[PyrNet-L] Giant Breed?

["ARIEGE" <ARIEGE@xtra.co.nz>]

I don't think any of the three Standards for Pyrs call for a dog "smaller"
than the 3 Breeds you mentioned.  What the 3 Standards call for is a dog
without the "heaviness" of a Newf or Mastiff. And of course we have the word
"elegance" in our Pyr Standards.  There are so many schools of thought Susie
and Brandy and  as we have discussed on this List before what we would like
is "soundness" in our Pyrs along with "Balance" and  size, not forgetting
the great temperaments too.  Preferably all should go hand in hand and
Breeders breeding from sound, healthy stock hope to attain all these things.
Yes we do get grouped into the Giant Breed syndrome along with the other
Giant Breeds and it happens here too, e.g. our Annual Battle of the Giants
we attend each year with the Saints, Newfs, Danes and Bernese!! I make a
point nowadays of correcting people here who call Pyrs a Giant Breed. I say
to them "we are a large Breed". And yes we are a large Breed and there will
always be Pyrs bigger than other Pyrs but it's all in the genes isn't it
Joe??
As for the Kuvasok and the Maremma, have a look at some websites(someone
will know!) and see the difference for yourselves in substance, colouring,
ear sets etc.  Each Breed is unique with it's own set of Breed
characteristics and that's what makes them special.
Jan
Jan Chaplin Ariege-Roussillon Pyreneans. Visit my sites at
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Zoo/1920/Christmaspage.html and
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Zoo/1920/Index.html and
http://homepages.msn.com/PetsPl/pyreneanmountaindog/ and my latest Site
http://homepages.msn.com/HobbyCt/postcardcollections/