Re: [PyrNet-L] french dogs answer

[Charlotte & Jack Perry <pyreau@erols.com>]

Janet and Lene,
Thanks so much for your comments on the French Great Pyrenees.  I gather
from your comments that you both think that the young brothers have the
more correct head and expression.  I loved hearing Janet's comments. 
Made me want to get there even more.  Janet, I get the impression that
the dogs you saw were really noticeably larger (not just taller) than
those we normally see in the US.  Is that right? I was also interested
to hear your comments on temperament.  Somehow, I seem to have gotten
the impression that Pyrs in France were more stand-offish than those we
see here. The few dogs imported from France that we saw in the 1970s
were much  more agressive than the US dogs.

Charlotte

Joan Ziehl wrote:
> 
> Charlotte, Joan forwarded your post to the list regarding our French
> pictures.  I know Joe is the expert...and has looked at French dogs for
> years but I will tell you what I thought about the dogs you
> mentioned...and the show in general.  There was difference in head
> types..maybe not as much as we see here...but definitely some
> differences. I personally preferred the two young boys over Gardayan.
> Gardayan is a lovely dog but for me the two brothers just stood out from
> 
> the very first moment I saw them.  I loved their size and elegance.
> Noustamic, who was my favorite, is at least 32 inches at the shoulder.
> His brother Neou is smaller but still a big boy.  They both had lovely
> heads, eyes and expression.  I think Neou could have had just a little
> more length of muzzle.  Both had good fill.  They both had lovely side
> gate...and wonderful presence.  Their fronts were not the best...as Joe
> mentioned at some point ...Estom does pass his fronts along to his
> offspring.  Both had really wonderful, self confident temperaments.
> Lovely, correct coats.  I don't often meet a dog that just steals my
> heart but Noustamic stole mine...I would have mortgaged the house if I
> could have brought him home with me <g>...and it was a combination of
> his beauty, size and temperament...he is very masculine and impressive.
> And these boys just turned two year of age...they aren't "done" yet. It
> was great watching them in the ring...but it was truly a treat to visit
> the next day with Madam Laffitte at her home and to see "my boy"
> Noustimic, running through the field with his girls...and he gives the
> pyr paw..just like our dogs...when he wants attention (which is often)
> <g>.  I hope Joe will comment on the French judges and their
> perference..I know he's had the good forture to saw both Mansecal and
> Pecoult judge many times.  My feeling was that both Gardayan and the
> young boys had their following with the judges and I also definitely got
> 
> the impression that, as here in the states, politicals can factor into
> those choices.
> 
> About the other dogs there...on the whole, I think the bitches, as a
> group, were better and more consistent....breathtakingly beautiful heads
> 
> on many of them.  I mentioned earlier about head differences....the
> differences you see in head type isn't so much more or less stop or
> heavier or slighter heads....there were not a lot of heavy heads but
> rather some dogs with more brow ridge...not stop..but not that smooth,
> smooth head.  And you would see some with round eyes...or a looser
> lip..or less fill...or just rather homely but not really heavy or stoppy
> 
> heads.  As you know the dogs aren't groomed much before the show but you
> 
> could still see that most all of them had correct coat...wonderful,
> course, flat laying coats.  You didn't see soft, fluffy coats there.
> I was really impressed by the temperaments.  I saw very few shy
> dogs...and only one male that was dog aggressive.  And I may be wrong
> about this but my guess is that most of these dogs have not been overly
> socialized..in the sense of being taken out and exposed to alot. And
> most seemed to be very sound of mind...friendly..and laid back.  There
> was one female there who was off leash the whole show...she wondered
> about at will...she wondered thru the rings during judging..visited with
> 
> dogs being shown...she wondered in and out of the restrooms...and would
> lay down for a nap when and whereever she felt like it.
> 
> I've rambled on enough.  It was a trip I had dreamed about for years and
> 
> it was almost a "spirtual" experience for me...it was all I had hoped it
> 
> would be and more.  I had often thought..if I could just do this one
> time...but having done it once I know it's something I will do again and
> 
> again.  It was not terribly expensive and it really was not a problem
> that we didn't speak French...I was worried about that but I worried for
> 
> nothing...the people were great...all were helpful...it was easy to get
> around...the mountains are beautiful and I recommend that everyone goes
> at least once.  It was truly a wonderful learning experience.
> 
> Janet Ingram
> 
> To unsubscribe, send a message to esquire@pyrnet.org with
>         unsubscribe pyrnet-l
> as the BODY of the message.  The SUBJECT is ignored.