The Great Pyrenees Became Royalty in France
For thousands of years, the Great Pyrenees was the dog of peasant livestock farmers. But he gained popularity with the French royals and nobility in the Renaissance years. According to French writings from 1407, the “Great Dogs of the Mountains” served as guardians for the Chateau fort de Lordes, a castle in southwestern France. In 1675, King Louis XIV’s royal court declared the Great Pyrenees the Royal Dog of France.
Pyrs were not just coveted by the French nobility. Queen Victoria of England owned one in the mid-19th century. Queen Victoria was a dog lover and owned many different breeds throughout her life.
