|
The reason for their existanceThe Pyrenean Shepherd is a loose-eyed
herding and tending breed; he is a jack-of-all-trades. When
the farmer is out tending his flock, his little sheepdog is with
him. His purpose was to take the sheep, with the shepherd,
back and forth to the grazing pastures each day and to aid the farmer
in working with the flock management. These pastures are usually not
fenced so some tending is also required. He is also
useful as an alarm system as nothing escapes his gaze and he is quick
to bark a warning. He generally works close to the flock with
little direction given by the shepherd. At the barn the
farmer will also use his Pyr Shep to sort out individuals in the flock
for milking or other purposes. The Pyr Shep is a versatile all-purpose
farm dog. The
breed's focus is his master so when you walk away from the livestock,
your Pyr Shep will follow. When you are working with livestock
and he sees you need his assistance he is quick to try and help out. He uses every means within his
body; his liveliness, his bark & bite to control the sheep
successfully (unlike the Border Collies use of strong eye contact).
The herding instinct is still very strong in all Pyr Sheps.
Some shepherds would not have any other breed except the petit berger
des pyrenees while others complain the breed is too lively, barks
too much or bites too much. Much depends on their training but
inherently they are a useful, tireless worker for the farmer either
at his farm or on the transhumance.
The Pyr Shep
is very quick and reactive in his style, but also very biddable.We have now titled four of our females and three males competing at different levels of Canadian herding trials--often receiving "Reserve High in Trial" or "High In Trial" honors.
|
CONFORMATION SHOW RING
The
Pyr Shep is a unique breed in the show ring. There are very few
being exhibited and this makes it difficult for judges to develop
a good feel for the breed. A pleasant dog exhibiting sound structure
and temperament with no major faults will catch the eye of any judge
and be remembered. The quality and temperament of the dog being
exhibited needs to be exemplary to ensure the breed develops a good
reputation in the show ring.
Raised properly, the pyr shep also makes an excellent dog for the Junior Handler. A small pyr shep at 15-16" weighing around 20 lbs is very manageable for a young Junior Handler for either manipulating the dog's position or lifting it onto a grooming table for examination (the breed is examined on the table in the United States only). At the same time, the characteristic devotion of the breed makes it such that the Junior Handler can easily keep the focus of his charge. The pyr shep is always aware of what is going on around him in the ring and this offers a little challenge for his handler but nothing that a tasty morsel doesn't rectify. Junior handlers are always asked questions about the dog they are exhibiting and information about the Pyr Shep is always interesting for youngsters to research and learn. For the show ring the pyr shep is easily trained and exhibited as a "natural" breed. His handler does not need to fuss with long periods of grooming nor is the dog stacked in an unnatural stance. The breed's natural alert behavior keeps his eyes on his handler, while its typical mischievous smile and expression will usually keep the judge's eye on the breed. The grooming requirements are very minimal. His nails should be trimmed and his teeth clean. The coat should be clean and free of tangles or debris. Often times a good brushing will be enough to tidy and clean a coat up for the show ring. The dog does not need to have a bath every time he is being exhibited in the show ring. There is no trimming or scissoring of his coat because a major part of his allure is his rustic appearance. The U.S. standard states that the breed's feet can be trimmed but I have not found this to be necessary. In fact, considering the amount of coat the breed can possess the lack of coifing and fussing tests the patience of many professional dog show exhibitors with fingers itching to get busy trimming this or that! If you have any questions regarding the grooming of your pyrenean shepherd then get in touch with your breeder. If you are hiring a professional handler to show your dog make certain that the handler is aware of how you want the breed to be presented in the show ring. If your Pyr Shep has the traditional cadenettes, a corded coat, then the cords can be split to keep their sizes even. I have several dogs with this type of coat and because they are working dogs the cords will pick up debris such as hay and vegetation seeds so I do spend some time picking these bits out of the cords before exhibiting the dog. I will also bath just the cords to get out any lingering odour of the barn. But, I have also gone straight from the barn into the show ring and placed with high honors. When entering the ring with your pyr shep he needs to be trained to "stand" and "stay" and keep his attention focused on you, the handler. Then the judge will usually ask you to trot your dog around the ring to examine his gait. Although the pyr shep sometimes likes to enhance his performance with a few jumps in the air I would suggest this behavior be kept to an absolute minimum. A lively trot on a loose leash will present the movement of the dog adequately. When coming to a stop it is handy to teach your dog to "stop" or give him a signal that you are slowing down. This prevents the dog from being pulled by the leash to a halt. When the judge is examining your dog tell the dog to "stand" and "stay" then squat down beside the dog all the while encouraging him to "stay" still. Do not allow your dog to jump at the judge or pull back from the judge. Keep your dog's focus on YOU! If your dog sits down then gently stand him up again. If your dog is being examined on a table place the dog on the table and align his feet squarely then tell the dog to "stand" and "stay". It is important not to rush through this process as that is often a signal to the dog that you are nervous and this results in the dog becoming nervous as well. Always be proud of your dog and what the breed should be representing. The breed was not developed to be a show dog. It is a working farm dog and whether or not the dog lives on a farm does not matter as long as the owner, as a steward of the breed, conveys to others the respect the breed and its' heritage deserve.
|
| HOOPERS
This new sport called HOOPERS is a natural for the Pyrenean Shepherd and so much fun! Hoopers is a sport that originally developed in
America from NADAC competitions. It is an evolving young sport in which the
dog learns to run a course following the instructions of the handler. An
intimate understanding and communication between the handler and dog builds
as the learning of the sport progresses. Hoopers is suitable for dogs aged
4 months and older, small to large. It is excellent physical exercise
for dogs and excellent cognitive exercise for the owner.
There is more information and lots of videos on YouTube
or Facebook Group: The dog is biomechanically designed to go forwards and Hoopers embraces this. The dog does not jump any obstacles and moves in their natural forward motion with no sharp turn working in harmony with the design of the animal. A barrel which the dog runs past or around, a bottomless tunnel with a very large diameter allows larger dogs to safely pass through, and the Hoops with no bars along the ground requiring any jumping or change of pace. During the lessons we follow a calm structure while learning all the equipment and verbal directions. Gradually we combine more and more equipment, more distance between the equipment and increase the distance between you and your dog. The dog learns to work at a distance from the handler and to pay close attention to the handler's body language and voice. The handler is challenged in the sport by restricting their movement to a handler's box area in the field and the distance created between the dog, obstacles and the handler. Hoopers is above all FUN and develops a trusting and working relationship between dog and handler like no other sport. Since 2021, a group of enthusiasts in Europe have been busy making Hoopers an international sport and now the FCI has recognized hoopers as an official sport. The sport was recently highlighted at the U.K. Crufts show, and many Canadians have been discovering and enjoying the new challenges and benefits of the sport. The emphasis is on an error-free, flowing runs and not on the fastest time. This way everyone has an equal chance at completing a successful trial whether you have a fast dog or a dog that walks quietly. Here is a radom example of the sport being practiced by all sizes of dogs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLClUyszh3c https://www.facebook.com/groups/897088851567414/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT ************************* There is more information at this website dedicated to teaching the sport: International: http://www.hoopers-international.com/
Visit our instruction page for instruction and how to build the equipment at home! |
||
AGILITY
|
|||||
"Rally"
performed all over North America with Superdogs
and his freestyle routine is amazing to watch. Rally and his owner, Angela, were 2007 Skyhoundz Canadian Frisbee Champion |
FLYBALL
|
|
|
|
TRACKING & SCENT
WORK
Pierre & Hiver learning to track The
Pyr Shep is used successfully as a Tracking, Scent Detection
and Search and Rescue dog. He has great drive and a natural
desire to please which makes training quick and fun. There
are many very successful Bergers des Pyrenees competing in high levels
of tracking competitions around the world.
"Jinn" and his owner Diana are the first Pyrenean Shepherd in North America to obtain the initial Scent Work title and are currently working toward higher qualifications in this field. |
| BARN HUNT
|
Karen competes at the Masters Levels with Tango and Sami. Watch Tango searching in the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuKVJXeYsRQ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
