Pyrenean Mastiff

Pyrenean Mastiffs are large dogs of above-average size, muscular builds, and firm bone structures. Despite their large, strong bodies, they never look heavy or sluggish.

Pyrenean Mastiffs have dense, thick, medium-length hair that is longer on their shoulders, necks, underbellies, back of legs, and tails.

Their coats are bristly, not woolly in texture; the plumes of hair on their tails have a less bristly texture than the rest of their bodies.

The primary color of the Pyrenean Mastiffs is white. These dogs have well-defined masks and may have irregularly distributed, distinctly outlined patches on their bodies that are the same color as their masks.

The most desired shade of the base coat is white, while the most desired shades of patches are medium gray, intense golden yellow, brown, black, grey-silver, light beige, sandy, or marble. Their ears are always spotted; the tips of their tails and lower parts of their legs are always white.

Pyrenean Mastiffs have powerful, robust, rectangular bodies with muscular backs, broad, deep chests, and pronounced withers. Their strong, flexible tails are set medium-high and are thick at the root with soft hair that forms a plume.

Pyrenean Mastiffs also have medium-sized, triangular-shaped ears that hang flat and small, almond-shaped eyes that convey an alert, noble, and intelligent expression but can be stern toward an opponent.

The Pyrenean Mastiff's origins are relatively unknown, though experts believe the breed descends from molosser dogs that arrived in the Pyrenees Mountains 3,000 years ago. Each isolated mountain region developed a unique livestock guardian breed from the molosser dogs, including the Pyrenean Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff, and Great Pyrenees.

During the migration of flocks to and from grazing grounds in the Aragon region of Spain in 504 A.D., shepherds traveled with a small pack of Pyrenean Mastiffs. The herds had more than a thousand sheep, which the dogs expertly protected from bears and wolves in the mountains and foothills.

Though the dogs excelled as flock guardians for centuries, their numbers plummeted in the mid-20th century as the Spanish Civil War and World War II led to decreased reliance on guardian dogs. When a pack of wolves returned to the Aragon region in the 1970s, shepherds reintroduced guardian dogs to the mountains.

Breed enthusiasts have also worked hard to restore Pyrenean Mastiff populations from 30 prime Pyrenean Mastiff specimens. The breed is still rare but has rebounded to more than 4,000 dogs around the world.