Great Pyrenees
The Pyr is a beautiful descendant of the Molossian hounds that were brought to Spain by the Romans and became established in the Pyrenean Mountains on the Franco-Spanish border. There, the dogs bred pure for centuries. They guarded fortresses and were often left alone for days at a time to protect sheep from predators. In many countries, the breed is known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog. During the reign of Louis XIV, the Pyr was made the official court dog. But little was seen of the breed outside its homeland until the 1930s, when excellent breeding stock was imported to the United States. The breed standard as adopted in France was accepted as the model of the breed in English-speaking countries. The Pyr is large and majestic. Males measure up to 32 inches at the shoulder and weigh about 100 pounds. The outer coat is long, thick, flat and weather resistant, and there is a dense, woolly, close-fitting undercoat. Colours are white or white with badger, reddish brown, grey or tan markings. Lots of brushing is needed to remove dead hair. Because this is essentially an outdoor breed, almost constant shedding can be a problem with the Pyr who spends part of the time indoors. On the credit side, he makes a gentle family dog, very protective and easily trained. Surprisingly for such a large dog, the Pyr has a small appetite.
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