Great Pyrenees breed guide

These steadfast guardians usually have a Zen-like calm but spring into action quickly and move with grace and speed to meet a threat. Today's Great Pyrenees are mellow companions and vigilant guardians of home and family.

Great Pyrenees were bred to be independent thinkers working without guidance, so standard obedience training meets great indifference: they do not see the point of all that sitting, heeling and staying.

Great Pyrenees live 10 to 12 years. The Great Pyrenees Club of America stresses testing all dogs for conditions including elbow and hip dysplasia, eye disorders, luxating patellas and neurological and immune-mediated disorders.

Some cancers occur in the breed, as does bloat, a life-threatening condition in which the stomach suddenly distends and sometimes twists.

For all their abundant fur, Great Pyrenees do not need much grooming because the double coat resists dirt and tangles. They shed the undercoat with great enthusiasm, leading to what one owner calls a snowstorm.

Great Pyrenees are not a highly active breed. When working they patrol their territory but conserve energy for fending off whatever threatens the flock and moderate exercise suffices.

Great Pyrenees were bred centuries ago to work with shepherds and herding dogs in the Pyrenees, the natural border between France and Spain. Their job was to watch the flock and deter wolves, bears and livestock rustlers.

Innate patience helped them sit atop a freezing mountain for days with nothing to do but look at sheep. AKC calls their courage in defending the flock legendary.