A Cheviot ewe and lambs are kept moving at Heartsease Farm with help from the resident Pyrenean Shepherds. Photo by Amanda Garman.
little grooming. The rough-faced dog with long coats may be brushed out or left to cord over the rump and on the hind legs and elbows. The demi- long rough-faced dog is more sparsely coated and does not tend to cord. Trim- ming, except for neatening the feet, is discouraged. It is essential to be able to observe that the dogs are not too heav- ily coated, especially on the head. The Pyrenean Shepherd’s light, sin- ewy build, arch over the loin and small size were dictated by the need to nego- tiate the high meadows and impossibly steep terrain. Their devotion to one per- son, often paired with suspicion to the rest of the human population, is a result of a temperament honed by isolation and danger. The hallmark effortless trot that “shaves the earth” was a necessity for a dog that had to move large groups of sheep over long distances. When out- doors, a Pyrenean Shepherd will always be on the move in that signature trot. The best individuals—which are dis- tinctly rectangular in a rough-faced dog and more square, sometimes taller and with a longer hock, in a smooth-faced dog—are powerful movers with great efficiency. The arch over the loin allows the dog to use its entire sinewy body to gather and extend its limbs. As one would expect from a highly trainable dog with this structure, the Pyrenean Shepherd is also a legendary jumper and excels in agility competition. The Pyrenean Shepherd is an upright worker when herding. Rath- er than crouching and stalking, the breed extends its head forward slightly and works in that balanced, long, low trot. The breed is quick and capable of instantly shifting into a swift gal- lop, but falls back into the favored gait when appropriate. Pyr Sheps are com- fortable working quite close to the flock and have plenty of presence for
moving livestock. However, for those familiar with training young herding dogs, the Pyrenean Shepherd may seem a challenge until one considers how their working ability was developed. The dogs were expected to learn in large part through observation. They are a little obsessed with things being in order and if presented with a prob- lem, will work relentlessly to restore things to that order. As trainers, we want to give the dogs a toolbox of basic skills taught through repetition: turn left; turn right; circle the flock; stop; drive the flock straight; fetch them to the handler; etc. But this rustic breed does not tolerate training in a vacuum where the dog sees no point in the exercise. To illustrate, I am reminded of a young Pyr Shep bitch at a training day that was watching dogs work some sheep in a round pen. When she was offered the chance to interact with the sheep, she ignored them. She did, how- ever, watch attentively when the other dogs were working. At one point, sev- eral sheep had escaped from the round pen and left the arena to go into the sur- rounding pasture. On this bitch’s next turn, she left her owner, flew out of the arena, gathered the sheep from the pasture and returned them through the arena gate, past the gallery in their lawn chairs and into the round pen. After that, she was eager to interact with the sheep and start learning the vocabulary of herding. It’s always best to allow a beginner Pyr Shep more responsibility and tougher herding tasks while she’s learning the basics of the job. The Pyrenean Shepherd’s combina- tion of nervous energy, constant scan- ning of the environment, extreme determination, devotion to its owner and natural bossiness means that the breed can be a somewhat difficult com- panion and show dog in this “socially
acceptable” world of stable, indiscrimi- nately friendly dogs. But a Pyr Shep of excellent character will perceive that playing the dog show game—or agility or being a companion—is just another job. Above all else, these dogs are faithful to their work and adapt- able to any situation. It was a matter of survival for centuries in the moun- tains and it makes the breed a charm- ing piece of living history and a tribute to the partnership between human and dog, forged naturally out of hardship and necessity. At home in my pasture, I’m ready to resume walking through the fields. But just before I decide to rise, my always- alert Pyr Shep leaps down from her rocky perch, ready for action. She cir- cles me at a trot, ears moving, glancing all around at me and the sheep, asking for direction as the sheep calmly move away on the graze. At a word, she’s hap- py to gallop ahead as we leave the flock behind. She’s a typically responsive partner, whether in the pasture, in dog sport, as a dog show exhibit or in the home. It’s her legacy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Betty Dalke Wathne started as a junior in German Shepherds and has maintained a lifelong interest in training and exhib- iting dogs. She has bred Irish Water
Spaniels and Pyrenean Shepherds under the prefix Madcap and is cur- rently working with the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje. She’s also worked Bor- der Collies on her small sheep opera- tion at Heartsease Farm in Western Maryland. An artist, writer and dog trainer, Betty can be reached at Mad- capIWS@yahoo.com.
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