Collection: Personalised Pyrenean Shepherd Gifts

A French breed from the Pyrenees as their name suggests, the Pyrenean Shepherd dog is bred to herd livestock and is incredibly tough and robust to reflect the harsh mountainous terrain he has to work in. Don’t be deceived by their small stature as their phenomenal prowess means that often two shepherds are all that is needed to manage around 1,000 sheep in this challenging terrain.

Pyrenean Shepherds can still be seen working today and also really popular as agility dogs due to their incredible speed.

No one knows the origins of the Pyrenean Shepherd other than the fact he has been working in this mountainous region of France for an incredibly long time. Medieval wall paintings have suggested the use of the breed in the Pyrenees Mountains for the last 6,000 years. The Pyrenean Shepherd worked alongside the Great Pyrenees who guarded livestock whilst the Pyrenean Shepherd herded.

In the 19th century, a few of the breed made their way to America and are thought to have been influential in the development of the Australian Shepherd breed. During the First World War, the Pyr Shep as it is known was used as messenger dogs by the French armed forces and also to seek out injured soldiers on the battlefield and this is when they became known to the wider world.

After the war, their numbers declined as the nature of farming began to change. A few enthusiasts worked hard to rebuild the breed and by 1923, they had created an official breed standard. The Pyrenean Shepherd did not become an officially recognised breed until 1988.

The Pyrenean Shepherd is a very high-energy breed and oozes intelligence so they need a home that can provide plenty of exercise and lots of mental stimulation and interest.

A truly loyal breed, they retain the high alertness of a working breed that makes them real live wires and are great family pets.