GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Minimum dogs 70cm (27.5”). Bitches 65cm (25.5”). Minimum weight: Dogs 50 kgs; Bitches 40 kgs. Dogs fequently over this minimum.
Colour: White or white with patches of badger, wolf grey or pale yellow on head, ears and on the body. Coat: Outer coat - coarse, thick, straight or slightly wavy. Under coat - profuse.
Gait: Unhurried, steady and smooth and with a tendency to pace at slower paces. Hocks turning neither in nor out.
These huge majestic guardians of sheep are the epitome of power and substance. The skull is domed and the eyes are tightly rimmed. The neck is fairly short, while the body is relatively long and the topline level. A hallmark of this breed are the double dewclaws on the hind legs (also to be found on the Briard and sometimes on the Tibetan Mastiff). The long plumed tail may be carried well up in action, sometimes making a full circle. Fore and hind quarters should be moderately angulated with elbows free; the hind feet may turn slightly out but without the dog being cow hocked.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
For those who are happy to have a dog that varies in weight from 40-50kg (60-110lb) minimum with dogs frequently over, Pyreneans make wonderful protective family companions and as such are prone to barking. They get on well with other dogs and enjoy both city and country life. Due to their size, moderate exercise and good food is necessary during their growing period. Exercise should increase once they are of adult age. Periodic brushing is required to remove the dead hair from both undercoat and outercoat, and to keep the dog comfortable.
HISTORY
Descending from the Asian Mastiff family, the ancestry of this breed goes back thousands of years and canine historians debate the exact path of descent. They are believed to have arrived in Europe in the lst century BC when the Phoenicians were trading with Spain, and from there, made their way northwards to the Pyrenean Mountains. Wearing large spiked collars, they proved their worth defending herds from wolves and other predators. French writers in the l400s recorded that these dogs were so valuable in guarding the French chateaux, that King Louis XIV adopted them as the Royal Dog of France.