What originally brought me to the breed was:At the age of five, my family bought a satellite and playing, regularly, on Nickelodeon was the animated version of the Belle and Sebastian series.I immediately fell in love with Belle (a Grt. Pyr, of course) and was soon saving my money to buy my very own Pyrenees.Every day I would come home from school, sit in front of the T.V. eating supper and watch Belle, Sebastian and Poochie in their dramatic adventures. My Uncle, however, informed me that "there was no such breed", just because he had never heard of it (AND of course he wasn't even in the "dog world" anyway). I kept believing, though, and then my Grandmother found some Pyr pups for sale. I couldn't afford one at the time so we kept the phone number and I kept saving. Three years went by and I finally had enough to purchase a Pyrenees puppy. However, I would have to hold on to it for two more years before I could actually buy one.At the age of nine we contacted the breeder and found that a litter was due. Then, the mother (Pyr) fell ill and the medication that had to be given caused her to miscarry the pups.A second litter (from another Pyr) was due and this time they were born healthy and happy on June 9th. I told the breeder I wanted a female, all white, just like Belle and in the litter there were two females. When they were about eight or nine weeks old I went to pick mine out, I was now ten. One was pure white with beautiful black pigmentation, just like Belle and the other was white with wolfgray markings & great pigmentation. I wanted one that looked like Belle and at the time didn't even know Pyrs could be marked. However, the pure white pup had the head of a opossum so home with the marked pup I went and named her Belle (Magnificent McConnell Belle).A few weeks later her breeder sent me several pictures of Pyrs (some very famous) with markings and a letter assuring me that her wolfgray marks were perfectly normal. (Looking back now I can see that my Belle was very beautifully marked, as I had thought at the time. I had just been concerned that maybe she should be all white.)Belle grew and I was interested in showing and breeding. Sadly, she died before we could do this. She was a beloved friend and guardian, though, and will forever be missed.After she died I knew none would ever take her place but I also knew that I wanted another Pyr. We contacted her breeder, but due to personal health problems she had stopped breeding. We then found another breeder and I again started saving. A litter was born and I again went to pick from two females. Of course by now I preferred the marked Pyrs and wanted one that looked like MY Belle.When we arrived at the breeder's home a litter of pups were in an exercise pen, they were all HEAVILY marked, so much so that my heart sank. But almost the same moment I saw them and felt my heart break, I saw a beautifully, wolfgray, marked pup alone in another pen. My heart lifted. I kept walking, past the other pups, and toward the lone pup. It was her. Her sister had already been sold and she and her brothers had been separated. My Mom and Aunt later asked how I knew this was her, as I had walked directly to her. I hadn't exactly known, I just KNEW. :)This pup looked like my Belle but with something extra, this was my La Dame Belle (The Lady Beautiful), "Rajah". (Call name off the tiger from Aladdin.)Rajah was a wonderful puppy and has always had something about her. She is a bit more loving towards me than Belle was and has a nicer look to her, which is probably the differences in their breeding, but I do still love Belle.Rajah and I have shown on a limited bases. She also guards and protects "Africa", our Suffolk ewe as well as the rest of our small animals, horses and us. She has even protected me from the attack of another dog.Two other Pyrs have also blessed me with their companionship, Jasmine and Moses.Jasmine came to our home after my Aunt spotted her on the highway on her way to work. She called me and away I went to find her. When I did, she was clearly in bad shape and confused. She would take treats from me, but I'd say it took around half an hour for her to actually let me touch her and take her to the car, although she was very good natured.I took her straight to the veterinarian I was working for, had her weighed, wormed and given vaccinations. Her height was around 26 inches but she only weighed 63 pounds. She wore a cheap looking, old leather collar which had probably been a belt and had a problem breathing especially when she ate. We got her back in shape and she has since found a loving new home on a farm with a man and his son.Moses (Staranch Maple Way Tundra Bear CGC) came to me as a nine (almost ten) week old ball of white fluff from clear across the country. He is the first to have traveled this far to me (unless Jasmine had, we don't know) and is the grandson of Ch. Karolaska STA Kooler Bear who is the son of Ch. Karolaska Bristol Bay HOF/HOF.Although Raj will usually do what I ask, Mo seems to be more of the "obedience Pyr" (so far). He also enjoys guarding and (so far) seems to enjoy the ring a bit more than his "main squeeze".All of my Pyrs have been a great gift in my life and I am extremely happy that my Uncle was wrong and my childhood dream of owning Pyrs (Protectors, Friends and Beauty....just like Belle) has come to be.ChrissyRajah and Moses(Belle and Jasmine)West Union, WV