Pyrenean Shepherd
Encyclopedia
The Pyrenean Shepherd is a medium-small breed
of dog
native to the Pyrenees mountains in southern France and northern Spain, bred since at least medieval times for herding
livestock, especially sheep. It worked as an active herder together with the Great Pyrenees, another mountain dog
, which acted as the flock's guardian.
The Pyrenean Shepherd is the smallest of the French herding dog
s. The breed comes in two varieties: Rough-faced and smooth-Faced. Rough-faced males are 15 ½ (39 cm) to 18 ½ (47 cm) inches at the withers, and rough-faced females are 15 (38 cm) to 18 (46 cm) inches. Smooth-faced males are 15 ½ (39 cm) to 21 (53 cm) inches at the withers, and smooth-faced females are 15 ½ (39 cm) to 20 ½ (52 cm) inches at the withers. The weight is between 15-32 lbs (7–15 kg), aiming for lithe and muscular, never fat.
The head is of small proportions in comparison to the dog, with a rather flat skull, and a somewhat short, triangular muzzle. The face is expressive and intelligent, with dark eyes, except in the case of merles or slate grey coat colour. Traditionally the dog's ears are cropped. If natural, the Pyrenean Shepherd should have semi-prick or rose ears. Naturally prick ears are not correct for the breed, and may indicate an outcross.
The body is long and lean, and should reflect the natural energetic athleticism of the dog. The legs are well proportioned, with lean, well-angulated, well-let-down hocks typical of a sure-footed mountain breed. The tail can be docked short, a natural bob-tail, or naturally long with a crook in the end, so long as its carried below the topline at rest and in motion.
and overlay. Also very common are brindle
s and various shades of grey. Less common are merles
of various kinds (blue merle, brindle merle, fawn merle), and black. All colors allow for some white at the head, chest and feet, but solid colors are preferred.
The Pyrenean Shepherd was designed to be a sheepdog
, and as such is full of the same sort of energy that other herding dogs have, but in a surprisingly small package. This adaptive dog wants to, and can, do all the jobs on the field, and is a natural herder. A dog that needs a job, its cleverness makes it ideal for other work and dog sports such as flyball
, competitive obedience
and agility
. This dog is good with children that they were brought up with. They have a sense of protector over the children.
Pyr Sheps are "one-man" dogs, attached and dedicated to their owners, with a desire to follow them around the house to help with daily chores. They sense every mood and often seem to be able to read their masters' minds, as they are constantly watchful. Because of this, they are extremely trainable.
Their natural wariness, while valuable in a herding dog that may need to alert their shepherd of strange animals or people, combined with their herding bossiness, can lead to shyness or aggression in even the most friendly puppy if not properly managed. Frequent socialization from a very young age can help counter this trait.
trials, obedience
, showmanship
, flyball
and tracking
events. On January 1, 2009 the breed became eligible to compete in herding
events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Pyr Sheps exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
rs or mats, to keep its coat in good condition.
After the first World War
, the Pyrenean gained national recognition in France for their valiant work as couriers, search and rescue
dogs, watch dog
s, and company mascot
s.
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.
It 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.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
native to the Pyrenees mountains in southern France and northern Spain, bred since at least medieval times for herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
livestock, especially sheep. It worked as an active herder together with the Great Pyrenees, another mountain dog
Mountain dog
Mountain dog is a generic form of canidae, dog, dog breed or landrace typically from mountain environs.They are often a working dog, particularly a livestock or flock guardian or farm dog. By and large, these dogs tend to have a claimed Molosser dog in their genetic heritage...
, which acted as the flock's guardian.
Appearance
Herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding...
s. The breed comes in two varieties: Rough-faced and smooth-Faced. Rough-faced males are 15 ½ (39 cm) to 18 ½ (47 cm) inches at the withers, and rough-faced females are 15 (38 cm) to 18 (46 cm) inches. Smooth-faced males are 15 ½ (39 cm) to 21 (53 cm) inches at the withers, and smooth-faced females are 15 ½ (39 cm) to 20 ½ (52 cm) inches at the withers. The weight is between 15-32 lbs (7–15 kg), aiming for lithe and muscular, never fat.
The head is of small proportions in comparison to the dog, with a rather flat skull, and a somewhat short, triangular muzzle. The face is expressive and intelligent, with dark eyes, except in the case of merles or slate grey coat colour. Traditionally the dog's ears are cropped. If natural, the Pyrenean Shepherd should have semi-prick or rose ears. Naturally prick ears are not correct for the breed, and may indicate an outcross.
The body is long and lean, and should reflect the natural energetic athleticism of the dog. The legs are well proportioned, with lean, well-angulated, well-let-down hocks typical of a sure-footed mountain breed. The tail can be docked short, a natural bob-tail, or naturally long with a crook in the end, so long as its carried below the topline at rest and in motion.
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.Color
Shades of fawn are most typical for the breed, either with or without black maskMelanistic mask
A melanistic mask is a dog coat pattern that gives the appearance of a mask on the dog's face. The hairs on the muzzle, and sometimes entire face or ears, are colored by eumelanin instead of pheomelanin pigment. Eumelanin is typically black, but may instead be brown, dark gray, or light gray-brown...
and overlay. Also very common are brindle
Brindle
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat...
s and various shades of grey. Less common are merles
Merle (coat colour in dogs)
Merle is a pattern in a dogs coat, though is commonly incorrectly referred to as a color.- Description :Merle can affect all coat colors but the colors most commonly seen that are affected are brown and black, when affected by merle they are usually called liver and blue, though some call liver red...
of various kinds (blue merle, brindle merle, fawn merle), and black. All colors allow for some white at the head, chest and feet, but solid colors are preferred.
Temperament
Herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding...
, and as such is full of the same sort of energy that other herding dogs have, but in a surprisingly small package. This adaptive dog wants to, and can, do all the jobs on the field, and is a natural herder. A dog that needs a job, its cleverness makes it ideal for other work and dog sports such as flyball
Flyball
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.Flyball is run in teams of four...
, competitive obedience
Obedience trial
An obedience trial is a dog sport in which a dog must perfectly execute a predefined set of tasks when directed to do so by his handler. According the American Kennel Club obedience regulations...
and agility
Dog agility
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
. This dog is good with children that they were brought up with. They have a sense of protector over the children.
Pyr Sheps are "one-man" dogs, attached and dedicated to their owners, with a desire to follow them around the house to help with daily chores. They sense every mood and often seem to be able to read their masters' minds, as they are constantly watchful. Because of this, they are extremely trainable.
Their natural wariness, while valuable in a herding dog that may need to alert their shepherd of strange animals or people, combined with their herding bossiness, can lead to shyness or aggression in even the most friendly puppy if not properly managed. Frequent socialization from a very young age can help counter this trait.
Activities
Pyrenean Shepherds can compete in dog agilityDog agility
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
trials, obedience
Obedience training
Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. Obedience training ranges from very basic training, such as teaching the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay", to high level competition...
, showmanship
Dog showmanship
Dog showmanship is a set of skills and etiquette used by handlers of dogs in a dog competition. Dog showmanship is not a competition in itself but a qualification of the handler to present a dog to its best advantage. Skills are technical as well as artistic...
, flyball
Flyball
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.Flyball is run in teams of four...
and tracking
Tracking (dog)
Tracking is a technique in which dogs are trained to locate certain objects, such as a downed bird, using the object's scent. Many bird and rabbit hunters train their dogs in tracking. The scent hounds are generally regarded as having the best tracking abilities among all dog breeds.In dog sports,...
events. On January 1, 2009 the breed became eligible to compete in herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Pyr Sheps exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
Care
Pyr Sheps needs only a weekly brush, as well as regular checks for burBUR
BUR may refer to:* Bur, a saying by Gucci Mane* Burs , a Germanic tribe* Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California * Burmese language * Burkina Faso...
rs or mats, to keep its coat in good condition.
History
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Pyrenean gained national recognition in France for their valiant work as couriers, search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
dogs, watch dog
Guard dog
A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
s, and company mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s.
The smooth-faced Pyrenean Shepherd in its harlequin
Harlequin
Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
or blue merle
Merle (coat colour in dogs)
Merle is a pattern in a dogs coat, though is commonly incorrectly referred to as a color.- Description :Merle can affect all coat colors but the colors most commonly seen that are affected are brown and black, when affected by merle they are usually called liver and blue, though some call liver red...
colouration may have been one of the foundation breeds for the Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherd
The Australian shepherd is a breed of herding dog that was developed on ranches in the Western United States. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not originate in Australia They acquired their name because some of the Australian sheepdogs arrived in the United States with...
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.
It is not yet a well-known breed outside of its native France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but its size, intelligence, and attractive coat make it appealing. After one of its breed won the World Agility
Dog agility
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
Championship for midsized dogs in 2003, it gained more attention as an intelligent performance dog for dog sports.