Great Pyrenees

Fluffy Great Pyrenees puppies, resembling rolling snowballs (it is said “they have brought life to the snowdrifts of the Pyrenees”), are cheerful and active but very cautious. At birth, they weigh 21-29 ounces; by 1 month, their weight increases tenfold, and by 6 months it is 5 times larger than that.

Images of dogs closely resembling this breed are found in the ruins of the European Bronze Age (17^th-10^th centuries B.C.) and among Babylonian works of art. It is hard to imagine that these tranquil, tender-looking dogs, with their beautiful white coats, have such a venerable, vigorous history, but armed with spiked iron collars, they long reigned as invincible protectors of sheep, warding off not only wolves, bears and wild dogs but also rustlers in the Pyrenees Mountains, on the Spanish-French border.

There have been many heroic stories about Great Pyrenees throughout the centuries, but it was not until the reign of Louis XVII in the late 18^th century that this breed won special favor with the French royal family.

They are willful dogs, though. As one owner says, “When he is not satisfied, he will come to me to complain. He doesn’t care that I’m his owner. He is like a man in a Great Pyrenees’ coat.”

Brushing every few days is sufficient, except when extra effort is required during the shedding season; their hair doesn’t tangle.

Origin: France and Spain
Size: (male) Height 31-32 inches; weight 111-133 pounds
(female) Height 26-30 inches; weight 100-122 pounds
Coat: Thick, slightly wavy. Colors on undercoat are white, dark brown on white, and gray and tan on white.