Pyrenean Mountain Dog
The Pyrenean Mountain Dog, known in France as the Patou and in North America as the Great Pyrenees, lived out with the flocks on the French side of the range, and it was grand…
About the Pyrenean Mountain Dog
The Pyrenean Mountain Dog, known in France as the Patou and in North America as the Great Pyrenees, lived out with the flocks on the French side of the range, and it was grand enough by the seventeenth century for Louis XIV to name it the royal dog of France. It still works as a guardian on British farms today.
Dogs stand from 70 cm and are principally white, sometimes with badger, grey or tan patches on the head and at the root of the tail. Double dewclaws on each hind leg are required. The breed patrols at night, barks with purpose, roams if the fencing is poor, and will not come when it has decided otherwise. A stud should be calm, sound and approachable, because the guarding instinct is never in doubt and the tolerance sometimes is.
Ask for hip and elbow scores and a current eye certificate; entropion and cataract have both been recorded. Patellar luxation occurs in the breed and is worth a question. Ask about bloat and about neurological problems in the line, and ask how long the stud's parents lived. A dog of this size should also be seen moving freely, since a heavy coat conceals a lot.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Pyrenean Mountain Dog
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 7 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 63 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Pyrenean Mountain Dog stud dogs
No Pyrenean Mountain Dog studs are listed right now
When a Pyrenean Mountain Dog on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Pyrenean Mountain Dog litters
No Pyrenean Mountain Dog litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
