Re: [pyrnet] Re: Bonbelle

[JGentzel@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/20/01 11:38:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
KHaskins@neteos.com writes:


> For those of us who are newer to the breed and know much less about pyrs, 
> would you mind explaining what the difference might be between a "very 
> French" pyr such as Bonbelle and what we might view as a more "typical" pyr 
> here in the US?
>  
> Thanks,
> Kelly


Kelly, go to the pictures I just posted URL's too and look at them.  You see 
it immediately from what you have mostly seen.  The contemporary French bred 
dogs have more elegance and mostly more leg under them than most of our pyrs 
here in North America.  To our credit here though, we put a sounder dog and a 
dog that can compete in the groups better.  The pendulum always swings too 
far on any direction and then needs to return.  That is what happened here 
and in France the elegance in some hands was taken to extremes.  The good 
breeders there have it right generally and finally we are beginning to look 
and learn some.  Also the picture cannot really capture the essence of it 
all.  It is sort of like some of the other great personal pleasures in life, 
you need to be present to get the full impact.  In pictures the elegance 
seems to come across as less dog.  When you are there and especially when you 
touch and get that close you see the difference between large and big (as in 
rotund).  Many have misinterpreted the two and the results have been large 
round dogs with shorter legs.  We do have some excellent Pyr heads in North 
America.  Always have, but not in much abundance.  Unfortunately some top 
winning kennels did not exhibit this good type historically and it has 
influenced many of the judges to look for the rounder less elegant Pyr and 
thing it is correct.  That is what Lene expressed and what Geraldine did as 
well.  

Joe