KENAI
Pyrenean Shepherd

The breeds · herding

AKC Herding · UKC Herding · FCI standard 141/138

Pyrenean Shepherd.

Herding. AKC standard: an ardent herder of all kinds of livestock, "not merely a header or a drover"; a versatile herder with the initiative to adapt to changing circumstances; the powerful herding instinct is so strong that from the youngest age he knows how to manage the flock without an older dog's example. FCI 141: sheepdog used in the farms and pastures of the Pyrenees. FCI 138: sheepdog. RKC: herding skills were often used alongside the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, who guarded the flock; the long-haired dogs worked the high mountains, the larger face rase herded horses and cattle in the lower foothills..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeight · rough-faced standarddogs null, dogs null, bitches null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
15–30LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 15 to 30 lb; breed bitches 15 to 30 lb.
2.5+ HRSExercise, every dayMore than 2 hours per day (RKC; both the long-haired and smooth-faced pages). The constraint most homes get wrong.

The lines

Within one breed the line can matter more than the breed. Where the lines differ, the page says which one a value belongs to.

rough-faced

AKC rough-faced: long-haired and demi-long coat types, FCI 141. Smaller size range; clearly long-bodied.

smooth-faced

AKC smooth-faced, the face rase, FCI 138. Larger size range, squarer, short fine hair on the face. Same litters as rough-faced.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

rough-faced linedogs 15.5 to 18.9 in · bitches 15 to 18.1 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2006

AKC rough-faced covers the demi-long and long-haired coat types; FCI 141 covers long and semi-long coat. No standard prints an ideal, so center is blank. FCI sizes are for the long-haired standard 141 (FCI 141 prints a tolerance of plus or minus 2 cm for perfectly typed specimens, not included in low/high).

smooth-faced linedogs 15.5 to 21.3 in · bitches 15.5 to 20.5 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2006

No ideal printed, center blank. The smooth-faced variety is the larger-sized one in both standards. The two varieties are born in the same litters (AKC).

Weight

dogs 15 to 30 lb · bitches 15 to 30 lb

Breed clubAKC

The AKC standard sets no weight ("an absolute minimum of weight is required, just enough flesh to cover the bones; the ribs should be readily felt"). Neither FCI standard prints a weight. Single registry-page source for the number; applies to both varieties.

Coat

rough-faced lineRough-faced: long or demi-long hair, almost flat or slightly wavy, harsh, halfway between goat hair and sheep wool, undercoat minimal; long-haired dogs may cord (never on the head). Short hair on the end of the muzzle that lengthens toward the skull gives the windswept look. FCI 141 agrees (long or semi-long, dense, goat-hair to sheep-wool texture, cadenettes and matelotes possible).

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2006

smooth-faced lineSmooth-faced: muzzle covered with short fine hair; body hair fine and soft, ruff and culottes at most 3 in, back at most 2 in; fronts of legs short and fine. FCI 138: semi-long or less, longest on neck and withers (6 to 7 cm) and median line of back (4 to 5 cm).

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2006

Shedding

Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

rough-faced line3 of 5 · AKC standard, rough-faced coat: long or demi-long hair, harsh (between goat hair and sheep wool), may cord on elbows, croup and thighs, undercoat minimal; light-boned, lean dog

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2006

Derived from the coat description: long coat but minimal undercoat and a lean build, placed at 3. Note the AKC breed page calls the coat a double coat with a soft undercoat while the AKC standard says the undercoat is minimal; the standard is used.

smooth-faced line4 of 5 · AKC standard, smooth-faced coat: fine, soft body hair of no more than 3 in at the ruff and culottes and 2 in along the back; short fine hair on the face and fronts of the legs

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2006

Derived from the coat description: short to moderate fine coat with little furnishing, placed at 4.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day (RKC; both the long-haired and smooth-faced pages)

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: more than 2 hours = 150. AKC page rates Energy Level 5 of 5.

Exercise need

RKC (long-haired and smooth-faced pages): more than 2 hours per day. AKC breed page: a high-energy dog, always on alert and ready for action; lots of activity and a job to do are vital to the breed's mental, emotional and physical health. RKC: both varieties thrive on training and an active, varied life; not a dog for a novice.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

5 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

3 of 5 · More than once a week (RKC grooming band, both varieties); AKC breed page: weekly brushing to keep the coat free of mats and tangles

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: more than once a week = 3. AKC says the soft undercoat can mat very easily.

Grooming

RKC: more than once a week, medium coat length, sheds. AKC breed page: weekly brushing; the harsh outer coat may shed quite a bit while the soft undercoat mats easily; the coat can be combed out and left as it grows, or corded as desired.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Herding. AKC standard: an ardent herder of all kinds of livestock, "not merely a header or a drover"; a versatile herder with the initiative to adapt to changing circumstances; the powerful herding instinct is so strong that from the youngest age he knows how to manage the flock without an older dog's example. FCI 141: sheepdog used in the farms and pastures of the Pyrenees. FCI 138: sheepdog. RKC: herding skills were often used alongside the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, who guarded the flock; the long-haired dogs worked the high mountains, the larger face rase herded horses and cattle in the lower foothills.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2006

Role text drawn from the registries and the RKC page. No breed-club working description was reachable.

Primary game

Livestock, not game. AKC standard: all kinds of livestock. FCI 141: sheep on the farms and pastures of the Pyrenees. RKC (smooth-faced page): horses and cattle in the lower foothills.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2006

A herding breed; the entry carries the stock worked in place of game.

Also used on

AKC breed page: a great candidate for agility, rally, obedience, dock diving, freestyle and almost any dog sport; positive, reward-based methods work well. RKC: they often excel in competitive activities. No hunting use is stated in any source read.

Breed clubAKC

Search pattern

Single dog on stock. AKC breed page: Pyr Sheps were bred to herd using their bodies, instead of with eye contact as some other breeds do. AKC standard: the trot is the favorite gait, solid and vigorous, the dog "shaves the earth"; not a header or drover by division of labor, a versatile herder.

Breed clubAKC

Field trial standard

FCI classification for both standards 141 and 138: Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs, with working trial.

Breed clubFCI Standard No. 141, 2009

The FCI classification only; no herding test or trial standard (AKC/PSCA herding tests) was read.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

13.8% · 13.8% dysplastic of 347 OFA hip evaluations on record (all data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 85.3% normal; mild 9.5%, moderate 4.0%, severe 0.3%; breed rank 93

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA data is a voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is likely higher. All-data figures are undated; n is the number of evaluations on record. Small n for the breed.

Elbow dysplasia

0% · 0.0% abnormal of 130 OFA elbow evaluations on record (all data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 100.0% normal; breed rank 160

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA data is a voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is likely higher. All-data figures are undated; n is the number of evaluations on record. Small n for the breed.

Most common disorders

AKC breed page: a healthy breed with a long expected lifespan; breeders screen for hip dysplasia, patellar subluxation, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), epilepsy, and eye defects (choroidal hypoplasia, progressive retinal atrophy). PSCA requires hips, annual eye exam and patella; cardiac optional. RKC: merle to merle matings are not registered from 2013 because of impaired vision and hearing risks.

Breed clubAKC

A list of conditions screened for, not prevalence figures. The AKC page prints a Life Expectancy of 17 to 19 years; that registry band is not used as a median.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 5; Mental Stimulation Needs 5; Trainability Level 5; Barking Level 4; Watchdog/Protective Nature 5; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 2; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 5; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 6 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Pyr Shep, Berger des Pyrenees, Pyrenean Sheepdog

Every breed, read the same way.

The breed index grows as entries clear the standard. Gun dogs first.

All published breeds

Your pyrenean shepherd, on the record.

Log the days, the miles and the birds, and the KENAI app keeps the dog’s story beside the breed’s. Free to start.

Get the app