After consideration and consultation with the rest of the family, we've settled on Luke Skybarker. The Nerd is Strong with this family.
I'm so sorry, Steve. Pets really are family and it's never easy to lose one.
We've never had a Pyr, but we're not new to dogs. We've got a Border/Aussie and a Cairn Terrier as well. Up until a few years ago, we had Bo; a German Shepard/Great Dane mix. Size and shape of a Dane, markings like a Shepard. Biggest lap dog ever. Despite his size, he was nearly 20 when he died. Had Shepard hips, too, but he did fine as long as he was on anti-inflammatories.
Worth being prepared. I'm not familiar with those breeds, but you are definitely taking on a challenging dog to have as a pet. While individuals will definitely vary in personality, as a breed, Pyrs are a lot more like a Han Solo than a Luke Skywalker... charming, lovable scoundrels who operate according to their own internal moral compass. They are agents of chaos. They tend to be escape artists who are just as likely to dig under a fence in a matter of minutes, or sometimes just jump them. Pyr owners lovingly refer to them as Disapyrenees, because they will just take off on you.
They're usually smart, independent, and stubborn, so they can become very destructive to your house if they get bored. Some of them are also very vocal. As best as I can tell, it's hard to know whether you have a barker or not until they tell you (or don't). Our previous Pyr, Apollo, was a barker, and he would just wake up in the middle of the night and bark at the stars.
They like to dig holes in the yard and love to spend most of their time outside laying in the hole they just dug (especially in the summer, when they can get to some cool earth below the surface). They will also like being outside in the snow. Which is cool if they can just stay outside when they want, but is a giant pain in the *** if you have to bring them inside.
They are inherently guard dogs. They aren't herding dogs... couldn't care less what you guys do. But they will often wake up in the middle of the night and patrol the house to make sure all is well. So, closed doors tend to be a problem for them, and if something seems out of place, they will not hesitate to let everyone know.
Last tip, invest in a kickass vacuum (or just do what I do and use the shop vac for the bulk of the fur) and steel yourself for frequent brushing and expensive grooming visits. They have thick fur and blow out their undercoats a couple times a year. You'll never stay on top of the fur. It's a constant battle.
Anyway, not saying your little guy is going to be a problem at all, but I just hope you've mentally and physically prepared for what you're taking on.