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A puppy isn't always the answer...a Pyr is looking for a home.

Historically, their heads were likened to bears. Their kind demeanors gentle until provoked; a breed that was developed centuries ago by Basque shepherds to go out on their own to guard their personal flocks of sheep while the men slept by their campfires. Most active at dawn and dusk when predators are most likely to attack, it was not unusual to see a pyrenees wrapped around a new-born lamb to warm it or to stand at the edge of the herd, barking defiantly, daring any predator to come closer to its charges. The great dogs continuous low deep barking signaled all was well to the Basque shepherds as they rested.

Pyr Drawing © 1984 Barnhart Studios

The Great Pyrenees comes from the Pyrenees Mountains located in Europe in the area bordering between France and Spain where the Basque shepards use these unique working dogs.

These ancient, majestic and intelligent dogs also had great beauty which did not go unseen by the local french royals who brought them to court in the 1600s where their quiet regal bearing and protective devotion was much appreciated.

In France, Bernard Senac-Lagrange, founded the original Pyrenees Club at the turn of the century. He felt that overall the unique expression of the dogs was what set them apart from other breeds: "Only the true breed possesses this bewitching, almost indefinable expression in the eyes, both distant and caressing, contemplative and just a little sad. As you look in these eyes, the immense moral value of the breed pierces your soul."

Great Pyrenees Introduction to the American Kennel Club