Great Pyrenees

Great Pyrenees

Also known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, this breed is enormous and very powerful; this is the largest of the flock guardian breeds.

History:

Unfortunately, there is only speculation about the exact origin of the Great Pyrenees. They may be descended from Anatolian, Kuvasz, or Maremma Sheepdogs, or even the Tibetan Mastiff. This is an ancient French breed that was used to protect flocks in the Pyrenean Mountains from marauding bears and wolf packs. In the fifteenth century they became popular as guards, and during the reign of Louis XIV in the seventeenth century they became particularly fashionable for the nobility, after Louis XIV used one as a watch-dog at the Louvre.

After the Revolution in 1789, the breed's popularity declined rapidly and they became scarce. In the early twentieth century two Frenchmen, Bernard Senac-Lagrange and M Dretzen, revived interest and are credited with the salvation of the breed. During the Second World War, Pyrenean Mountain Dogs were credited with helping Allied airmen escape over the mountains to safety.

Physical characteristics:

The Great Pyrenees is a massive breed with the distinguishing characteristic of double rear dew-claws. A popular story is that these dew-claws were used by the dog when scaling mountains and walls, but it is doubtful that they would be capable of holding the dog's enormous weight. Height: 25 - 32 in (63 - 81 cm). Weight: 90 - 125 lb (41 - 57 kg).

This dog has an abundant wooly coat that is very weather-resistant and is made up of a coarse outer coat and a thick undercoat of fine hairs. These dogs are predominantly white, but can have badger, wolf-gray or pale yellow patches, usually on the face and ears. The head is large and domed, and the muzzle is deep and strong. The eyes are amber-brown and are surrounded by dark eye-rims. The ears are medium-sized, triangular in shape, and are set on at the level of the eyes. The body is solid with a deep, broad chest and a straight, muscular and wide back. The tail is long, and at rest is carried low, but when the dog is excited, it raises up to curl over the back.

Behavior:

This very large dog has little to fear from most things in life, and so it behaves with gentleness and great confidence. Most people react to this dog's gentle nature by giving it lots of attention and affection. In this way, the dog remains very sociable with people. A strong attachment to its family makes the Great Pyrenees an excellent protector of family and property. Its immense size and deep bark act as a real deterrent to would-be intruders. The Great Pyrenees is a very sociable animal and greatly enjoys the company of other dogs.

This breed has a very thick water-proof coat and to successfully keep it clean, rather than washing, it is usually better to brush it thoroughly with powder.