Pyrenean Sheepdog (Smooth Faced) puppies

About the Pyrenean Sheepdog (Smooth Faced)

The smooth faced Pyrenean Sheepdog is one of two varieties of a small French herding breed, this one worked in the lower foothills with horses and cattle while the rough coated type stayed high on the mountains. The name describes the head, which carries short fine hair instead of the beard its relative wears. Body coat is semi long, longest over the neck, withers and back. Height runs from 40 to 54 centimetres, and the Kennel Club lists it in the Pastoral group.

For its size this is an extraordinary amount of dog. The Kennel Club puts exercise at more than two hours a day, grooming at more than once a week, and states plainly that it is not a breed for a novice owner. It is quick, sensitive, independent and reserved with strangers, so early socialisation and varied training are essential rather than optional extras. The people who struggle are the ones who wanted a small easy companion and got a working sheepdog instead.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Pyrenean Sheepdog (Smooth Faced) puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Impaired vision and hearing from merle to merle matings, which the Kennel Club prohibits registration of for this reason
• Hip dysplasia, which breeding stock can be x-rayed and scored for before mating
• Inherited eye disease, checked by an annual eye examination with a veterinary ophthalmologist on breeding animals
• Matting behind the ears and in the longer neck and back coat, found by combing right down to the skin more than once a week
• A small United Kingdom population, which the Kennel Club asks breeders to manage by prioritising genetic diversity

From Pyrenean Sheepdog (Smooth Faced) breed information at https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/pastoral/pyrenean-sheepdog-smooth-faced-imp/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Pyrenean Sheepdog (Smooth Faced) puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Pyrenean Sheepdog (Smooth Faced).
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the Not published adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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