Dog
Group:
Working 
Great Pyrenees Champions
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Breed Description:
The Great Pyrenees breed of dog is intelligent, loyal and companionable, with a beautifully thick, weather resistant white coat that may contain markings of badger, gray, or various shades of tan. He is an excellent, albeit independent-minded, worker and is highly protective, and his large size can be imposing. New owners should be prepared to deal with barking as a protective mechanism. The head of the Great Pyrenees breed of dog is wedge shaped, with a slightly rounded crown. His expression is elegant, intelligent and contemplative, with medium size dark brown eyes, almond shaped, and smallish V-shaped earns carried close to the head. His lips are tight fitting, with an upper lip just covering the lower lip. There is a strong lower jaw. The nose and lips are black. A scissors bite is preferred, but a level bite is acceptable. The Great Pyrenees breed of dog has a strongly muscled neck of medium length, with minimal dewlap. His backline is level, chest is moderately broad, and back and loin are broad with some tuck-up. The croup is gently sloping with the tail set on just below the level of the back. His tail is well plumed, carried low in repose and may be carried over the back when aroused. His shoulders are well laid back, well muscled, and lie close to the body. Each foreleg carries a single dewclaw. His front feet are rounded and well padded, with well arched toes. His thighs are muscular, and legs balanced with the frame. Double dewclaws are located on each rear leg. The rear feet have a structural tendency to toe out slightly. The weather resistant double coat consists of a long, flat, thick, outer coat of coarse hair, straight or slightly undulating, and lying over a dense, fine, woolly undercoat. The coat is more profuse about the neck and shoulders where it forms a ruff or mane. Longer hair on the tail forms a plume. There is feathering along the back of the front legs and along the back of the thighs. The hair on the face and ears is shorter and of finer texture. The coat may be white or white with markings of gray, badger, reddish brown, or varying shades of tan. Markings of varying size may appear on the ears, head (including a full face mask), tail, and as a few body spots. The undercoat may be white or shaded. The Great Pyrenees breed of dog moves smoothly and elegantly, true and straight ahead, exhibiting both power and agility.
Temperament:
The Great Pyrenees breed of dog is wary of strangers but utterly devoted to his people and flock. Indeed, he would give his life for them. He is gentle, trustworthy and intelligent, but his size is imposing to strangers and non-dog people. He should be socialized from puppyhood to enable him to accept all people and situations with equanimity.
Height:
25 to 32 inches
Weight:
85 pound minimum females, 100 pound minimum males
Health Problems:
The Great Pyrenees breed of dog is susceptible to skin problems, bloat, progressive retinal atrophy, degenerative myelopathy, dysplasia, osteosarcoma and factor XI deficiency.
Living Conditions:
The Great Pyrenees breed of dog is not well suited to isolation in a back yard kennel. He does not like being left alone.
Exercise:
The Great Pyrenees breed of dog has moderate exercise needs for his size. He needs several long walks per day in order to be at his best. He should be walked on a leash and/or exercised in a securely fenced area.
Life Expectancy:
10 to 12 years
Grooming:
Great Pyrenees need daily brushing. Their dense coat should not be shaved, but the hair around the toes may be trimmed. Also, their ears need to be cleaned regularly, and -- in light of his tendency to drool -- the Great Pyrenees breed of dog should have his face wiped regularly.
Origin:
The Great Pyrenees reed of dog hails from France, where he was developed to tend flocks of cow, sheep and other livestock. They were also used to guard the aristocracy's large chateaux in southern France. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
