Temperament

CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. IN NATURE, THE GREAT PYRENEES IS CONFIDENT, GENTLE, AND AFFECTIONATE. WHILE TERRITORIAL AND PROTECTIVE OF HIS FLOCK OR FAMILY WHEN NECESSARY, HIS GENERAL DEMEANOR IS ONE OF QUIET COMPOSURE, BOTH PATIENT AND TOLERANT. HE IS STRONG WILLED, INDEPENDENT AND SOMEWHAT RESERVED, YET ATTENTIVE, FEARLESS AND LOYAL TO HIS CHARGES BOTH HUMAN AND ANIMAL.

ALTHOUGH THE GREAT PYRENEES MAY APPEAR RESERVED IN THE SHOW RING, ANY SIGN OF EXCESSIVE SHYNESS, NERVOUSNESS, OR AGGRESSION TO HUMANS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND MUST BE CONSIDERED AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS FAULT.

First and foremost, the Great Pyrenees is a guardian, trusted to work independently with a flock or at home, distinguishing between those situations calling for action and those offering no threat. When necessary, he will unhesitatingly risk his own life to protect his charges.
The show ring is not a situation which should intimidate, cower or threaten a Great Pyrenees. Therefore, any outward sign of fear, excessive hesitancy, or nervousness must not be tolerated. Nor can aggression towards a human be accepted. Occasional expressions of adult male dog/male dog aggression are not unusual and should not be considered indicative of an aggressive temperament.

Any suggestion of temperament instability towards a human must be penalized severely.
In the show ring, a Great Pyrenees should appear to be at ease, often slightly aloof, as if almost bored with the proceedings. This is not to say that he is unaware of what is going on. Instead, the Great Pyrenees is perceptive enough to know that the proceedings within the show ring are not a threat and he is therefore at confident ease. It is this quality of confident ease that makes the Great Pyrenees generally unresponsive to attempts to alert him with bait or noises and the dog should not be faulted for such lack of response.