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Height:
Rough: 15.5 to 18.5 inches (male); 15 to 18 inches (female). Smooth: 15.5 to 21 inches (male); 15.5 to 20.5 inches (female).
Size:
Small.
Weight:
15 to 35 pounds (male); 15 to 32 (female).
Availability:
Difficult to find.
History:
In the remote and rugged Pyrenees Mountains, along the border
between France and Spain, the agile and alert Pyrenean Shepherd
(pronounced peer-en-ee-en, with the stress on the second syllable)
is still an indispensable farm dog and sheep herder today, as
he has been for centuries. Farmers often pair the imposing Great
Pyrenees, bred to guard the flocks, with the much smaller Pyrenean
Shepherd, bred to herd them.
The Pyrenean Shepherd is an ancient
breed—sheep and goat herding were so well established
in the Pyrennes by 4000 BC that the region already showed the
effects of overgrazing. Medieval tracts often mention the shepherds’
constant canine companions, and some artwork shows dogs of the
same type as today’s Pyrenean Shepherd, even down to the ear
crop.
In the 19th century, several Pyrenean Shepherds accompanied
flocks of sheep imported to North America from the Pyrenees.
Some of these were smooth-faced blue merles that may have served
as foundation stock for the Australian Shepherd. In the 1970’s
and 80’s more breeding stock was imported into the United States,
and in 1987, the Pyrenean Shepherd Club of America was established.
Though still relatively rare outside his native France, the
vivacious Pyrenean Shepherd, also called the Pyr Shep, is gaining
devotees in several other countries. The breed was officially
recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1992, and as of January 1, 2009, the Pyrenean Shepherd moves from the AKC Miscellaneous Class to the AKC Herding Group.
Description:
The Pyrenean Shepherd is a small, high-energy, lean and sinewy
dog with a vivacious, intelligent, and slightly mischievious
expression. This lightweight athlete ideally should be the minimum
possible weight for his height. The Pyr Shep comes in two varieties,
the rough-faced (museau normal) and the smooth-faced (face-rase),
which can be born in the same litter. In the rough-faced variety,
the long hair on the face should have a blown-back look, giving
the impression that the dog is always facing into the wind.
In longer haired rough-faced Pyr Sheps, the coat can form natural
cords. The smooth-faced variety does not have any long hair
on the face, and though its coat is still fairly long, it’s
generally shorter on the body than in the rough faced variety,
with feathering on the back of the legs. Both varieties generally
have double dewclaws on the hind legs.
Traditionally, the Pyrenean
Shepherd’s ears are cropped straight across, about a third of
the way down the ear, and the tail is docked. This practice
originated in the Pyrenees to protect the dog from injury and
infection while out working in the rugged countryside, however,
neither docking nor cropping is a requirement for showing in
the United States. Natural ears are rose or semi-prick (with
approximately the top third to one half the ear falling forward
or to the side). If the tail is left undocked, it should either
be a natural bobtail or of sufficient length to reach the hock,
with a crook in the end. The tail should not be carried above
the line of the back, even when the dog is excited.
The top
of the skull is almost flat, about as wide as it is deep, with
a central furrow. The muzzle is wedge-shaped and slightly shorter
than the length of the skull. There is no apparent stop. The
head is generally triangular, similar to that of a brown bear.
The mucous membranes of the mouth are black or heavily marked
with black, and the nose and eye rims are black. The almond-shaped
eyes are dark brown, except in blue merles, brindle merles,
fawn merles and slate gray dogs, where the eyes can be all or
part blue. A scissors bite is strongly preferred in the show
ring, but a level bite is permitted.
The neck is long and muscular,
blending nicely into the shoulders. The body is longer than
the height at the withers for the rough faced variety and squarer
in the smooth-faced. The chest reaches only to the elbow. The
points of the shoulder blades should extend above the back.
The line of the back itself is level, except at the loin, which
arches higher. In rough-faced dogs the arch can be accentuated
by the thick coat.
The Pyrenean Shepherd gets its power from
excellent angulation in the rear—the long second thigh
leading to a short hock gives the dog excellent leverage. This
results in an efficient stride with a great deal of reach and
drive that is very pleasing to the eye. Yet in spite of all
the power of his gait, the Pyr Shep’s feet should not rise far
from the ground. In fact, the French say the Pyr Shep "shaves
the meadow". When the Pyrenean Shepherd has the correct distinctive
gait, the French call it "allure Pyrénéenne" (Pyrenean allure).
Notes:
The Pyrenean Shepherd looks like it would be difficult to groom,
but in fact the coat requires less attention than you would
think. If the dog’s coat forms cords, they need to be split
a few times a year to prevent them from getting too thick. An
experienced breeder can help novices learn how to do this. On
non-corded dogs, a good combing or brushing once every week
or two is generally sufficient, though the coat can vary quite
a bit in the breed. Bathing should be kept to an absolute minimum,
in order not to ruin the coat texture.
This breed needs extensive
off-leash exercise. A good hour of off-leash walking through
the countryside or a park where the dog can run off his seemingly
boundless energy several times a week is strongly recommended.
The Pyrenean Shepherd is a very healthy breed, however, there
have been occasional occurences of hip dysplasia, epilepsy,
sub-luxated patella, PDA, and PRA. All breeding stock should
be tested for these conditions and those testing positive should
be removed from breeding programs. The Pyrenean Shepherd tends
to be quite long-lived; it’s not unusual for individuals to
live into their late teens.
You may hear three different names
when people talk about this breed: Pyrenean Shepherd, Pyr Shep,
or Berger des Pyrénées (the French name).
Personality:
Lively, alert, and clever, mischievous, yet biddable, the Pyrenean
Shepherd is very loyal and devoted to his master and family
and wants to be involved in all family activities. A highly
intelligent breed, the Pyrenean Shepherd can learn almost anything
and tends to excel at performance events such as herding, obedience,
agility, tracking, and even ring sport.
To perform at the highest
levels, Pyr Sheps need a very close working relationship with
their owner and a sense that the activity is a shared project.
Pyrenean Shepherds have their own style of herding, very different
from that of Border Collies. The breed can be somewhat sensitive
to correction and does best with an experienced owner and consistent,
positive training methods such as clicker training.
Naturally
impish and playful, the Pyrenean Shepherd usually gets along
well with children if socialized with them thoroughly from puppyhood.
Pyr Sheps also tend to be good with other pets in the family,
though training is generally needed to help them learn to control
their herding impulses.
The Pyrenean Shepherd is a good watchdog,
and will bark a warning whenever it seems necessary. However,
to keep this useful trait from becoming a nuisance, owners should
train their dogs at an early age not to bark excessively and
to stop barking on command.
Because this breed has lived in
relative isolation for centuries in areas where strangers were
not necessarily welcome, the Pyrenean Shepherd is naturally
distrustful and wary of people and dogs outside the family unit.
They tend to be one-family dogs, so in order to fit well into
modern society, Pyrenean Shepherds need extensive early and
ongoing socialization with all manner of people, animals, and
situations. Owners should be sure to give puppies extensive
positive social stimulation with people from the start. Even
when properly socialized, some Pyr Sheps may not be friendly
outside the family group.
Behavior:
Children: Good with children only when raised with them from
puppyhood.
Friendliness: Very wary of strangers—highly protective.
Trainability: Very easy to train.
Independence: Needs people a lot.
Dominance: High.
Other Pets: Good with other pets if raised with them from puppyhood.
Combativeness: Can be a bit dog-aggressive.
Noise: Likes to bark.
Grooming and Physical Needs:
Grooming: Regular grooming needed.
Trimming & Stripping: No trimming or stripping needed.
Coat: Medium-long coat (rough); Feathered coat (smooth).
Shedding: Average shedder.
Docking/Cropping: The ears are customarily cropped and the tail is customarily docked.
Exercise: Needs lots of exercise.
Jogging: A good jogging companion.
Indoors: Moderately active indoors.
Apartments: Will be okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised.
Outdoor Space: A small yard is sufficient.
Climate: Does well in most climates.
Owner: Not recommended for novice owners.
Longevity: Long (15+ years).
Talents:
Herding, retrieving (frisbee, balls), watchdog, search & rescue, agility, obedience, tracking, hearing assistant, performing tricks.
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