Pyrenean Shepherd
Smooth-faced Pyrenean Shepherd
Berger des Pyrénées
Pyrenees Sheepdog
Common nicknames
Pyr Shep
France/Spain
Classification / standards
Group 1, Section 1 #141 standard
Herding standard
Group 7 (Herding) standard
KC (UK)
Pastoral standard
Herding Dog standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
2 Appearance
4 Other websites
History[change | change source]
Pyrenean Sheepdog.
They may have been a companion of Cro-Magnon man.[1] Pictographs of a similar looking dog were found at Lascaux.[1] They are an ancient and intelligent breed and the Phrenean Shepherd is one of the oldest existing dog breeds.[2][3][4] They have been used since the middle ages to help with livestock.
The breed became popular for a time with French royalty.[5] This is when the son of XIV was in Barèges, France and became fond of a Pyrenees. He took it back to live with him in Louvre in Paris.[5]
In the 1880s, Queen Victoria owned one of the great white dogs. It was at that time that the British Kennel Club recognized the Pyrenean Mountain Dog as a breed. In the 1930s two puppies were brought to Needham, Massachusetts and bred which helped to save the species.[5] The Pyrenean Shepherds were used to carry packs during World War I.[5]
Appearance[change | change source]
The Pyrenean Shepherd has many different looks. The breed is either smooth-faced or rough-faced. One type, common today, is said to look like a cross between a Collie and a teddy bear.[6]