Pyrenean Shepherd — breed standard (AKC: size, coat, temperament, type)

Pyrenean Shepherd — breed standard (AKC: size, coat, temperament, type)

Claims

• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Origin and type: a French herding dog from the Pyrenees, small, sinewy, lean and lively, built as a horizontal rectangle with a triangular head and windswept face; two varieties occur in the same litters — Smooth-Faced and Rough-Faced (the latter with demi-long or long hair).
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Size: Rough-Faced males 15.5 to 18.5 in, females 15 to 18 in; Smooth-Faced males 15.5 to 21 in, females 15.5 to 20.5 in at the withers. Weight is kept minimal — just enough flesh to cover the bones so the ribs can be felt.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Coat: the Rough-Faced dog carries long or demi-long hair of harsh texture (between goat hair and sheep wool) with minimal undercoat, the longer muzzle and cheek hair swept back for a windblown look; the Smooth-Faced dog has short fine muzzle hair and a fine soft body coat reaching at most 3 in on the ruff and culottes and 2 in along the back.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Colour: shades of fawn from tan to copper, with or without black hairs mixed in; grey from charcoal through silver to pearl; merles of various tones; brindle; black; and black with white markings not above 30 percent of the body. A little white on chest, head and feet is acceptable.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Temperament: a versatile, driven herder with a very strong instinct, affectionate and enthusiastic with its own family but distrustful of strangers and eager to be involved in all activity.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Faults: too much white, or white patches that are too large; black with tan points; an excessively long coat or heavy furnishings; too much hair on the head veiling the eyes; loss of more than one incisor or two premolars.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Disqualifications: a dog below the minimum height, or above the maximum by more than half an inch, for its variety and sex; missing pigment on the eye rims; blue eyes in any coat other than merle; a nose that is not black; an overshot or undershot bite; and a white coat covering 50 percent or more of the body.