Great Pyrenees vs Samoyed

The Great Pyrenees’ temperament exudes patience and affection. They’re generally friendly and well-suited to family life. Letting your Great Pyrenees play with kids is more than acceptable as long as the children aren’t too rough and rowdy. And as a former livestock guardian, Pyrs have close contact with various farm animals in their blood, which means they typically get along well with other dogs and even cats in the home.

Even though the Great Pyrenees is known to be a gentle pet, their history is rooted in serving as guard dogs. Because this dog was bred as a flock guardian, the breed can be strong-willed, so early socialization and training are essential.

Their characteristics also include a high level of competency thanks to their years of service as guard dogs atop snowy mountains. Neither cold weather nor boredom phase a Pyr—this pup is quite used to the slow pace of watching over sheep for hours.

Luckily for dog lovers, these serene Great Pyrenees traits transfer nicely to a quiet home life (maybe watching reality TV or hunkering down with a good novel?). Of course, getting outside is part of the plan with dogs, so pet parents who can offer moderate exercise will please both the Great Pyrenees’ personality and physicality.

With a delightful smile ready to greet you at a moment’s notice, it’s no surprise that the Samoyed dog breed’s qualities are rooted in having fun and being the family mood-booster. Looking to make friends? Your Sammy’s good-natured temperament means you’ll end up meeting just about everyone on the block. If you want your Samoyed as a guard dog, you may want to look elsewhere. Sammies are so friendly, they’re likely to give an intruder a tour of your home.

Samoyeds (aka Siberian Samoyeds) are whip-smart and crave all the TLC. Without it, they can become mischievous to get your attention. And don’t even think about leaving them out by themselves for long. Sammies would much rather be in the house with the whole fam instead of being relegated to the outside by their lonesome. They form deep bonds with their human families and have a pack-mentality. Proper socialization is important to keep your pup active, engaged and challenged.

While they’re always up for an adventure, they can also be headstrong and a bit demanding. They won’t be afraid to tell you they need attention with their distinctive whine.

Speaking of communication, Samoyeds are fond of barking or using their teeth to get your attention. This is more common when Sammies are not fully trained, and they’ll nip or tug at you with their teeth in a non-aggressive manner. But there’s an explanation for this behavior: They’re used to grabbing their packmates with their mouths, and with their dense fur, they grip harder, so it’s natural for them to do the same with their people.