The Pyrenean Sheepdog is a small to medium-sized breed (together with the long-haired Pyrenean Sheepdog, it is the smallest French herding breed), resembling a smaller Berger Picard. The breed has a slender, athletic build, providing both speed and endurance typical of smaller herding dogs. Both varieties are anatomically almost identical, although the smooth-faced variety is described as slightly shorter in the body with more compact feet. The breed is considered very hardy, and its build provides impressive stamina, especially when working at high altitudes; it can easily cover over 32 kilometers a day.
The Pyrenean Sheepdog's coat can be medium (referred to as cat-haired) or long. Long-haired varieties have longer hair on the face, while the smooth-faced variety has much shorter facial hair. The breed's coat offers excellent protection against extreme weather, especially in the long-haired variety. Variations in the breed's coat suggest that it is primarily bred for working ability rather than appearance.
Traditionally, the ears and tail of the Pyrenean Sheepdog were docked, although this practice is no longer common due to restrictions/bans.
The Pyrenean Sheepdog is an extremely active breed, sometimes described as a "fiery ball." It is very intelligent and quick-witted, cute, with fast reactions and full of energy. Like many herding breeds, this breed is somewhat wary of strangers, although it is said that the smooth-faced variety is less so.
PYRENEAN SHEEPDOG, SMOOTH-FACED (Chien de berger des Pyrénées à face rase).
TRANSLATION : Mrs. Pamela Jeans-Brown revised by Alain Pécoult and Raymond Triquet.
ORIGIN : France.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13/03/2001.
UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheep and cattle dogs (excluding mountain dogs and Swiss cattle-dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
With working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : This variety of Pyrenean Sheepdog was principally found in the Pyrenean foot-hills where it was “much appreciated by horse-dealers and cattle-drovers” according to Bernard SÉNAC-LAGRANGE (1927 club’s yearbook) . Its distinctive features compared with those of other types of Pyrenean Sheepdogs gained it an appendix in the breed standard from the 1920s.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Overall, the smooth-faced Pyrenean Sheepdog has the same characteristics as the long-coated Pyrenean Sheepdog.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
• The skull is approximately as wide as long.
• The muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull, but longer than that of the long or semi-long coated varieties.
• The length of the body is almost equals its height.
• The distance from the elbow to the ground is greater than half the height at the withers.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Lively, biddable dog, sometimes wary of strangers.
HEAD : Furnished with short fine hair (hence the name “smooth-faced”). The muzzle is a little longer than that of the semi-long coated Pyrenean Sheepdogs.
BODY : A little shorter than that of the long-coated Pyrenean Sheepdog, it is a more square-shaped body.
LIMBS : Covered in smooth hair with a light fringe of hair on the front legs and breeches on the hind legs. The foot is both tighter and more arched than that of the long-coated sheepdog.
Angulations are more open in this variety.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : On the move, the smooth-faced Pyrenean Sheepdog has a shorter stride than the long-coated variety.
COAT : On the body the hair is semi-long or less than semi-long. It reaches its longest length on the neck and withers (6-7 cm) and on the median line of the back (4-5 cm).
SIZE :
Height at withers : Males 40-54 cm.
Females 40-52 cm.
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
The faults and eliminating faults are the same as those indicated for the long-coated variety, except for those describing coat and proportions.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.