Great Pyrenees owners, when pressed, come up with several thoughts about what their breed’s most defining characteristic is. Sleeping across doorways is a common observation – common enough, in fact, that a nickname for the breed is the “mat dog,” so strong are the guardian instincts. A “bear-like” head is also mentioned.
We, however, are most taken with comments made about the breed’s eyes. During a highlight of the breed on our Facebook page, one Pyr owner cited Bernard Senec-Lagrange, founder of the original Pyrenees club at the turn of the century, who valued expression as the breed’s most defining characteristic. He wrote: “Only the true breed possesses this bewitching, almost indefinable expression in their eyes, both distant and caressing, contemplative and just a little sad. As you look in these eyes, the immense moral value of the breed pierces your soul.”
Image: “A Long Winter’s Nap” by Karen Mathison Schmidt
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