We are on Facebook
/ bendwalnut
pyrenees.bendwalnut.com/
The genetic roots of the Pyrenean mountain dogs have been lost in the darkness of centuries, so it is not possible to establish their relationship with existing and extinct breeds. According to one version, the progenitors of the snow-white dogs were Tibetan Molossoid dogs, which since ancient times were crossed with local producers in the French part of the Pyrenees. Engaged in breeding experiments, mainly shepherds, who needed massive sensitive animals that could drive away hungry predators from sheep, or even enter into confrontation with them, so the character of the ancestors of the Pyrenees was Nordic, and their habits were fierce.
Mentions of the breed in printed sources have been found since the 14th century. One of the first descriptions of the appearance of the Pyrenean mountain dogs belongs to the abbot of the French monastery, Miguel Agustin, who at the same time explained why medieval breeders preferred individuals with white hair. According to the monk, the snow-white color helped the shepherd not to confuse the dog with the wolf. In addition, light-haired dogs were easier to find if they, carried away by the pursuit of predators, fought off the herd and got lost in the valleys.
By the end of the 17th century, the great Pyrenees had moved away from pastoral affairs and set about guarding feudal castles, which was facilitated by the enhanced PR of the breed by Madame de Maintenon. It was the mistress of Louis XIV who first brought to Versailles the amusing puppies of the Pyrenean mountain dog, who charmed all the palace nobility, including the young dauphin. In the 19th century, the population of predators in the mountainous regions of France declined, and the chambers of the nobles no longer needed four-legged guards, so the need for the services of working dogs disappeared. However, such transformations did not take the Pyrenees by surprise, because by that time they had successfully mastered a new niche - dog shows.