FluffyDogs.com

The Great Pyrenees dog, also known as Le Chien de Montagne des Pyrenees or Le Chien des Pyrenees, in its native France, takes its name after the mountain range in southwestern Europe where the breed was developed and used by peasants as a livestock guardian. The most likely ancestor of this breed is a member of the Mastiff family, (a group of large dogs, not just a breed) a dog called Pyrenean Mastiff which is believed to have migrated to Europe from Asia Minor by sea and land.

GREAT PYRENEES
Official U.K.C. Breed Standard
Copyright 1992, United Kennel Club, Inc.

History

The Great Pyrenees descended from the ancient Tibetan Mastiff and, more recently, from their descendants, the Mollossian Hounds brought to Spain by the Romans. They became established in the Pyrenees Mountains on the France-Spain border, where they were bred true-to-form in virtual isolation for about 1,000 years.
The Great Pyrenees has been used for centuries as a watchdog in its native land. This is in addition to its original function as a flock guard dog.

The Great Pyrenees was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1949.

Great Pyrenees

General Appearance
The Great Pyrenees dog conveys the distinct impression of elegance and unsurpassed beauty combined with great overall size and majesty. He has a white or principally white coat that may contain markings of badger, grey, or varying shades of tan. He possesses a keen intelligence and a kindly, while regal, expression. Exhibiting a unique elegance of bearing and movement, his soundness and coordination show unmistakably the purpose for which he has been bred, the strenuous work of guarding the flocks in all kinds of weather on the steep mountain slopes of the Pyrenees.

Great Pyrenees Breed Standard
Working Group

General Appearance
The Great Pyrenees dog conveys the distinct impression of elegance and unsurpassed beauty combined with great overall size and majesty. He has a white or principally white coat that may contain markings of badger, gray, or varying shades of tan. He possesses a keen intelligence and a kindly, while regal, expression. Exhibiting a unique elegance of bearing and movement, his soundness and coordination show unmistakably the purpose for which he has been bred, the strenuous work of guarding the flocks in all kinds of weather on the steep mountain slopes of the Pyrenees.