Great Pyrenean Temperament

This article was written by Birte Brejl, who is a long-time Great Pyrenees owner, breeder of "Pyr- Ami" Great Pyrenees in Denmark and also a Judge for Great Pyrenees at Expositions

Pyrenean temperament

Should we, could we or have we already changed it? I am going to present this item for you not as an ethnologist and not as an expert dog behaviourist, but as an ordinary Pyr owner. The reason why it is I who am presenting this is, I guess, that it was I who suggested that temperament should be on the program.I have owned Pyrs since 1965. I very early became concerned about temperament as we did have problems when we started with the breed in Denmark. Out of the first 10 males imported to Denmark eight were put to sleep because of aggressiveness. Since I have often wondered how we could go on with the breed.I am going to point out different things and I am going to ask several questions, but I am not going to give any answers and I do not think we can come to any agreements as much more as I cannot even make up my own mind.This world conference (held by the P.M.D.C. of GB in England 1996) on the Pyrenean is in part a result of the divergences in opinion of the standard; and indicates a wish to minimise the differences. In this context, I feel it is necessary to discuss the temperament as well.I do not think there are great differences in the definition of what a good temperament is; and we all have a general idea on what we want the Pyrenean’s mental set-up to be.But we know that show breeding, even if not intending to, can change the temperament of breeds. It has happened that breeds have been divided into working types and show types; and certain breeds have split into two entirely different breeds. Some breeds, that used to be easy-going rather lazy fellows, changed to energy bombs as a result of breeding for show winners.Demand from society on how dogs are supposed to behave has also changed. In many places in the world the freedoms and accepted actions of dogs have become very restricted.Temperament that was appreciated 100 years ago might give troubles today.As an example I can mention my first Pyrenean bitch. When I got her she was seven months, very shy and prepared to defend herself. When I went shopping, I used to take her with me, but I always chained her in a place where nobody could accidentally come too close to her. Then my own daughter was born and I could now use the baby pram to hide the dog. During this period there was a case where a baby was stolen and hidden by a woman for several months upsetting everybody. Suddenly my vicious dog had turned into a faithful and courageous dog that protected the baby so well; this was not due to changes in the dog’s nature but by circumstances in society that had nothing to do with dogs.I mention this as I have a feeling that good guard dogs were more appreciated a few decades ago and statements on dogs from earlier time can be influenced by that.

The "Dangerous dogs" law that has come to existence in the UK -and I understand from the Internet that it also is threatening responsible dog owners of certain breeds in at least some States in the USA - is something that might be spread to many other places in the world and make life complicated for owners of guard dog breeds.

How is the temperament?

We all have some vague ideas about how a Pyrenean ought to be. He should simultaneously be a good guard dog, yet friendly and gentle; have a good sense of occasion, be playful and calm, and maintain a tenderness towards everything that is small and weak.

It seems that through use as a livestock protection dog these in some way contradictory traits have developed in the Pyrenean. However changes in the balance among the traits can change the dog’s behaviour greatly.

Could Mental tests be a good guide?

At the same time these traits are very difficult to measure. Mental tests could possibly be a good guide to a dog’s disposition, but the mental tests I know of are not designed for livestock protection dogs. My experiences with this tests are that they tell very little about how the dog functions in everyday life.

I personally know of about ten dogs that have gone through a temperament test in Denmark. I know these dogs very well as four of them belong to me, but I would not be able to match the results and the dogs if it were not for the name on the papers.

Two opposite viewpoints

• All Pyrs should be able to do their original job or

• A handsome gentle dog is what we need today

Even if one thinks it would be a crime to change the Pyrenean temperament, it is necessary to know what it is that one wants to preserve.And then what does the standard tell us about temperament? (for me the standard is the one from FCI)It is of the utmost importance that nervousness or unprovoked aggression should be heavily penalised. That is what the breed standard tells about the character of the Great Pyrenees. It is not much, but it is more than what is said in the standard of many other breeds. One can wonder why those people who wrote the standards around the beginning of this century did not mention more about the temperaments of the breeds. Possibly they found it natural that dogs behaved as they did; and at that time it was difficult to imagine the manner in which dog breeding and showing would develop.Fortunately it seems that breeders and breeding clubs are becoming aware of the importance of and their responsibility to the temperament of the pure-bred dogs.Recently I obtained a draft for a review standard of the Leonberger. In this standard, a section about temperament was added, which stated:

"As family dog under the living condition we have today a Leonberger is a pleasant companion that one can bring with one everywhere without problems and it is extremely gentle towards children. It is neither shy nor aggressive. As a family dog it is an attractive, obedient and fearless companion in all situations of life."

The demands that are necessary for having a secure and stable nature are special:

• Self-confidence and superior calmness.
• Medium temperament (likes to play)
• Readiness to be submissive
• Good ability to learn and rememberInsensitive towards noise

My first thought when I read it was "What a pleasant dog to live with" my second thought was "What a good idea to get this into the standard" and last I wondered how would this description fit on a Pyrenean.As it turns out, I felt that most of the description was applicable to the Pyreneans though some modifications are needed to give a true picture of the breed.One has to add:Very protective on his territory and very often with a barking habit. Only likes to play if nothing more interesting turns up Shows no submission and is not very inclined to obey orders Difficult to be let out without lead in most places Very stubborn Fences have to be very strong and high to keep a Pyrenean inside.Now I can hear you moan: It is not fair. A Pyrenean is not like that!Well, let us say it in another way.He feels responsible for you and your family and your properties He is a serious dog He is your friend and not your slave.He is an intelligent dog that likes to figure out things by himself and he does not like to obey orders he can see no reasons for. He is freedom loving.That sounds much nicer, it is why we love him and are proud of him and is probably what we tell the puppy buyers; but is it not very much the same?.Naturally there are big differences among individual Pyreneans, but there are also many common traits. In order to find out what is fair to expect from a Pyrenean I find it reasonable to try to see what he was originally like.As hardly any of us is old enough to remember the early time with the breed, we have to turn to books and whatever written statement that can be found. It also can be rewarding to take a look at other related breeds that have not until more recently been used as pets.There are some limitations in the truth of the pictures the books give. Dog books are written by dog lovers and according to them all dogs are brave, faithful and child loving.

In literature, the livestock guardian breeds are normally described as courageous guard dogs, more aloof than outgoing, suspicious and independent. In an article in "International Great Pyrenees Review" June 1980 about working dogs, Henny Adams, USA says "As a guard dog he must show attentiveness to a person, alertness to his surroundings; a certain amount of stubbornness or opinionated attitude; show high tolerances for patience. Aggressiveness must be kept DOWN, but called upon when needed. The dog should show SELF DISCIPLINE".

Guard dog - Aggressiveness

All early statements on Pyrenean describe a very good guard dog. When I started with Pyreneans, problems with aggressiveness were by no means unknown. Actually in Denmark whole litters except one or two ended up being destroyed due to aggressiveness during their first three or four years of life.That aggressiveness also happened in other parts of the world we can see from different statements. In the International Magazine of Great Pyrenees No 7 there is an article called "Prairie warriors" about Pyreneans guarding sheep in South Dakota. Here it is said "Nevertheless, some people still think of the Great Pyrenees as dangerous and vicious".And in an interview given in the French clubs magazine in no.44 1er trimestre 1995 the owner of the Le Pic du Viscos, Mr. Benoit Cockenpot who lives in the Pyrenean Mountains says "Patou has even got a bad reputation amongst many of the inhabitants in this region they accuse him for biting and being dangerous".In both cases it is said that Pyreneans are in no way mean. But just the fact that they to some people have the reputation of being vicious, confirms I think that they have not all been as gentle as one wants them to be.I also remember that many years ago somebody (I cannot remember who told) me that an English Vet had stated in the press that he could think of nothing being lesser fitted as a pet than a Pyrenean Mountain dog.In IGPR October 1973, James M. Giffin, M.D., USA has written an article "Thoughts on PYRENEAN BEHAVIOUR". This article gives a very good insight into Pyrenean temperament nearly a quarter of a century ago.It says, among other things, "In guard dogs a natural tendency to be wary of strangers has surely been inherited to a greater extent than that found among dogs adapted to work as retrievers, scent hounds, and herders."It goes on to say: "The heritage of a good guard dog is such that he can be depended upon to protect his flocks, home, property, and family, by attacking, or threatening to attack, hostile animals and humans". "A good guard dog is never vicious. A vicious animal is one which attacks without provocation; he cannot be controlled, or trained, to inhibit his bite. Therefore, his responses are unpredictable". "Another characteristic is a certain degree of intolerance to crowding stress. His personal sphere, or the critical distance upon which a strange person can approach him without arousing apprehension, is rather closely marked".As it was quite obvious that one could not live with Pyrenean-sized aggressive dogs, breeders had to work toward a more docile temperament and, in my opinion, it is on this point that the breed has changed a great deal. The Pyreneans of today are much more docile than the ones of yesterday. And I think they are by far the most docile of all the LGD breeds.

They have probably not changed so much that their temperament is very much different from a great part of those from yesterday, but the aggressive ones have nearly disappeared and an overly protective Pyrenean is not common anymore.

Aloof - Out going

LGDs are often in literature described as aloof more than outgoing. Nevertheless one can meet many Pyreneans that love to come in contact with everyone they meet. It seems that the owners attitude toward strangers plays a major role in how interested a Pyrenean is in people he does not know. This is only true as long as the dog is aloof and not shy and shyness should not be excused as aloofness.

Independence

Even if it is difficult to make a Pyrenean 100% obedient I do not think it is difficult to teach him the different commands. One just has to use other methods than are often used in obedience training. It is the reliability in responding to the commands that is difficult to obtain, and it is when it is most needed that it fails.The major reason why it can be difficult to make him into a reliably obedient dog might be not so much that he wants orders to make sense - even if it sounds nice - as he seems to lack the desire to co-operate. For many other breeds the mere fact that they are co-operating with their owners is a reward in itself.

Barking

There is one thing I think would be a benefit for the breed, if it were changed, at least for those living in urban areas. This is the habit of barking at everything and nothing that some of the Pyreneans show.I am not thinking of the natural warning a LGD should do nor of the territorial marking barking as long as it is kept under a reasonable limit. However, the continual barking quite a few Pyreneans love to do is what can make them nearly impossible to keep as pets in urban or semi-rural areas. I do not think this barking would have been a problem in their original surroundings, as it is very easy for the owner to hear whether there is something seriously going on. Actually I guess there could be no more reassuring sound to people living in remote places in former days than the sound of a guard dog telling that it is awake and on guard and nothing is happening. A silent dog could have run away, or be sleep or even dead. This I think is the reason that many dogs and - not only Pyreneans - tend to bark more than society accepts today. It is not because the dogs are stupid or badly adapted, it is because this was once in the breed’s development a sought for trait. This should be rather easy to change, as tendency to bark is a well known inherited trait.

Changing the temperament

At times, there have been some thoughts about changing the temperament of the breed. In Mr.Giffin’s article, Mrs. C.R. Prince is quoted as saying, "Are we not all guilty of breeding out this heritage (that of the rugged guardian of the pastoral scene) in an attempt to produce an untypically emasculated family pet? Already the great dog of the mountains is disappearing. We see less and less of the stallion type in our stud dogs, the breed is getting smaller year by year, and is being tailored in size and temperament to fit into a small house and an ever decreasing environment". Although I agree in my heart with Mrs. Prince, I feel she was in love with a dog that no longer fits in today’s society.(And it is important that a dog fits into its environment or the environment fits to the dog. This is my favourite cartoon about dogs and their living conditions. (I showed a cartoon here))Mr.J.M. Giffin ends his article with a long conclusion: "Much has been written about the frustrations of urban living. Dogs no longer fulfill the functions for which they were originally intended"."In the case of our Pyrenean one might be led to think that reducing the size and further softening the temperament, perhaps to a more attention-seeking and dependent type, would make the dog more useful to today’s patrons""Now the problem with the thoughts pertaining to the complexity of modern living is not that they are altogether untrue, but that the proposition has been put in the wrong place entirely, so that the conclusions are false"."One would hope that as society matures, the dog will once again reclaim many of his lost freedoms."This wish does not seem to have been fulfilled, rather the contrary. Something very precious to me would be lost if the original Pyrenean temperament were changed too much.

But how is it from the dog’s point of view? The more independent a dog is, the more restricted he has to be; and the more freedom-loving he is, the more imprisoned he has to live his life. It is precisely these paradoxes that make me feel miserable.

 

 to Birte Brejl