Color

Correct Color - White dog with markings
which should not exceed one-third of body.

COLOR

WHITE OR WHITE WITH MARKINGS OF GRAY, BADGER, REDDISH BROWN, OR VARYING SHADES OF TAN. MARKINGS OF VARYING SIZE MAY APPEAR ON THE EARS, HEAD (INCLUDING A FULL FACE MASK), TAIL, AND AS A FEW BODY SPOTS. THE UNDERCOAT MAY BE WHITE OR SHADED. ALL OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED COLORINGS AND LOCATIONS ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BREED AND EQUALLY CORRECT.

FAULT:

OUTER COAT MARKINGS COVERING MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THE BODY.

Correct Great Pyrenees color is either all white or white with, most typically, badger, tan, gray, or reddish brown markings. Spira defines badger as "an admixture of white/grey/brown/black hairs of varying intensity;" also referred to as "blaireau." Occasionally, you will find individuals with markings that are red. No marking color is considered incorrect. Both marked and unmarked dogs are equally correct and no preference should be given to one over the other.
Litters typically consist of a mixture of marked puppies and all white puppies. Many of the markings on the very young puppies will be extremely dark brown or black, appearing on the head, ears, body and/or base of the tail. Usually, as the puppies grow to the age of 8 - 10 weeks, these dark markings begin to soften, fading to grays and tans. By the age of one year, many of the markings will have faded to highlights, most often visible on the ears. However, some of the dogs will carry pronounced markings throughout their life.
Marked dogs and bitches are felt to be essential to a sound breeding program because they are advantageous to the maintenance of good pigmentation in the breed. Repeated generations of breeding all white to all white can result in weak or missing pigmentation.
Usually, most of the markings are exhibited on the outer coat. However, some dogs also exhibit a marked or shaded undercoat, though most undercoats are white.

NOTE: All three heads are exactly the same. Any appearance of difference is caused by the markings.

Special attention must be employed when evaluating dogs with strong head masks. The mask can sometimes distort the visual perception of the actual shape of the head. Again, it is a good idea to use one's hands to obtain an accurate evaluation.

Among all white dogs, there is often a range of natural "whiteness." Their color can go from bright "Clorox" white to cream to a yellow-white. These shades of white are not to be considered as markings.

While no preference is to be given to marked or unmarked coat colorings, it must be remembered that the Great Pyrenees is a principally white dog. Therefore, when markings exceed one third of the body, they are considered to be excessive.