The Pyrenean Sheepdog or Shepherd is a medium-small dog that was bred originally in the 1700s for herding. It often worked as an active herder together with the Great Pyrenees, who acted as the flock's guardian.
It is not yet a well-known breed outside of its native France, but its size, intelligence, and attractive coat make it appealing. After one of its breed won the World Agility Championship for midsized dogs in 2003, it gained more attention as an intelligent performance dog for dog sports.
The coat has two basic varieties, smooth-faced (or smooth-haired) and rough-faced (or long-haired).