Back home in New Jersey, my neighbor’s daughter had a Great Pyrenees named Cloud — what a perfect name for this fluffy, white breed of herding dog!
Cloud is a pretty awesome dog. My dog Miko sure thought so — he loved Cloud and she could do no wrong. When she came to visit, she was allowed to eat his biscuits and flop out on his bed. Of course, she probably outweighed him by a good fifty pounds or so… so I don’t know that he could have stopped her anyway!
Great Pyrenees are BIG dogs. Males can reach up to thirty-five inches tall at the shoulder; females average between twenty-five and twenty-nine inches. Weights start at a hundred pounds and up, generally (though some females may be smaller). The coat is mostly white, though breed standards allow gray, tan, and light brown markings.
Did you know? The Great Pyrenees is called Le Grande Chien des Montagnes — the big dog of the mountains!
Traditionally, this dog was bred to herd livestock in all kinds of weather on the slops of the Pyrenees Mountains. The double coat helps protect the Great Pyrenees from all kinds of bad weather. Generally, the outer coat is long and coarse while the undercoat is dense and wooly for warmth. Males will often have a ruff or mane of thick hair around the neck. Both males and females often have a plume-like tail.
The history of this breed goes back a long way — fossil remains from the Bronze Age (1800-1000 BC) include evidence of the canine ancestors of the Great Pyrenees. Researchers believe the breed originated in Central Asia or Siberia and migrated into Europe. By the seventeenth century, the mighty white dog had been adopted as a favorite of the French court.
The Great Pyrenees can be territorial and protective of her flock (or her family). But these dogs are often gentle giants who tolerate a great deal. My friend Cloud used to let me use her as a pillow! Younger members of the family could hang on her neck and she wouldn’t bat an eye. These dogs are often intelligent, kind, and gentle.
My favorite Cloud story is the time we were sitting on the deck together, Cloud enjoying a vigorous belly rub from me. My arm was getting tired, so I stopped… and suddenly, there was a huge white paw on my chest. Cloud was not ready for me to stop! As soon as I started rubbing again, the paw returned to the deck.