pop out of the blue she gets very tence and her back fur would be standing, she gets very close to me and growls. I just love it!
I am not sure if they would attack 

Though mine have never attacked, Cara's parents were working/show dogs and I was told that they'd "taken down" coyotes while guarding their sheep.  I also saw a very impressive video on the net once of European pyrs chasing off a group of bears that were hanging out too close to a bus stop.  If I can find it again, I'll post the link.

[GreatPyr]

Thats what I am wondering,The size the bark is a great detterent and I know they will chase,take down 4 legged predators BUT if a human was actually attacking you would the pyr come to the rescue against a human like he would a 4 legged predator?thats what is confusing about what I read.

[People Whisperer]

Thats what I am wondering,The size the bark is a great detterent and I know they will chase,take down 4 legged predators BUT if a human was actually attacking you would the pyr come to the rescue against a human like he would a 4 legged predator?thats what is confusing about what I read.

I don't think they will attack a person.
I had a couple who were looking for a guard dog. They realized that Pyr would not attack and got a Rotty instead

Modified...my coworker has a farm and a neighbor who has bunch of sheep. She had a guest from Italy who went to the field to get newborn sheep while Pyr was guarding there. The guy came back with ripped jacket and scared and didn't get newborns  Maybe they attack while protecting lifestock and not humans 

[patrick]

They are not bred to attack  It is inherent in the breed that if they get in a fight and lose then the flock will be unprotected- so attack is a very last resort.  But yes they will protect a human that belongs to them  2 stories in point

I had a Pyr staying with a friend.  Late one night he was sleeping on the sofa and a drunken friend came bounding up the stairs - she barked, she blocked and the man kept coming- so she grabbed him by the arm and held him and she wasn't kidding.

A friend of mine who lived in a very isloated area came home one day to find a strange man plastered against the wall with the male Pyr standing up on his shoulders and just daring him to move.  The dog held him in that position until the police came. 

I call them guard dogs without the lawsuit.

[pyr4me]

The time there were 4 people sneaking around the outside of my neighbor's house at night when I took my dogs out and I tensed up, Jenny started barking like crazy, the hair went up on her back, and she was moving in their direction.  It was definitely a deterrent as the people left. I don't know if she wasn't on a leash if she would chase them away or actually "attack" or not, but I do know that I felt very protected by her and her stance.    

[People Whisperer]

I call them guard dogs without the lawsuit.

You couldn't say it better!!!

[People Whisperer]

The time there were 4 people sneaking around the outside of my neighbor's house at night when I took my dogs out and I tensed up, Jenny started barking like crazy, the hair went up on her back, and she was moving in their direction.  It was definitely a deterrent as the people left. I don't know if she wasn't on a leash if she would chase them away or actually "attack" or not, but I do know that I felt very protected by her and her stance.   

Our neighbors really enjoy Lily for her guarding quality. She barks at anyone walking by the fence or in front of the house.  Some people had mentioned that they feel safe with Lily around  We had 3 burglaries around before Lily came and none after