Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees is a native of the Pyrenees
Mountains, between Spain and France, and is
said to have a common ancestry with the Saint
Bernard. These dogs are mostly pure white,
have a rough coat, and are a most impressive
size, weighing from 100 to 125 pounds (45.4
to 56.7 kg).
These are the gentlest of the guard dogs,
probably because they have been bred in the
United States as pets for many generations.
It is also the breed most commonly used as
guardians in North America. In USDA trials
in Dubois, Idaho, the Great Pyrenees was the
only breed that did not at any time bite a human. Although separated from
their traditional guardian ancestry, they have generally proved reliable when
raised and bonded to sheep at an early age.
Great Pyrenees
Komondor
Another common working guardian breed is the Komondor (plural is
komon-
dors
or
komondorok
). It is considered to be of Hungarian breeding but may
have been brought there by Turkish Kun families, who migrated with their
sheep and dogs in the thirteenth century. Its name means “corded coat” — it
has a tremendous coat of hair that hangs in locks similar to that of an Angora
goat. The coat may require some maintenance.
These dogs have a very seri-
ous disposition and are devoted
guards, wary of strangers,
and independent thinkers. In
Hungary, they were also used to
protect property and factories.
Tests done by the USDA have
found these dogs to be more
successful with pastured sheep
than on open range. This breed
has been bred for a thousand
years to be independent, but
Komondor
