Pyrenean Mountain Dog

		Pyrenean Mountain Dog
		FCI standard Nº 137

Origin		France
Translation		Mrs Pamela Jeans-Brown, revised by Raymond Triquet and Alain Pécoult)
Group		Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer type dogs, Molossoids and mountain dogs and Swiss mountain dogs
Section		Section 2.2 Molossoids, mountain type.
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Tuesday 25 January 1955
Publication of the official valid standard		Tuesday 13 March 2001
Last update		Thursday 31 March 2005
En français, cette race se dit		Chien de montagne des Pyrénées
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Pyrenäen Berghund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro de montaña de los Pirineos
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Pyreneese Berghond

Usage

Pastoral guardian in the mountains.

Brief historical summary

Present in the Pyrenees from time immemorial, known in the Middle Ages and used as a guardian of castles, it is mentioned by Gaston Phoebus in the 14th century. Already appreciated as a companion dog in the 17th century, it reached glorious heights at the court of Louis XIV. The first detailed description of this breed dates from 1897 in the book by Count de Bylandt. Ten years later the first breed clubs were set up and in 1923 the Réunion of Pyrenean Dog Fanciers ( Réunion des Amateurs de Chiens Pyrénées – R.A.C.P.), at the instigation of Mr Bernard Sénac-Lagrange, registered the official standard with the SCC (Société Centrale Canine, French K.C.) the current standard is still very close to the standard worked out in 1923, only a few clarifying amendments having been made.

General appearance

Dog of great size, imposing and strongly built, but not without a certain elegance.

Important proportions

The widest part of the skull is equal to its length.
The muzzle is slightly Shorter than the skull.
The length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock is slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers.
The depth of the chest is equal to, or slightly less than, half the height at the withers.

Behaviour / temperament

Used on its own to guarantee the protection of flocks from attacks by predators, its selection depended on its aptitude for guarding and dissuading as much as on its attachment to the flock. The resulting main qualities are strength and agility, allied to gentleness and attachment to those it is protecting. This protecting dog has a propensity for independence and a sense of initiative which demand a certain degree of authority from its owner.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Not too large in comparison with the size of the dog. Its sides are fairly flat.
Skull		The widest part of the skull is equal to its length. It is slightly rounded due to the sagittal crest being perceptible to the touch. Because the occipital protuberance is apparent, the back of the skull has on ogival shape. Superciliary ridges are not pronounced. The median furrow is scarcely perceptible to the touch between the eyes.
Stop		Gentle slope.

Facial region
Nose		Totally black.
Muzzle		Broad, slightly shorter than the skull, narrowing progressively towards the tip. Seen from above it forms a blunt “V”. Well filled below the eyes.
Lips		Not very droopy, just enough to cover the lower jaw. Black or heavily marked with black, as is the palate.
Jaws and teeth		Complete dentition with healthy, white teeth. Scissors bite (upper incisors overlapping lower incisors without losing contact). Pincer bite tolerated as are the two lower pincers tipping forward.
Eyes		Rather small, almond-shaped, set slightly obliquely, with intelligent and contemplative expression, of amber-brown colour. Eyelids never loose. Gentle, dreamy look.
Ears		Set on level with the eye, fairly small, triangular in shape and rounded at the tip. They fall flat against the head and are carried slightly raised when the dog is alert.

Neck

Strong, relatively short, with very little dewlap.

Body
Body		The length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock is slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers. The distance between the sternum and the ground is approximately half the height at the withers, never less.
Upper profile		Well-supported.
Withers		Broad.
Back		Of good length and strong.
Loin		Of moderate length.
Croup		Slightly oblique with fairly prominent haunches.
Chest		Not too low, but broad and long. Let down as far as the elbow but not lower. Its height is equal to or slightly less than half the height of the dog at the withers.
Ribs		The ribs are slightly rounded.
Side		Scarcely pronounced.

Tail

It reaches at least as far as the point of the hock. It is bushy and forms a plume. Carried low in repose with its tip forming a hook for preference. When the dog is alert, the tail rises towards the back, forming a strong circle with only the tip touching the loins (making the wheel “arroundera” to quote the expression used by the people of the Pyrenees).

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Upright, strong.
Shoulders		Moderately oblique.
Upper arm		Well muscled and moderately long.
Forearm		Straight, strong and well-fringed.
Carpal		The wrist is in line with the forearm.
Pastern		Slightly oglique.
Forefeet		Not long, compact, with slightly arched toes. The front legs sometimes have single or double dewclaws.

Hindquarters
Generality		The hind legs have long, more abundant fringes than the forelegs. Seen from behind, they are perpendicular to the ground.
Upper thigh		Well muscled, not very long and moderately oblique, well-defined muscle.
Lower thigh		Of moderate length, strong.
Stifle		Moderately angulated and parallel to the body.
Hock		Broad, lean, moderately angulated.
Hind feet		Not long, compact, with slightly arched toes. The hind legs cach have double well-formed dewclaws.

Gait and movement

The movement of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is powerful and free, it is never ponderous, the movement is extended rather than fast, and not without a certain suppleness and elegance. The angulation of the dogs permits an unflagging gait.

Skin

Thick and supple, often showing patches of pigmentation over the whole body.

Coat
Hair		Well-furnished, flat, quite long and supple, rather crisp on the shoulders and back, longer on the tail and around the neck where it can be slightly wavy. The trouser hair, finer and woollier, is very thick. The undercoat is also thick.
Colour		White or white with patches appearing grey (badger or wolf) or pale yellow or orange (arrouye) on the head, ears, base of the tail and sometimes on the body. The most appreciated are badger grey patches.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males from 70 cm to 80 cm, females from 65 cm to 75 cm. A tolerance of + 2 cm is allowed for perfectly typed specimens.
Weight		About 60 kg for males and 45 kg for females.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

General appearance giving the impression of heaviness, without distinction.

Flat, flabby, sluggish dog.

Head too heavy, rectangular in shape.

Skull too broad, bulging forehead.

Stop too pronounced or non-existent.

Lips too pendulous forming flews.

Insufficient pigmentation on the nose; eye-rims and lips.

Eyes round, light, deep-set or prominent, too large or too small, set too close together or too far apart.

Third eyelid visible.

Hard expression.

Ears broad, long, curled, folded, carried too far back, set high.

Neck slender, a little long or on the contrary, too short, giving the impression that the head is sunk into the shoulders.

Too much dewlap.

Body sway or roach-backed dipping, whippety or drooping belly.

Chest too broad or too narrow, slab-sided or, on the contrary, barrel-chested.

Tail not enough furnishing or carried badly, too short or too long, without a plume, not “making the wheel” in action, or making it continuously, even in repose.

Forequarters turning out or turning in.

Too open a scapulo-humeral angle.

Hindquarters turning out or in.

Hock too straight or too angulated.

Feet long or splayed.

Coat short or curly, silky, soft or lack of undercoat.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy.

Nose not completely black.

Over or undershot, or any malformation of the jaws.

Flesh colour on the eye-rims.

Yellow eyes.

No dewclaws or single dewclaw or atrophied double dewclaws on hind feet.

Any colour not specified in the standard.

Outside the limits.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Detailed history

The Mountain Dog of the Pyrenees is the most famous French dog in the world. He is also, like the little Pyrenean Shepherd with whom it is sometimes confused, the one who stayed closest to his regional roots.

As evidenced by the discovery of bones of such dogs in archaeological sites dating from 1800 to 1000 BC. -C., The Mountain of the Pyrenees would be present in the high valleys of the south-west of France since the Bronze Age, discovery which at the same time destroys the thesis of some authors that this dog was introduced in Spain by the Phoenicians, especially by their counter of Cadiz. The Mountain of the Pyrenees, implanted thus in this region of France, would have left it, except for some exceptional and noticed circumstances, that for a hundred years.

As for its origins proper, it is very likely that its ancestor comes from Central Asia and descends from the Tibetan Mastiff. If the road is long from the Tibetan highlands to the Pyrenees, it is nonetheless lined with mountain dogs whose relatives are more than obvious with the Patou (nickname affectionate but derogatory given to the race by the mountaineers Pyrenean), kinship that the famous dog specialist Senac-Lagrange had already noticed since 1908. Thus, from Afghanistan to Turkey, while passing by Iran and the Caucasus, then from Yugoslavia to the high reliefs Spanish and Portuguese, while passing by Czechoslovakia, the Alps and the Pyrenees, evolve various types of dogs similar in many points and which answer to the names of Leonberg, Shepherd of the Tatras, Shepherd of Abruzzes and Maremma, Kuvasz, Komondor, Saint-Bernard and Mountain Dog of Pyrenees.

Even more significantly, the map of distribution of mountain dogs in Europe faithfully reproduces that concerning the presence of the last great predators, such as bears, lynxes and wolves (which can not be found today, only in some parts of Central and Eastern Europe), which clearly shows that the primary role assigned to these dogs was the defense of herds. No doubt, mountain dogs have had a much wider spread, but their natural habitat is in the most inaccessible and wildest areas, where people have long lived on the basis of a traditional pastoral economy.

The case of the Mountain of the Pyrenees is in this respect exemplary, since the wolves coming from Spain have, until a recent period; the last wolf of the Pyrenees was killed in 1885; represented a real danger to the flocks. According to Hubbard, they "flooded" the valleys of the French side of the Pyrenees. But also, and above all, the Pyrenean chain has proved the last refuge of bears (whose too few specimens that we try to save no longer represent a danger). The "bear god", moreover, considered in ancient pagan traditions as a symbol of power and fertility, haunted for centuries the collective imagination of mountaineers. Thus, the Pyrenees were the setting of a true mountain civilization, which does not have its equivalent in any other French region: in very rigorous conditions, sometimes implying a real misery, the Pyrenean mountaineers clung, with as many obstinacy as pride, breeding herds very often ethical, to maintain their independence. In this difficult situation, which still marked the daily life of many Pyrenean villages in the eighteenth century, the large white dogs, watching over these meager herds and their obstinate pastors, were an essential element of survival for the mountain communities. The large size of the Pyrenean Dog (it was four times larger than the sheep which it ensured the safety) may seem paradoxical, given the indigence of its food based on milk and cheese crusts. In fact, perhaps we have not looked enough at this phenomenon: we tend to think that progress in canine breeding and nutrition has led to an increase in the size of dogs; but this does not seem to apply to the Pyrenees Mountain, which, as the oldest photographic documents indicate, was once as much impressive as it is today; some even say he was even stronger.

The earliest written testimonies on the Mountain Dog of the Pyrenees date from the end of the 14th century: it is mentioned that certain representatives of the race kept from 1350 the castles of Foix, Orthez and Carcassonne. In 1407, says the historian Bourdette, this dog was used in the castle of Lourdes; he even specifies that the sentry-boxes were specially furnished for the accommodation of the dog and the watchman, and that the jailers of the castle prison were always accompanied by one or more of these dogs. Argotte de Molina and Gaston Phoebus, who call him "bear dog", show the Pyrenean with the famous iron collar bristling with long spikes, which prevented him from being strangled during the fighting with his formidable opponent.

The Mountain of the Pyrenees knew an unexpected notoriety in 1675, on the occasion of the trip of Mme de Maintenon to Eaux de Barèges, where she accompanied the young duke of Maine, son of Louis XIV and Mme de Montespan, then eight years, whose education she directed. The young duke took a friendship for a Patou and wanted to take him back to Versailles.

Two years later, the Marquis de Louvois, who had also come to the cure in the region, bought Betpouey a year-old subject, magnificent according to the chronicle, and caused a sensation at court. The Dog of the Pyrenees then enjoyed a certain vogue, as evidenced by a painting by François Desportes (1661 - 1743), official painter of hunts and royal dogs, which represents two specimens facing a wolf. The Pyrenean having been decreed "royal dog", many courtiers considered it fashionable to have one, for the care of their Parisian homes and their provincial castles.

In 1824, La Fayette sent a couple of these dogs to his American friend Skinner and, in a missive, warmly recommended the breed as "invaluable to sheep breeders in all areas exposed to wolf attacks and to the slaughtering dogs of lambs ". Unfortunately, at that time, these dogs did not strain overseas. It was not until the nineteenth century that the evidence on the Pyrenean Dog increased. They emanate from French and foreign cynologists, such as Brehm, the Earl of Bylandt, Pierre Mégnin, Benedict Henri Revoil, Hugh Dalziel, but also travel stories, reports, journal articles (the passion of the Romantics for the " wild beauty "of the mountain puts it in fashion, and the popularization of thermal cures brings many townspeople to discover the Pyrenean countries). Prints and postcards reproduce the most characteristic aspects of mountain civilization: the Pyrenean Dog is in a good position. If, on occasion, his role as an avalanche dog is recalled, this is his essential function; herdsman; which is then most often featured.

Already, in 1600, Olivier de Serres, in his Theater of agriculture and mesnage of the fields, opposed the dogs of "dark color", intended for the guard of the houses, and the white dogs which, "by the conformity of their color, converse easily with sheep and sheep ". This was a way too literary, no doubt, to appreciate the work of the Pyrenean Dog. Among the mountaineers, we see things more realistically: raising such dogs is to ensure effective guardians; provided they are of good breed.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, to be still empirical, the selection is none the less required of the connoisseurs, on the markets where, traditionally, the sales take place. The testimony of Commettant (quoted by Dr. Luquet) in 1808 is, in this respect, revealing: "Every Sunday, the shepherds went down to Cauterets where, on the market place, they were sure not to go back to their cabin. empty pockets if the dogs they brought were purebred. "

From about 1850, the fame of the Dog of the Pyrenees having definitely overflowed from its ancestral pastures, the cynophiles begin to be interested in the race. At the first French exhibition, organized by the Imperial Society of Acclimatization in 1863 at the Orangerie, several specimens are presented and two of them get a reward. Following the second exhibition, organized in Paris in 1865, the English cynologist Richardson notes: "The most remarkable among the guard dogs are the Dogs of the Pyrenees, which are large; their hair is hard, quite long and well furnished, their ears are drooping and their white coat with large orange, ocher or gray spots, especially on the head and neck; their tail is very bushy, they have blue eyes and double lugs. "

From then on, the breed is regularly presented in dog shows; well before then, the years 1906 - 1907, as it is sometimes claimed; even if the exposed specimens are often of very variable quality.

In 1874, in the newspaper L'Acclimatation, appears an article presumably written by de Kermadec, a cynophile warned, which has the merit of identifying the regions from which could be originated the most beautiful subjects and to signal the dangers of debasement and rarefaction that already weighed on the race. In contrast, it contrasts with the western Pyrenees dog, widespread in the region of Bagneres, white with black spots and rather squat, that of the eastern Pyrenees, which "is tall, has slender shapes, snout nose, ears pointed and drooping , the coat is soft, silky and abundant, a snow white with light gray spots or coffee-au-lait; usually, these spots exist only on the ears and on the face. In the latter case, it has a blackish band on each eye; often, too, it is entirely white. This type, perhaps the most beautiful of all French guard dogs, is, like all mountain dogs, remarkable for its vigor and vigilance. It was formerly widespread in the part of the Pyrenees which borders the department of Ariege and the Republic of Andorra, but it seems to be very rare today, if it is not completely destroyed. Fortunately, these remarks were somewhat pessimistic, since, at present, one still finds subjects typified not having as far of pedigree. The purest subjects were elsewhere in the sector Tarbes - Lourdes - Cauterets.

The merit of a first complete description of the "Patou" goes to the Count of Bylandt, the great Belgian cynologist; in 1897, he published in The Races of Dogs (a monumental work in two volumes) a draft standard, with illustrations in support. Overall, despite some errors (the "pointed" muzzle, or the back that can be "saddled"), the portrait corresponds to that of today's dogs, although two typical characteristics are not mentioned: the famous "Pyrenean expression" and the tail making the wheel ("arroundera", say the Pyrenees) when the dog is in action. Bylandt had the opportunity to check his appreciations on the ground, since he made, in 1907, a long trip in the Pyrenees, to accompany Théodore Dretzen, a powerful magnate of the press who had decided to devote his free time to the breeding of the Pyrenean Dog, on the advice of Dr. Pierre Mégnin. For two months, Dretzen and Bylandt traveled the Pyrenees in search of beautiful subjects, and they brought back several dogs in the Paris region. Passionate about his new breeder business, Dretzen did not spare his means: he built a model kennel in Bois-Colombes, including a kitchen, infirmary, bathrooms and drying rooms, and he surrounded his dogs attentions.

Original as it was, the action of this enlightened amateur, as fortunate as disinterested, contributed effectively to make known the race to the French cynophiles. Photos of the time show some of Dretzen's dogs, which are well typed, and his breeding (affix Zaïella) won the award of the President of the Republic. His enterprise gave rise to imitators; thus, following his trip to the Pyrenean country, a "Pyrenean Dog Club" was created in Argeles-Gazost, at the initiative of a breeder, M. Byasson, who published a pamphlet, the first of its kind, the history of the race.

At the same time, in 1907 Cauterets founded another club, the Pastour Club, around Baron A. de la Chevrelière, president, with the principal members Dr. Moulonguet and MM. Camajou and Sénac-Lagrange. This club also published a standard inspired by Bylandt's description. The efforts of these associations, too dispersed, could not stop a certain decline of the race, nor prevent the dissemination of topics more or less well typed, sold to tourists French and foreign, or even shipped to the north of France, Belgium and in Britain.

The First World War contributed to aggravate the situation of the race, because it decimated the ranks of dog breeders, as well as those of the mountaineers who maintained traditional breeding. After the turmoil, however, a very positive reaction occurred. In the early twenties, in fact, it was found that there was another Pyrenean race, that of the small Shepherd of the Pyrenees, and it was then that took shape the idea to jointly know these two pure products of the mountain, completely complementary in their traditional job, ensuring their selection; Especially since it was necessary to avoid scattering, as was the case before, the good wishes (a first club of the small Shepherd of the Pyrenees had been created in 1921). Hence the birth, in 1923, of the Meeting of Pyrenean dog lovers (RACP), under the leadership of Bernard Sénac-Lagrange, who took charge of the destiny of the two Pyrenean breeds: from the year of the creation of the Club, he published a newsletter, then had the association affiliated to the CCS; finally, after many studies, especially in the field, he wrote in 1927 a new standard, which is still current, with a few details (added, in 1970, a list of defects, endorsed by the International Cynological Federation in 1975, and some clarifications made in 1986, concerning the pigmentation of mucous membranes and truffles).

The Second World War was an opportunity to test the "warlike" qualities of the Pyrenees, since some units of alpine hunters, in France, were provided with dogs serving as liaison agents, for the transmission of messages (their whiteness made them virtually invisible in snowy landscapes). In the United States, the armed forces also mobilized Pyrenees. Nevertheless, the war greatly and durably contrasts the spread of the breed, especially in France.

Today, the Mountain has become rare in the Pyrenean chain; however, says Guy Mansencal, "he still lives there, certainly in limited numbers, since the last two wars, which, if they have altered some constants somewhat, have not however removed his biotype." It has also been the subject of renewed interest in France, thanks to the soap opera Belle et Sebastien, whose heroine was, we remember, a bitch of the Pyrenees (role played in France). made by two males). However, the promotional effect, temporary, is now exhausted, and the workforce is currently down. But the Pyrenees has made followers outside his homeland. The endearing nature of this dog and the outstanding services it can provide in mountain environments explain its worldwide distribution (which Sénac-Lagrange did not foresee). It is even, without doubt, the French race prevalent in the greatest number of countries.

In his native mountains, the Dog of the Pyrenees was called to tasks as numerous as varied: guardian of the castles of the South-West for more than six hundred years; he was also, when necessary, a pack dog, supplying even isolated villages, as reported by C. Douillard: "In Ariège, during a winter of the last war, a column of five or six Pyrenees crossed the valley covered with snow, loaded with small parcels. Information taken, these dogs were going to carry in an isolated village, cut of the world, supplies and objects of urgent necessity. "

These various and brilliant states of service must not, however, make us forget that, for centuries, the Mountain of the Pyrenees had for principal function to guarantee the safety of the herds; at the time when wolves, lynx and bears; not to mention the marauders; They were plentiful, he had to prevent these predators from taking an animal from the flock, and even to prevent one of them from approaching too closely, as the terrified animals might throw themselves into a cliff. Flock and shepherd having taken their nocturnal quarter, the Mountain, provided with its protective collar, stood guard; choosing a strategic location (a small nipple, for example, from where he watched the surrounding area), he performed regular rounds, continually launching his deep, powerful, sometimes deafened barking, always impressive and dissuasive even for the aggressors the more enterprising. He was above all a night-dog, discreet and calm during the day; and even sleepy, at least in appearance; but suddenly activating with twilight. Its effectiveness was proverbial: only one Mountain was enough to put to flight or to challenge the wolf or the lynx, but, specified Dralet in 1813, "it takes two or three to resist the attacks of the bears".

With the almost total disappearance of predators, the role of the Dog of the Pyrenees is so far become accessory, today, in its mountains? A sheep farmer exclaims: "The role of the Mountain is important in the prevention of all herd attacks by stray dogs or by foxes or even wild boars. "

This permanence of the ancestral qualities of the Pyrenean Dogs is confirmed in other mountainous regions, like those of Canada and the United States, where, put in competition with other races to watch over immense herds of sheep, has been shown to be very effective, even in the most delicate situations (in this respect, a subject named Ben, who has managed, alone, a 75 kg cougar) is mentioned.

The Mountain Guardian's abilities, which manifest themselves spectacularly when the herds are on pasture, also apply to the defense of buildings. Particularly valuable function in isolated farms; where, for centuries, one wondered if the stranger who approached was friend or foe. One of the least qualities of the Mountain is not to be able to distinguish, for sure, one and the other. "When, at night, a belated neighbor goes home, following the wall of the farm, the dog does not bark and does not even get up, because he knows what steps he hears every day," writes a connoisseur Patou, J. Dhers. "If the passer-by," he adds, "is a stranger, the dog goes to the entrance of the court and follows the man with his eyes; he lets him go away to a certain distance and does not worry about it anymore. But if the stranger enters the court, the dog escorts him by barking to warn his master, and he will not let him come near the house, the stables, or the locals, before the latter arrives. In the meantime, the unknown will do well to take care of his actions and to refrain from threats. "

Dhers further explains: "It is certain that delivered to itself, the good Dog of the Pyrenees attacks only at the last extremity, but then, nothing stops it. And he concludes: "I hold this dog for the best and safest guardian that exists because intelligent, observant, brave, cold and inaccessible to fear. "

Transposed in a more urban setting, the Mountain will do wonders if he is in charge of guarding a large property, in a park: sleeping peacefully in his corner during the day, he will be alert at dusk, and, all his senses awake, he will patrol in incessant rounds as long as the darkness reigns, answering with a dull bark, in the form of an ultimatum, at the least abnormal noise that will have alerted him.

The qualities of the Mountain still have their counterpart: it is necessary, given its temperament, to have it well in hand; for this dog, gentle but extremely mistrustful, knows how to be very cabochard on occasion. Also, "this born-born autonomist needs a hand-to-hand master whom he can respect and whose esteem will fill him", as correctly diagnosed by Dr. Millemann, veterinarian-counselor (and experienced breeder) of the RACP. Dog naturally domineering, and rather obedient, the Mountain must be educated very early and very firmly; it is particularly advisable to instil in him solid notions of recall, for he is willing to run away; which can be a source of trouble (for him, in particular) in an urbanized environment.

Towards his fellow creatures, Patou is generally not a model of tolerance. Some subjects even show a propensity to jump on any German Shepherd or related dog passing nearby; atavism, perhaps, of the old wolf hunter? On the other hand, the hostile demonstrations of the pugs leave it mostly indifferent.

His innate guardian qualities make the Mountain sufficiently aggressive; if the circumstances so require; and, in the opinion of all those who have a long practice of this dog, one should not try to increase his aggressiveness by a training. Building a Defense Mountain might even be dangerous, with heightened aggression and an immoderate taste for independence that can be an explosive mix. In fact, the manifestation of an authoritative firmness on the part of the teacher, and a balanced way of life, guarantee a satisfactory behavior of the Mountain, if the subject is of good quality.

If it is a little more bulky than many dogs called "companions", the Mountain can be very endearing. For who knows how to understand it; and it takes psychology, patience and common sense, for lack of "feeling", this dog, as brave as sweet, is not deprived in his hours of mischief, cheerfulness and a joyous indiscipline close to humor. These traits appear on reading A man and his dog, where Jean Nourry narrated with great verve his trouble with his Mountain during the last war. And, ideal companion of the man of action, the Dog of the Pyrenees also agrees with the contemplative, who knows how to appreciate the nonchalant elegance of his dog, to get lost in his unfathomable eyes and to dream with him deep nights where, in ancient times, the mountain rang the formidable bark of a Patou.

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Pyrenean Mountain Dog