Breed History / Description
One of the tallest of the pastoral breeds, the Pyrenean was guarding flocks in the Pyrenees from the Middle Ages. Gentle and elegant, he found favour in the Royal Courts and palaces of the nobility. Louis XIV named him the Royal Dog of France. A calm and gentle worker, the Pyrenean was used as a messenger dog and as a pack dog by the French Army in World War II. It has also been suggested that the Pyrenean was used as a smuggler to carry large packs of forbidden goods from one side of the Pyrenees to the other, taking paths which were inaccessible to humans and so avoiding the Customs’ checkpoints.
Characteristics
A natural guard dog protecting shepherd and sheep.
Temperament
Quietly confident. Nervousness and unprovoked aggression highly undesirable.
Club, K., 2018. The Kennel Club's Breed Standards. 5th ed. London SW1V 2SA: Ebury Press.