Aneto Great Pyrenees since 1972
In my book, The Great Pyrenees, From France With Love, I cover the history of the breed extensively. It is a wondrous long history equal to any story in time and more enduring than civilization itself. Indeed the breed preceded civilizations as its roots began almost 12 thousand years ago in Asia Minor. Seven thousand years later the dog(s) that ultimately became the unique Great Pyrenees in the Pyrenees Mountains that now separate Spain and France geographically arrived with nomadic man and his domestic sheep in the region. There they found the indigenous people of the area, one of which were descendants of Cro-Magnon man, the Basques. About this time the Sumerian City States, the first civilizations, evolved back to the east and where they invented writing. In the wilds of the mountain chain that separated the Iberian peninsula from the rest of the European continent the breed developed in relative isolation for about 5 thousand years in the hands of the shepherds of their day. They had to be big strong smart dogs of low maintenance in order to fulfill the needs of these early shepherds and farmers. They had to be able to take on large predators that included wolves, bear, and large cats and man himself when he attempted to steal or kill the flocks. It was under these conditions that our wonderful ancient dog we know as the Great Pyrenees comes to us today. Today they are still very capable of guarding and protecting flocks, and almost anything else owned by man including he and his family. The breed has a very unique quality in its relationship with man and his livestock. The breed loves and nurtures small, injured, young, or infirmed creatures of any description. It can be nurturing at one instant and the next instant suddenly become the most ferocious guard dog one can imagine. They are basically absent any prey drive and bond easily and quickly with other animals and man himself. The Great Pyrenees with sometimes a little bit of cueing and help is able to figure all this out because he has been doing this now for at least 5 thousand years. They evolved to us from the wilds of uncivilized regions and under very difficult and demanding circumstances. What evolved and survived were the best at what they did, the ultimate form of natural selection. Great Pyrenees are the ecologically correct predator control device and the greatest friend and companion man could ever hope for.
This ancient dog, now in our contemporary society is not for everyone. See Frequently Asked Questions for more information about who should own a Pyr.