The Great White Hope

The Great Pyrenees doesn't look like any dog I know. Sometimes they remind me of jumbo-sized Golden Retrievers, but they also have traits of Spitz and Chow-Chow. Great Pyrenees (Pyrs for short) are huge, one of the largest dog breeds in fact, but they also look nice, cuddly and fluffy. Information materials on Pyrs are filled with photos of kids hugging their sweet-natured "polar bears".

Well, think again, partner!

While Pyrs aren't out-rightly dangerous (in contrast to Giant Schnauzers), they weren't bred to be your child's favourite playmate. In fact, the Great Pyrenees is an old breed of guard dog, originally used by medieval Basque shepherds in southern France to guard their flocks against wolfs and bears. Later, the Pyr became a popular dog among French aristocrats, who used it to watch over their chateaux and palaces. Against the local peasants, perhaps?

The breed has "dominance issues" and need a firm hand and early training, which can be difficult for inexperienced owners. A tight leash and a very sturdy fence are other requirements, since these dogs love to roam and *hate* other large dogs, especially other Pyrs. However, they tolerate children and even cats provided these are introduced to the Pyr at an early stage of its socialization. Everyone else better beware of this suspicious, 100-pound working dog. It's not innately aggressive, but it does what it takes to defend its sheep (or owners). It's also quite notorious for its constant barking. Somehow, I feel that the Pyrenean Mountain Dog (another name for this breed) is better off in its native Pyrenees guarding livestock than in an American suburban home!

"Great Pyrenees" is a short, elementary introduction to this fascinating breed. As other books in this series, much of the information isn't breed-specific and could be applied to any large dog, or to dogs in general. Thus, we are told to avoid puppy mills, buy high-quality dog food and use anti-flea shampoo on a regular basis. Still, the booklet is well written and contains enough specific information on Pyrs to satisfy the causal reader. This book could be good for a public library or perhaps a veterinarian's waiting room. The author recommends Paul Strang's "The New Complete Great Pyrenees" for those who want more detailed information.

Finally, a plus for the photos, which are all in colour and usually excellent. In fact, the humans are frequently more ugly than the dogs!