Golden Retriever vs Great Pyrenees

A Golden Retriever
Photo: Johan Spaedtke
A Great Pyrenees
Photo: HeartSpoon

Side by side

Golden Retriever
Great Pyrenees
Adult weight
Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)1
55–75 kg (121–165 lb)2
Height
Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm3
No sourced figure
Lifespan
Median 13.2 years4
Median 10.9 years4
Fully grown
12 months, both sexes5
13 months, both sexes5
Group
Retrievers & water dogs3
Pinschers & molossoids6
Coat
Coat with feathering3
Long coat6
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
Daily brushing
Exercise
Plenty
A modest amount
Health
Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)7,8
No sourced figure
Class
Family
Watchdog

Which suits you

Size
The Great Pyrenees is much larger: about 65 kg (143 lb) as an adult, against 29 kg (65 lb) for the Golden Retriever.
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Golden Retriever lives longer: a median of 13.2 years, against 10.9 for the Great Pyrenees.
Grooming
The Great Pyrenees needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Golden Retriever needs brushing a few times a week.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the Golden Retriever, and a modest amount with the Great Pyrenees.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Golden Retriever: keen to work with you; Great Pyrenees: decides for itself) and on loyalty (Golden Retriever: friendly with everyone; Great Pyrenees: sticks close to its people).
Alike
Both are rated the same on prey drive: usually fine with small pets.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Golden Retriever
Retrievers & water dogs · Large

The Golden Retriever's temperament is friendly, intelligent and devoted. It is eager to please, gentle, keen to work alongside people and seldom a good guard dog.

Great Pyrenees
Pinschers & molossoids · Giant

Calm and patient with its own household, it is also independent, watchful and reserved with strangers, and known for barking at night.

The Golden Retriever page →The Great Pyrenees page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Golden Retriever
Great Pyrenees
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
Happy with modest walks
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Suits a first-time owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Golden Retriever
Great Pyrenees
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Friendly with everyone
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Decides for itself
Around the home
Golden Retriever
Great Pyrenees
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Very vocal
Prey drive
Usually fine with small pets
Usually fine with small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour9. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home10,11.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Great Pyrenees grows to the heavier adult, about 65 kg against the Golden Retriever's 29 kg.
Golden Retriever
Great Pyrenees
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More comparisons

Compare the Golden Retriever with
Golden Retriever vs Labrador RetrieverEnglish Cocker Spaniel vs Golden RetrieverFlat-Coated Retriever vs Golden RetrieverGolden Retriever vs HovawartGolden Retriever vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverGreat Pyrenees vs KuvaszAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·