Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees (also known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog) is a keen working dog, thought to have been originally developed as a breed in Central Asia or Siberia as early settlers migrated out into Europe. In fact the Great Pyrenees is named after the Pyrenees mountains of southern France and northern Spain where it was widely bred to guard shepherds' flocks on the mountainside by many in the region, such as the Basqueshttp://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcabreed.html. Despite its association with the peasant shepherd however the Great Pyrenees' was loved and cherished by the French Nobility in the 17th century and even appointed the official Court Dog.

The Great Pyrenees, being descended from the Hungarian Kuvasz and Maremmano-Abruzzese, is related to several other large working breeds such as the Saint Bernardhttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greatpyrenees.htm and as such shares many common aspects of its temperament with other such breeds. While gentle with children and extremely affectionate and devoted to its family, the Great Pyrenees is nonetheless a strong minded dog who requires a firm yet calm discipline to keep it in line. Bred for outdoor work in the mountains they also require exercise, space, an owner with a tolerance for nighttime barking, and one who is willing to exercise discipline in keeping them on a leash when they are not fenced in, as their instinct to establish and patrol territory for herding is quite powerfulhttp://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcabreed.html.

As with many large breed dogs the Great Pyrenees can be victim to medical maladies of varying seriousnesshttp://www.greatpyr.com/great_pyrenees_health_care.php. Hip Dysplasia, most commonly known from the German Shepherd Dog, is the most common issue affecting large breed dogs. Hip Dysplasia is a hereditary condition which in mild cases will cause arthritis like symptoms in a dog's hips and in severe cases may require either expensive surgery or even euthanasia to spare the dog from suffering if its condition is untreatable. Keeping a dog from becoming overweight is one of the more effective ways in minimizing the impact or even delaying the onset of Hip Dysplasia.

Less commonly, and even less so in the Great Pyrenees than in other large breeds, Gastric Dilation Volvulus Syndrome (GDV, or Bloat), is a serious medical emergency in which a dog's stomach becomes bloated with air and then twists so that nothing may flow from the stomach to the rest of the digestive tract. Death can occur in mere hours, and survival is a matter of how soon medical attention is attained. The exact cause of Bloat is unknown, however allowing access to water, providing a meal in multiple smaller parts, and avoiding feeding a dog within an hour or so of vigorous exercise is believed to help prevent the development of Bloathttp://www.greatpyr.com/great_pyrenees_health_care.php.

Lastly and least seriously large breed dogs are often susceptible to Patellar Luxation, the displacement of the kneecap from its proper position, due to their often significant size and weight. The condition is often temporary although it may be persistent and/or reoccurring. And finally as with all dogs which possess a thick and heavy coat the Great Pyrenees is vulnerable to overheating and various skin problems caused by improper grooming or excessive heathttp://www.greatpyr.com/great_pyrenees_health_care.php.

The Great Pyrenees is a renowned shepherd, bred in the Pyrenees mountains for which it was named to be left alone to guard the local people's flocks. They are a tried and true working dog, dominating in personality, and independent thinkers who will quickly establish and patrol a territory if left to their own devices. They are renowned for their loving and adaptable temperament, despite their natural wariness of strangers, and are respected across the world for their kind and nurturing nature to those they do not believe to be a threat, making them "extraordinary ambassadors for the breed... in hospitals, old age homes, [and] with children..."http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcabreed.html.