Great Pyrenees

In the Middle Ages, it is used to guard castles and protect flocks against predators (bears, wolves, lynx and even man). It is mentioned in the 14th century by Gaston Phoebus. Highly appreciated in the 17th century, it shared the glory of the court of King Louis XIV.

Integrated into the herd, it is a remarkable guardian. Its role is not to gather sheep but to protect them. To do this, it is accustomed from an early age to live with them, so it considers them as its family. If the dog detects an intruder, it barks and positions itself between the herd and what it considers a threat. Like all canines, the patou is capable of causing injury to humans, some cases having been reported in the press. The subject of difficult cohabitation of the patou at work with thousands of vacationers on vacation in the courses, alpine pastures and mountain pastures was the subject, in May 2015, of a written question to the Senate. In 2021, a breeder was thus convicted to a fine of €2,500, partially with suspension following several bites from its patous on hikers. "If these altercations increase, it is partly due to the increase in hikers. And with the return of the wolf to French forests in the 1990s, breeders have multiplied their means of protecting their herds". In the family, it is an animal that can be a good guardian, due to its selection as a protection dog. It possesses a good sense of family and knows how to recognize friends it has not seen for a long time. It is gentle with children and rather placid. It is unsuitable for city life and overcrowding. It is indeed a dog that needs space and whose powerful barking can turn out to be a source of nuisance for neighbors.