Pyrenean Sheepdog

The Pyrenean Sheepdog is a small to medium-sized herding dog from the French side of the Pyrenees. It moves the flocks while the much larger Pyrenean Mountain Dog guards them. In France it is often called the Petit Berger, the little shepherd, or the Labrit.

History

The breed is found along the whole length of the French Pyrenees and as far west as the Basque Country. It belongs to a family of rough-coated sheepdogs spread across Europe, which includes the Briard, the Berger Picard, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog, the Bearded Collie and the Schapendoes. Some scholars think the ancestors of these dogs reached Europe with Indo-European migrations more than 4,000 years ago and were then shaped into regional breeds.

Shepherds in the Pyrenees traditionally kept two kinds of dog. The Pyrenean Mountain Dog protected the sheep from wolves and other predators and from thieves. The Pyrenean Sheepdog herded them, a job that matters most in summer, when the flocks graze the high mountain pastures. It is still used for herding in the region today.

The Société Centrale Canine first recognized the breed in 1926. It now treats it as two breeds: the long-haired, which takes in the long-haired and goat-haired coats, and the smooth-faced.

Appearance

This is the smallest of the French herding breeds, and it looks rather like a small Berger Picard. Under the standards, long-haired males stand 40 to 50 cm and females 38 to 48 cm; smooth-faced males stand 40 to 54 cm and females 40 to 52 cm. Weight is between 8 and 15 kg (18 and 33 lb).

The build is lean and athletic, giving both speed and endurance. The dog is very hardy and can easily cover more than 32 km (20 mi) in a day at mountain altitudes. The two varieties are almost identical in structure, though the smooth-faced is said to be slightly shorter in the body with more compact feet.

The coat may be medium in length, known as goat-haired, or long, and it gives very good protection against harsh weather. Long-haired dogs have longer hair on the face, and smooth-faced dogs have much shorter hair there. The range of coats reflects a breed selected for work, not looks. Colors are fawn, gray, blue, brindle or black, sometimes overlaid with black and sometimes with a little white on the chest and legs.

Ears and tails were traditionally docked, a custom that is now uncommon because many countries restrict or ban it.

Temperament

The Pyrenean Sheepdog is extremely active and has been called a “ball of fire”. It is very intelligent, quick-witted and mischievous, with fast reactions and a great deal of nervous energy. Like many sheepdogs it is rather wary of strangers, the smooth-faced variety reportedly less so.

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