Great Pyrenees
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| Pyrenean Mountain Dog | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 The Pyrenean Mountain Dog is one of the large breeds |
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| Other names | Great Pyrenees Chien des Pyrénées Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées Montañés del Pirineo |
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| Country of origin | France/Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Pyrenean Mountain Dog, known as the Great Pyrenees in the United States, is a large breed of dog, used as a livestock guardian dog.
The Great Pyrenees is a very old breed, and has been used for millennia by the Basque people, who inhabit parts of the region in and around the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France and northern Spain. More recently, the breed served as the official dog of the royal French court (whose prominence began circa the Middle Ages, and lasted until the middle of the nineteenth century). During World War II the dogs were used to haul artillery over the Pyrenean Mountain range to and from Spain and France. They are related to several other large white European livestock guardian dogs (LGD), including the Italian Maremma Sheepdog, Kuvasz (Hungary), Anatolian Shepherd (Turkey) and Polish Tatra or Polski Owczarek Podhalański.
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[edit] Description
Males weigh in at about 90-125 pounds, while females are approximately 85-115 pounds. Their coats are white and can have varying shades of gray or tan around the face (including a full face mask), ears and sometimes on the body; as a Great Pyrenees matures, their coats grow thicker and the longer white hair of the coat often fades the markings on those dogs that were not born completely white. Grey or tan markings that remain lend the French name, "blaireau," (badger) meaning "with color" to those dogs who are marked. Only one in four will have a pure white coat. They are well known for their back double dewclaws.
[edit] Popular culture references
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- On the TV show "King of Queens", Holly walks a Great Pyrenees named "Cupcake".
- In the anime/manga Azumanga Daioh, Chiyo Mihama's pet Tadakichi-san (Mr. Tadakichi) is a Great Pyrenees.
- In the anime/manga Full Metal Alchemist, Shou and Nina Tucker's dog Alexander is most likely a Great Pyrenees.
- In the novel, Belle et Sébastien, Belle is a Great Pyrenees.
- The 2004 film Finding Neverland used a Great Pyrenees to represent J.M. Barrie's Landseer Newfoundland.
- The Spanish designer Javier Mariscal was inspired by this dog breed for the design of the 1992 Summer Olympics mascot "Cobi".
- In Hanazakarino Kimitachihe, the male lead had a Great Pyrenees for a pet.
- The Japanese series Ginga Densetsu Weed features a Great Pyrenees named Hiro.
- In the film "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" (1965) a Great Pyrenees is the household dog at the Lord Rawnsley estate.
- In the Marx Brothers' "Horse Feathers" there's a Great Pyrenees in the dog catcher's wagon.
- In the Korean variety show Happy Sunday - 1 Night 2 Days, Sang Geun is a Great Pyrenees.
- In Ang Lee's film Lust, Caution, the guard dog that belongs to the Yee household appears to be a Great Pyrenees
[edit] Famous Dogs
- Vick, pet of Kim Jaejoong, member of South Korean group "TVXQ"
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Great Pyrenees Library : interesting and useful articles on breeding, behavior, livestock guardians, Great Pyrenees rescue and medical information
- GreatPyr.com : Great Pyrenees Information & Resources. Photo Gallery, Forums, and Breed Information
- Great Pyrenees Connection: Great Pyrenees breed information, photographs, history of the breed in France and the Netherlands, links to international Great Pyrenees breeders and Great Pyrenees clubs
- Great Pyrenees Dogs: Info about the breed as a family pet
- Movie about the characteristics of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog
