The AKC has grouped all of the breeds that it registers into seven categories, or groups, roughly based on function and heritage. Breeds are grouped together because they share traits of form and function or a common heritage.
A small, sinewy, lean, lively dog whose sparkling personality and quicksilver intelligence are reflected in the vibrant expression of his unique triangular head and windswept face. A superb athlete, his beautiful, flowing gait “shaves the earth.” Uncoiffed, light-boned and built as a horizontal rectangle, his high energy and intelligent, cunning, mischievous attitude show that he is always on alert, suspicious, ready for action. An ardent herder of all kinds of livestock, his vigilant attitude and great vivacity of movement give this little dog a highly singular gait and appearance, characteristic of no other breed.
The head is generally triangular in shape, rather small in proportion to the size of the dog, well-filled-in under the eyes; the top skull is nearly flat. Expression – Intelligent, alert, and cunning, even a little mischievous. Eyes – The eyes are almond-shaped, open, and very expressive. They are neither prominent nor deeply set. They are dark brown in color. Partially or completely blue eyes are acceptable only in merles. Eye rims are black no matter what color the coat. Disqualification – Missing pigment on the eye rims. Disqualification – Blue eyes in a dog of coat color other than merle.
Cleanly boned, the body is rather long and well supported, the loin is short, the croup is rather short and oblique, flank well tucked up, ribs slightly rounded and extending well to the rear. The chest is of medium development and descends only to the elbow.
Shoulder blades are rather long, of moderate angulation. Upper Arm – Oblique and moderately long. Forelegs – Light-boned, sinewy, rather finely made. Rough-Faced: Fringed with rather long hair in long-haired dogs, rather shorter hair in the demi-long haired dog. Smooth-Faced: The hair is short on the fronts of the legs, and may be furnished with feathering along the back of the leg from elbow to pastern. Pasterns – Strong, sloping. Dewclaws – The front legs should carry single dewclaws, not to be removed. Feet – Oval shaped. The foot of the Smooth-Faced dog is a little shorter and more cupped than in the Rough-Faced dog. The pads of the feet are dark. Nails – The nails are hard and dark.
Coat quality is more important than abundance. Rough-Faced – The Rough-Faced dog’s coat can be of long or demi-long hair, almost flat or slightly wavy. Demi-long dogs have culottes on the rump, while the long-haired dogs are often more heavily furnished with woollier hair that may cord, especially on the elbows, croup, and thighs, but never on the head. The texture is harsh, being halfway between the hair of a goat and the wool of a sheep. The undercoat is minimal. The hair on the end of the muzzle and the chin must be naturally short and it lengthens as the muzzle widens toward the skull. The longer hair on the sides of the muzzle and cheeks is swept back giving a windblown look.
Hind Legs – The stifle is well bent. The upper thigh is rather short. The lower thigh is long. The hocks are clean, well let down, well angulated and often close together. When viewed from the rear, the legs present parallel columns of support from hip to hock. Rough-Faced dogs with demi-long coat are generally not as heavily furnished in the rear as the long-haired dogs. Feet – The foot of the Smooth-Faced dog is a little shorter and more cupped than in the Rough-Faced dog.
These tough, lean, and lively herders, famous for their vigorous and free-flowing movement, come in two coat varieties: rough-faced and smooth-faced. Roughs have profuse, “windswept” hair above the muzzle and a generally harsh coat; smooths have short facial hair, a finer-textured coat, and a slightly longer, pointier muzzle. Both varieties of this sinewy, rectangular breed come in many colors and patterns. Pyr Sheps see the world through dark almond-shaped eyes conveying an alert and cunning expression.
A high-quality dog food appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior) will have all the nutrients the breed needs. Because of his athletic nature, the Pyrenean Shepherd will need a food high in protein and calories. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity or digestive disorders. Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, especially avoiding cooked bones and foods with excessively high fat content. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet.
The Pyr Shep needs weekly brushing to keep his coat free from mats and tangles and looking its best. His scruffy appearance comes from his double coat—a soft undercoat and a protective outer coat—which features a combination of straight and short-to-moderately-long hair. The harsh outer coat may shed quite a bit, while the soft undercoat can mat very easily. The coat can be kept combed out and left as it grows, or can be corded as desired. Cleaning ears and trimming nails are an important part of his grooming routine.
The Pyr Shep is a high-energy dog who is always on alert and ready for action. Since many Pyr Sheps today don’t get the chance to do what they were originally bred for—herding livestock—they are always eager to channel their abundant energy into other interesting challenges and activities. Lots of activity and a job to do are vital to the breed’s mental, emotional, and physical health.
The Pyr Shep is very smart, energetic, and trainable. They strive to please and are extremely connected with their owners. They love games and opportunities for intense activity. Pyr Sheps were bred to herd using their bodies, instead of with eye contact as some other breeds do. With an intuitive sense about their owner’s desires, they will respond enthusiastically to clicker training and other positive, reward-based methods. The breed is a great candidate for agility, rally, obedience, dock diving, freestyle work, and almost any fun dog sport.
The Pyrenean Shepherd is a healthy breed with a long expected lifespan. As with all breeds, there are some conditions that the breed may be prone to. The Pyr Shep is known to be subject to hip dysplasia, patellar subluxation, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), epilepsy, and some eye defects, including choroidal hypoplasia (CH) and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Dedicated breeders do genetic testing on all potential breeding stock with the aim of reducing and hopefully ultimately eliminating certain conditions from the breed’s gene pool.
Recommended Health Tests from the National Breed Club:
Read the Official Breed Club Health Statement.
A small, sinewy, lean, lively dog whose sparkling personality and quicksilver intelligence are reflected in the vibrant expression of his unique triangular head and windswept face. A superb athlete, his beautiful, flowing gait “shaves the earth.” Uncoiffed, light-boned and built as a horizontal rectangle, his high energy and intelligent, cunning, mischievous attitude show that he is always on alert, suspicious, ready for action. An ardent herder of all kinds of livestock, his vigilant attitude and great vivacity of movement give this little dog a highly singular gait and appearance, characteristic of no other breed.
The head is generally triangular in shape, rather small in proportion to the size of the dog, well-filled-in under the eyes; the top skull is nearly flat. Expression – Intelligent, alert, and cunning, even a little mischievous. Eyes – The eyes are almond-shaped, open, and very expressive. They are neither prominent nor deeply set. They are dark brown in color. Partially or completely blue eyes are acceptable only in merles. Eye rims are black no matter what color the coat. Disqualification – Missing pigment on the eye rims. Disqualification – Blue eyes in a dog of coat color other than merle.
Cleanly boned, the body is rather long and well supported, the loin is short, the croup is rather short and oblique, flank well tucked up, ribs slightly rounded and extending well to the rear. The chest is of medium development and descends only to the elbow.
Shoulder blades are rather long, of moderate angulation. Upper Arm – Oblique and moderately long. Forelegs – Light-boned, sinewy, rather finely made. Rough-Faced: Fringed with rather long hair in long-haired dogs, rather shorter hair in the demi-long haired dog. Smooth-Faced: The hair is short on the fronts of the legs, and may be furnished with feathering along the back of the leg from elbow to pastern. Pasterns – Strong, sloping. Dewclaws – The front legs should carry single dewclaws, not to be removed. Feet – Oval shaped. The foot of the Smooth-Faced dog is a little shorter and more cupped than in the Rough-Faced dog. The pads of the feet are dark. Nails – The nails are hard and dark.
Coat quality is more important than abundance. Rough-Faced – The Rough-Faced dog’s coat can be of long or demi-long hair, almost flat or slightly wavy. Demi-long dogs have culottes on the rump, while the long-haired dogs are often more heavily furnished with woollier hair that may cord, especially on the elbows, croup, and thighs, but never on the head. The texture is harsh, being halfway between the hair of a goat and the wool of a sheep. The undercoat is minimal. The hair on the end of the muzzle and the chin must be naturally short and it lengthens as the muzzle widens toward the skull. The longer hair on the sides of the muzzle and cheeks is swept back giving a windblown look.
Hind Legs – The stifle is well bent. The upper thigh is rather short. The lower thigh is long. The hocks are clean, well let down, well angulated and often close together. When viewed from the rear, the legs present parallel columns of support from hip to hock. Rough-Faced dogs with demi-long coat are generally not as heavily furnished in the rear as the long-haired dogs. Feet – The foot of the Smooth-Faced dog is a little shorter and more cupped than in the Rough-Faced dog.
| Description | Standard Colors | Registration Code |
| BLACK | Check Mark For Standard Color | 007 |
| BLACK & WHITE | Check Mark For Standard Color | 019 |
| BLUE MERLE | Check Mark For Standard Color | 050 |
| BRINDLE | Check Mark For Standard Color | 057 |
| BRINDLE MERLE | Check Mark For Standard Color | 465 |
| FAWN | Check Mark For Standard Color | 082 |
| FAWN MERLE | Check Mark For Standard Color | 464 |
| GRAY | Check Mark For Standard Color | 100 |
| SLATE GRAY | Check Mark For Standard Color | 463 |
| WHITE | 199 |
