Great Pyrenees
Myths and Facts
Under Construction
Myths and Facts
Under Construction
Myth: Great Pyrenees (Pyrs) are herding dogs.
Fact: Pyrs are livestock guardian dogs (LGD), not herding dogs. They patrol the area, guard and protect their charges. They do not drive or herd them from place to place. There have been cases where one or more LGDs would go to check out a disturbance or drive away/kill predators while one or two stay behind and guard the flock, leading or pushing the sheep/goats to a safer area. That is not herding. One does not want their LGD to chase/herd stock. Young LGDs may play/chase, a behavior which will get them corrected by older LGDs and should be corrected by the owner. Prey drive is NOT desirable in Pyrs or other LGDs.
Myth: Great Pyrenees will not breed with other breeds, mixes or other types of canines. Males will keep other males from breeding with "his" female.
Fact: Pyrs, like any other dog, will most certainly breed with other purebreds, mixed breeds and occasionally other types of canines like coyotes or wolves.
Myth: Great Pyrenees should have a square, blocky head, this is called a bear head.
Fact: The breed standard is taken from the requirements of the old French shepherds whose families bred Pyrs as livestock guardians for hundreds and hundreds of years. Their livelihoods and therefore lives depended on wonderful guardian dogs. They required a true bear head type with a long muzzle and no apparent stop. This head type is better suited for biting and holding predators. The head was described as that of a Pyrenean Brown Bear with the ears falling down. When a bear head is viewed in profile, one can see that there is no apparent stop between the forehead and muzzle, and that there is a good length of muzzle. The incorrect "bear head" promoted by people who are not familiar with the breed and with their history and true guardian nature, seems to be that of a stuffed teddy bear. Pyrs are not meant to sport the head type of a Saint Bernard or Newfoundland. By the same token, Pyrs should also not have a foxy appearance.
Myth: Some Great Pyrenees can be black or black and white. Only froo-froo show people who don't know anything about livestock guardians, have a problem with black Pyrs.
Fact: Again, the breed standard is taken from the requirements of the old French shepherds whose families bred Pyrs as livestock guardians for hundreds and hundreds of years. Their livelihoods and therefore lives depended on wonderful guardian dogs. They allowed for pure white and principally white dogs with markings of badger, wolfgray (gray), tan and red (reddish brown). While dark gray can appear black and while there may be some black tipped hairs in markings, hairs that were black to the root were considered a sign of impurity which could mean a mix with something that would have a high prey drive or lack the ability to think for itself and protect its charges.
Myth: Great Pyrenees can work on their own, on thousands of acres.
Fact: Pyrs were always bred to work in their own pack of guardians, with human shepherds in the vicinity. They are able to think for themselves, make decisions and work with their pack members to defend their flock. They are also capable of "holding down the fort" for a few days while the shepherds go back to the village. However, they cannot effectively work with only one, two or three dogs, on thousands of acres of rangeland, with thousands of head of stock, large wolf packs around every corner and no food. No LGD breed was ever meant to do that in Europe. However, certain agencies in the US and other unknowledgeable people have spread these falsehoods across the New World leaving both livestock and dogs at the mercy of overpowering packs, starvation and weather.
Fact: Pyrs are livestock guardian dogs (LGD), not herding dogs. They patrol the area, guard and protect their charges. They do not drive or herd them from place to place. There have been cases where one or more LGDs would go to check out a disturbance or drive away/kill predators while one or two stay behind and guard the flock, leading or pushing the sheep/goats to a safer area. That is not herding. One does not want their LGD to chase/herd stock. Young LGDs may play/chase, a behavior which will get them corrected by older LGDs and should be corrected by the owner. Prey drive is NOT desirable in Pyrs or other LGDs.
Myth: Great Pyrenees will not breed with other breeds, mixes or other types of canines. Males will keep other males from breeding with "his" female.
Fact: Pyrs, like any other dog, will most certainly breed with other purebreds, mixed breeds and occasionally other types of canines like coyotes or wolves.
Myth: Great Pyrenees should have a square, blocky head, this is called a bear head.
Fact: The breed standard is taken from the requirements of the old French shepherds whose families bred Pyrs as livestock guardians for hundreds and hundreds of years. Their livelihoods and therefore lives depended on wonderful guardian dogs. They required a true bear head type with a long muzzle and no apparent stop. This head type is better suited for biting and holding predators. The head was described as that of a Pyrenean Brown Bear with the ears falling down. When a bear head is viewed in profile, one can see that there is no apparent stop between the forehead and muzzle, and that there is a good length of muzzle. The incorrect "bear head" promoted by people who are not familiar with the breed and with their history and true guardian nature, seems to be that of a stuffed teddy bear. Pyrs are not meant to sport the head type of a Saint Bernard or Newfoundland. By the same token, Pyrs should also not have a foxy appearance.
Myth: Some Great Pyrenees can be black or black and white. Only froo-froo show people who don't know anything about livestock guardians, have a problem with black Pyrs.
Fact: Again, the breed standard is taken from the requirements of the old French shepherds whose families bred Pyrs as livestock guardians for hundreds and hundreds of years. Their livelihoods and therefore lives depended on wonderful guardian dogs. They allowed for pure white and principally white dogs with markings of badger, wolfgray (gray), tan and red (reddish brown). While dark gray can appear black and while there may be some black tipped hairs in markings, hairs that were black to the root were considered a sign of impurity which could mean a mix with something that would have a high prey drive or lack the ability to think for itself and protect its charges.
Myth: Great Pyrenees can work on their own, on thousands of acres.
Fact: Pyrs were always bred to work in their own pack of guardians, with human shepherds in the vicinity. They are able to think for themselves, make decisions and work with their pack members to defend their flock. They are also capable of "holding down the fort" for a few days while the shepherds go back to the village. However, they cannot effectively work with only one, two or three dogs, on thousands of acres of rangeland, with thousands of head of stock, large wolf packs around every corner and no food. No LGD breed was ever meant to do that in Europe. However, certain agencies in the US and other unknowledgeable people have spread these falsehoods across the New World leaving both livestock and dogs at the mercy of overpowering packs, starvation and weather.