Possibly the best known of the livestock guardian breeds, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is an immensely strong, huge, heavy bodied dog with a thick coat. Despite their size they should be elegant and well balanced with a smooth movement driven by powerful hindquarters.
| Lifespan: | 10 – 12 years |
| Weight: | 36 – 54kg |
| Height: | 66 – 81cm |
| Colours: | They are typically white or white with patches of badger, wolf-grey, lemon, orange or tan on their heads, ears and root of the tail |
| Size: | Large |
| UK Kennel Club Groups: | Pastoral |
| Family-friendly: | 4/5 |
| Exercise needs: | 5/5 |
| Easy to train: | 1/5 |
| Tolerates being alone: | 3/5 |
| Likes other pets: | 4/5 |
| Energy level: | 5/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 4/5 |
| Shedding: | 5/5 |
Whilst Pyreneans can make affectionate and loving companions to their families, they are inclined toward aggression to strange dogs, particularly those of a similar size. Strangers will be at best mistrusted and at worst, a Pyrenean may react aggressively to those they deem unwelcome and threatening, so careful socialisation and training is advised.
Often described as headstrong and stubborn, the reality is that this is a bred long bred for a willingness to use aggression if they think necessary and an independent nature, ready to make decisions for themselves without the input of their owners. This means they really are not suitable for first-time owners as they are hard to motivate in training and must be managed very carefully.
Country of Origin: France
From the French side of the Pyrenean Mountains, the exact history of the breed is unknown, but we do know they have been used as a livestock guardian breed to protect sheep and cattle grazing the mountains for millennia. Fossils suggestive of this breed type predating the Bronze Age (1800-1000BC) have been found.
These dogs were generally taken as very young puppies (sometimes as young and four or five weeks old) and placed with the sheep so that they will think of them as family and bond very closely to them - and then will protect them. They were often helped in this job by being given a fearsome looking spiked iron collar to help protect their throat from wolf attacks.
Exactly which breeds contributed to the Pyrenean Mountain Dog are unknown, but it is likely that the Kuvasz of Hungary, the Anatolian Sheepdog of Turkey, and the Maremma Sheepdog of Italy were involved, all being very similar types with a similarly long history. Prior to the French Revolution, the Pyrenean was also used to guard French Chateaus and these dogs were also used by smugglers in the late 19th century, as they could carry heavy backpacks of forbidden goods across the Pyrenees, taking paths impassable to humans and so avoiding customs or checkpoints. And even if officials did spot them, nobody was going to argue with a dog this big!
