Our Great Pyrenees

Health Tested Working Great Pyrenees in San Diego County, California

At McCarthy Ranchette LLC, we raise Great Pyrenees with an emphasis on health, temperament, sound structure, working ability, and the qualities that have made this breed an exceptional livestock guardian for generations.

Our dogs are not simply descended from working dogs, they live and work with our sheep. They are also valued members of our family and are intentionally exposed to life beyond the ranch.

We believe a well-bred Great Pyrenees should be physically and mentally capable of doing the work the breed was developed to do while possessing the stable temperament and sound structure necessary for a long, healthy life.


Interested in a Great Pyrenees Puppy?

We occasionally plan litters from carefully selected, health-tested parents.

Our goal is not to produce as many puppies as possible. We breed when we believe a pairing has the potential to produce puppies that will contribute positively to the breed.

If you are interested in a future McCarthy Ranchette puppy, joining our waiting list is the first step.

JOIN OUR GREAT PYRENEES PUPPY WAITING LIST


Our Breeding Program

We approach each breeding with the whole dog in mind.

No single health test, championship, pedigree, temperament assessment, or working accomplishment determines whether we believe a dog should be bred.

Instead, we consider multiple factors, including:

Our dogs come from a combination of working and show lines. We value both because we believe form and function should complement one another.


Proven Livestock Guardians

Our Great Pyrenees live full-time with our sheep and perform the work the breed was developed to do.

Our adult dogs have maintained zero livestock loss while working on our property. We have personally observed them respond to or deter predators and potential threats including coyotes, bobcats, snakes, hawks, and unfamiliar dogs.

Working ability is more than aggression toward predators.

We value dogs that can distinguish normal activity from a legitimate concern, remain trustworthy with vulnerable livestock, and respond appropriately when their flock needs protection.

Our dogs live among sheep and have experience around other animals on our property, including lambs, poultry, cats, horses, and other dogs.


Health Testing

Health testing is an important part of our breeding program.

Our breeding dogs complete breed-appropriate health testing before being used in our breeding program. We also use DNA screening and family health information when available to help us make informed breeding decisions.

All of our breeding dogs have earned OFA CHIC certification.

CHIC certification indicates that the health screenings recommended for the breed have been completed and the required results are publicly available through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

Health testing cannot guarantee that a puppy will never develop a health problem. It is one of the tools responsible breeders can use to make better-informed breeding decisions.


Structure & Conformation

We participate in conformation events because sound structure matters in a large working dog.

A Great Pyrenees should be capable of moving efficiently and performing physically demanding work over varied terrain. Structure affects much more than appearance.

Showing our dogs gives us an opportunity to have their conformation evaluated by independent judges against the breed standard.

We are proud of our dogs' accomplishments, but titles are not our ultimate breeding goal. We use conformation as one additional source of information when evaluating the whole dog.



Lobo's Show Highlights

UKC Champion Prospect Pyrs Lobo earned an exceptional group of awards at his first UKC show as only a 1 year old, including:

 Thank you to Judge Karyn Juelch, Judge Jerry Brown, Judge Frances Conner and Judge Kim Davis. Lobo has also competed in AKC conformation and earned his first AKC points as Best of Winners in 2026. Thank you to Judge Robert Hutton.

We are proud of his accomplishments and particularly value that the structure and presence he demonstrates in the show ring are paired with the calm temperament, intelligence, and livestock guardian ability we see from him at home.


Temperament Matters

Temperament is one of our highest priorities.

We want Great Pyrenees that are confident, thoughtful, trustworthy with their families and livestock, and capable of recognizing when their guardian instincts are actually needed.

Our puppies are raised with intentional exposure to people, children, household and ranch noises, different surfaces, car rides, handling, and a variety of animals.

We also use temperament assessment as one component of our puppy-placement process.

We do not use a first-come, first-choice puppy system.

Instead, we learn about each approved family's lifestyle, property, animals, experience, and expectations. As the puppies develop, we evaluate their individual personalities and use those observations to help match puppies with homes where we believe they have the greatest opportunity to succeed.

Our goal is not simply to place every puppy, but rather, to make placements that last for the dog's lifetime.


Meet Our Great Pyrenees

CH Prospect Pyrs Lobo

Male • White with Badger Markings
UKC Champion • OFA CHIC Certified

Lobo is our primary male and represents many of the qualities we value in a Great Pyrenees.

He is exceptionally mellow and confidently calm, with a gentle temperament around children and livestock. At the same time, he demonstrates the intelligence, awareness, and judgment we want from a working livestock guardian.

Lobo works with our sheep and has proven himself to be thoughtful and trustworthy around the animals in his care.

He has also been successfully evaluated in the show ring, earning his UKC Championship along with Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show, Group and Best of Breed wins. Thank you to Judge Karyn Juelch, Judge Jerry Brown, Judge Frances Conner and Judge Kim Davis. He has also earned AKC points as Best of Winners. 

Health Testing

OFA CHIC Certified

PennHIP:
Right DI: .26
Left DI: .25

DNA Screening: Clear for tested conditions.

What we value most about Lobo is the combination of qualities he brings together: structure, working instinct, intelligence, confidence, and an exceptionally steady temperament.


Sake

Female • White with Badger Markings
OFA CHIC Certified

Sake comes from strong livestock guardian lines and has developed into a calm, watchful, trustworthy working dog.

She is gentle with the animals and people she considers part of her family, including children, sheep, lambs, poultry, cats, dogs, and horses.

Her temperament is one of the qualities we value most. Sake is generally mellow and observant but becomes appropriately assertive when she identifies a legitimate concern around her flock.

She has demonstrated strong natural guardian instincts while maintaining the stable temperament we want in our breeding program.

Health Testing

OFA CHIC Certified

OFA Hips: Good
OFA Elbows: Normal
OFA Patellas: Normal

Sake has also completed extensive DNA health screening.

Her screening identified one copy of a variant associated with Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (CMR1). This information is considered when selecting breeding partners so that matings can be planned appropriately.

Temperament

Calm • Watchful • Loyal • Mellow • Gentle • Trustworthy • Assertive when appropriate


Moonshine “Moony”

Female • White
OFA CHIC Certified

Moonshine is an alert, agile, energetic female with a kind temperament and strong awareness of her surroundings.

She is assertive when appropriate and brings a different combination of qualities to our program than our more serene dogs, giving us additional considerations when selecting complementary breeding pairs.

Health Testing

OFA CHIC Certified

OFA Hips: Fair
OFA Elbows: Normal
OFA Patellas: Normal

Because Moonshine received a Fair OFA hip evaluation, we chose to gather additional information through PennHIP rather than relying on a single assessment.

PennHIP:
Right DI: .31
Left DI: .44

Moonshine has also completed extensive DNA health screening, and is clear.

Family Health Information

Moonshine's dam:

OFA Hips: Excellent
OFA Elbows: Normal

Moonshine's sire:

OFA Hips: Good
OFA Elbows: Normal
OFA Patellas: Normal
CMR: Clear/Normal

Temperament

Happy • Alert • Agile • Energetic • Kind • Watchful • Assertive when appropriate


Bailey

Female • Future Show & Breeding Prospect

Bailey is a young female we are currently evaluating as a future show and potential breeding prospect. 

She is one of our more substantially built females while maintaining the balance and structure we want to see as she matures.

Bailey has participated in AKC conformation and has demonstrated a confident, balanced temperament in the show environment. She has earned her first AKC points toward AKC Championship in 2026. 

She will not enter our breeding program unless she successfully completes the health testing and evaluations we require as an adult.

OFA CHIC certification pending completion of age-appropriate testing.

Bailey has also completed extensive DNA health screening. Her screening identified one copy of a variant associated with Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (CMR1). This information is considered when selecting breeding partners so that matings can be planned appropriately.

We look forward to watching Bailey mature before making any final decisions about her future in our breeding program.



Stella

Female • Future Show & Breeding Prospect

Stella is still a young dog and is being raised and evaluated as a possible future show and breeding prospect.

At this stage, our focus is simply allowing her to mature while continuing to evaluate her temperament, structure, health, and working qualities. Any future breeding decision will depend upon her development and successful completion of the health testing and evaluations we require. We will update her profile as she matures.

Stella has also completed extensive DNA health screening, and is clear.

OFA CHIC certification pending completion of age-appropriate testing.


About Our Puppies

When we plan a litter, our goal is to produce healthy, well-adjusted Great Pyrenees with the potential to succeed in carefully selected homes.

Our puppies are raised with intentional exposure to a variety of experiences, which may include:

Puppies generally go to their new homes at approximately 8-9 weeks of age, depending on the individual puppy and litter.

Before going home, puppies receive age-appropriate veterinary care and applicable health records.

Puppies are eligible for AKC Limited (non breeding) registration.


How We Place Puppies

We take puppy placement seriously.

Great Pyrenees are not the right breed for every home, and individual puppies within a litter can differ considerably in temperament and behavior.

For that reason, we want to understand:

We observe puppies throughout their development and incorporate temperament assessment before final placement decisions. We then utilize everything we have learned about the puppies and prospective homes to help determine appropriate matches.


Is a Great Pyrenees Right for You?

Great Pyrenees are extraordinary dogs, but they are independent thinkers and have very unique traits.

Before joining our puppy waiting list, we strongly encourage prospective owners to learn about the breed's guardian instincts, barking, fencing requirements, tendency toward independent decision-making, slow maturity, grooming needs, and livestock guardian development.

We have created a separate guide to help prospective owners decide whether this breed is appropriate for their family and property.

READ: ABOUT GREAT PYRENEES DOGS Here, Here, Here, Here.


Interested in Moving Forward?

We are looking for committed homes that understand that bringing home a Great Pyrenees is a decision that may affect the next decade or more of their lives.

Our responsibility to our puppies does not end when they leave our property.

We want our puppy families to feel comfortable reaching out with questions about training, feeding, grooming, livestock guardian development, or life with their Great Pyrenees.

If you have researched the breed and believe one of our Great Pyrenees may be right for your family or farm, we invite you to join our puppy waiting list.

JOIN OUR GREAT PYRENEES PUPPY WAITING LIST