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Breed Characteristics
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Pyrenean Shepherd
| Other Names | Berger des Pyrénées, Pastor de los Pirineos, Petit Berger, Pyrenees Sheepdog |
| Nicknames | Pyr Shep |
| Country of Origin | France |
| Weight | The ideal weight is as little as possible and in the standard it states that the ribs should be readily felt. This is especially important in a working or sport dog because they need to be as limber and agile as possible. The normal weight is about 20 pounds for the average sized dog, though it varies from 15 to 30 lbs. |
| Height (at withers) | Pyres vary in this category. Generally, the longhaired dogs are 15 to 18.5 inches at the withers. The smooth-faced dogs are sometimes larger, at 15-21 inches at the withers. |
| Coat | The coat has two basic varieties, smooth-faced and rough-faced (demi-long or long-haired). The smooth-faced variety has short, fine hairs on the muzzle, with a modest ruff around the face and neck, and some feathering along the legs, tail, and belly. In contrast, the rough-faced has longer hair on the muzzle and face, though never enough to cover or obscure the eyes or create a bearded effect, and demi-long or long, coarse hair over the rest of the body. The rough-faced dog can also form cords over his hindquarters and front legs. |
| Colour | Shades of fawn are most typical for the breed, either with or without black mask and overlay. Also very common are brindles and various shades of grey. Less common are merles of various kinds (blue merle, brindle merle, fawn merle), and black. All colours allow for some white at the head, chest, and feet, but solid colours are preferred. |
| Litter Size | Varies |
| Life Span | 10 - 14 years |
| Origin & History | After the first World War, the Pyrenean Shepherd, or "Pyr Shep", gained national recognition in France for their valiant work as couriers, search and rescue dogs, watch dogs, and company mascots. The smooth-faced Pyrenean Shepherd in its harlequin or blue merle colouration may have been one of the foundation breeds for the Australian Shepherd when sheep herders brought their sheepdogs to the American West when they flew to the United States as contract herders for the Western Range Association in the 1940s until the early 1970s. The Pyr Shep is not yet a well-known breed outside of its native France, but its size, intelligence, and attractive coat make it appealing. After one of its breed won the World Agility Championship for midsized dogs in 2003, it gained more attention as an intelligent performance dog for dog sports. On 24 January 2015, a male Pyrenean Shepherd, GCh (Grand Champion) La Brise Sun Bear, a dog (i.e., male), was awarded an AKC all-breed Best In Show (BIS). This was the first BIS since having been formally recognized by the AKC for competition (within the Herding Group) effective as of 1 January 2009 (6 years previously). |
| Personality | Like all breeds, the Pyrenean Shepherd’s temperament is a very complex matter. They vary greatly from different lines to different techniques used to raise them and how much exercise, both mental and physical, they are given. They are intelligent and are not the type of dog for an owner who does not wish to put a lot of time into keeping them mentally challenged and very well exercised. Owners should be warned that this breed was originally bred to alert the guard dogs of any possible threat. Because of this, they feel it is their duty to bark at anything and everything that comes within proximity of their yard or their people. There is a fine line between due suspicion and out of control fear-barking or aggressive-barking and dogs need to be taught what is acceptable barking and what is not. Even with proper socialization, Pyres can still go through a long teen phase where they are very cautious of people before they mature and settle down at around 2 years of age. Anyone wanting a Pyre needs to have the time and patience to possibly dedicate months to training and developing a well-adjusted dog. The reason they seem so obedient to people that meet them is because they are often only bought by very experienced, dedicated dog trainers that spend a lot of time and energy shaping the dog’s behavior. Anyone with little training experience that just wants a companion should either consider a less difficult breed or do a lot of research on dog behavior and positive training methods. |
Care Requirements
| Health | Luckily, this breed remains moderately healthy. All adult dogs should be evaluated for hip dysplasia and eye problems, though. Elbows and hearing may also be checked. |
| Grooming | The smooth-faced variety requires little grooming and has an average shedding coat. The rough-faced variety should be combed or brushed 1-2 times a week. It doesn’t shed hair onto furniture but hair will come out when it is being groomed. Sometimes, if a rough coat is not brushed, it will start to cord in the rear but will mat very badly behind the ears, elbows and belly. Also, snowballs tend to get stuck on the long hair on the belly and legs, and also in between the toes which can cause pain. Booties can be worn to prevent this, and hair between the pads should be kept short. |
| Exercise | This breed has endless stamina and needs daily exercise and training in order to remain happy and well behaved. You can mix it up: take a long hike one day, go swimming the next, go for jog, just take a long walk, play fetch, etc. The Pyre is happy when it can do something fun with its owner. Also, mental stimulation is just as important as physical stimulation. Just like children need to go to school, Pyres need to learn new things. They tend to learn new tricks very quickly, especially as puppies. Basic obedience training is useful and a solid recall needs to be drilled from puppyhood. Pyres enjoy sports such as agility, rally and herding, and they are very good at them as well. |
| Other Considerations | The Pyre can survive in any amount of space given to it. It is the amount of mental and physical stimulation that really makes a difference. If you are going to be away from home for more than a few hours at a time, the Pyre is probably not a good choice for you. It is not safe to leave it outside alone; many dogs will chew things when left alone at home for long periods of time. Remember that a tired dog is a good dog. Under-exercised dogs and those that do not get their minds properly challenged will be the dogs getting themselves into trouble. |
