Dogs

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN France
MOST SUITED AS Sheepdog (to protect flocks and herds of cattle),  and family pet.

SIZE
The shoulder-height is 70 - 80cm (27 1/2 -31 1/2in) for dogs and 85 - 72cm (251/2 - 281/2in) for bitches. The weight is 45 - 80kg (99 - 1321b).

COAT
The coat is abundant and tightly packed with fairly long hair that is even longer around the neck and tail. Pyrenean Mountain Dogs are plain white, or with white with markings on the head, ears, and root of the tail. These markings can be grey, badger-coloured, pale yellow, or wolf-grey. Some markings on the body are permissible.

CARE REQUIRED
This breed requires fairly thorough grooming to keep the coat in good condition. It is necessary to brush or comb the dog thoroughly once or twice a week in order to remove loose hairs. This is even more important during moulting.

CHARACTER
An equable, attentive, vigilant, brave and intelligent dog that is reasonably independent and hardy, and can sometimes be stubborn. The Pyrenean Mountain Dog is a livestock guardian dog, so it was bred to bark a warning when potential predators approached its flock.  This can be a problem is you live in a  built up area, with people walking past your yard... as your Pyrenean Mountain Dog may interpret these people as predators, and bark, and bark, and bark... Its part of their nature, its not something easily trained out of them so only consider one if you are in an area with low people traffic of people and other dogs.  A farm, would be perfect.

TRAINING
It is essential to make this breed aware of everything it must and must not do when still very young because when fully grown they are far too strong and would be too independent if not properly trained. Pyrenean Mountain Dogs require an equable handler who can be consis­tent and loving.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
A Pyrenean Mountain Dog, properly bred and socialised, will mix with any dog regardless of size. While wary of strangers in the home until they are given the 'all clear' by their humans (if the humans are happy, generally so are they), when 'off territory' a properly socialised Pyrenean is friendly and happy to receive pats from strangers.

EXERCISE
A Pyrenean Mountain Dog while needing moderate exercise, does not need extensive exercise (which can be extremely damaging to it in the first couple of years). A Pyr (even one trained to a high level of obedience) can NOT be trusted offlead outside of a fully fenced area. There is a saying known to pyr breeders - "an offlead Pyr is a disapyr".

Updated breed profile gratefully received from

Tracy Bassett
Espinay Pyrenean Mountain Dogs
"Putting the Breed before breeding"