HISTORY
The pyrenean mastiff, also called Mostin De Aragon or Mastin Del Pirineo, are one specific breed among many other big dogs called Molossierdogs. To follow groups of sheep from winter to summer grazing land and to guard and protect them among the way ,against wolves , bears & thieves, used to be the PM`s mission.
The PM has probably it`s ancient relatives in the big dogs brought from Mesopotamia & Asyria to Spain about 400 years b.c. You can find remnants form big dogs in excavations south in Spain but we haven`t exactly heard of these dogs before 1273. Then you have the first written documents of mastines. ( Liber indiccioum - law5, paragraf 4 , book 8 )In the year 1450 the so called , sheep&herd federation , was formed in Spain. At that time the federation was very powerful because of sheeps and it`s economy. In the kingdom of Aragon only, you could find about 1.750.000 sheeps in the 15th centerury. Export of wool was enormious, about 2.000.000kg wool per year. One section stated by this federation said that:
1. Everyone who hurts or damaged a mastin gets a penalty of 5 sheeps.
2. Mastins are to be treated with special care and to be given the same food as the shepards.
3. If you find a "lost" mastin you`re to give it to the federation , who will fin a suitable solution / new owner.
4. Every flock of sheeps (1000 pieces) shall have 5 mastins to guard them.
As we can understand of these laws, the mastins were highly prized and of big value !! The Pyrenean Mastiff have some joint concerns with other mastines like the Spanish Mastiff, Mastiff de leon and so on.. but for several hundred years it was isolated because of the situation/location. This in addition to the climate and the "oldbreed" has lead to our PM`s.
The nearest relatives is probably the pyrenean mountain dog. These two breeds were probably common until the pyrenees were splitted almost in two different parts . North became France and south became Spain . Another relative is also found in Spain, the spanish mastiff. This breed is from the lower located parts of Spain and because of the climate and location it is now a different breed in many ways.(e.g. shorter coat).
EVOLUTION
The pyrenean mastiff became an "offer of the time " in the 1930 `s . Things happened which lead to less work for the dogs and it became less important. Wolves and other predators were almost wiped out and the railway started to transport the sheeps more and more… In addition of course we had the civil war between 1936-39 and the world war 2 which lead to less food available . All this lead to an dramatic reduction in numbers of PM.
Luckily there were some people who, either have seen these dogs or heard about them. They travelled around Spain and found about 100 dogs. Of these 100 dogs only 30 was used to start the breeding again !! The Spanish club had only one mission with this, to save the PM`s existence and to make the breed known in rest of the world. Even if the PM is a relatively seldom dog , you could say that the "pioneers" have succeeded in their mission. The Pyrenean Mastiff is found in many countries across Europe and in the US. Today you will estimated find about 4000-5000 PM`s in Spain, most of them official registrated.The ever first export of PMs from Spain went to Sweden, then Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Hungary; so the whole Europe.
In the middle of 1990’s the breed entered USA; first Brasilen, Santa Domingo, Peru, Mexico and California.
Kennel Molåslia was the first to export to Australien, in 2004.
NORWAY:
The first PM in Norway came in 1986, a male called "Balder". In 1989 two males and a female were imported from different bloodlines . In 2002 we can count about 50 PM`s in Norway. In 2007 not more than 70, because breeders have stopped or, like kennel MOLÅSLIA, moved to another country; SWEDEN.SWEDEN:
Today in 2007 there are only about 300 PMs registrated in Sweden. The breed has not been promoted here as in its home country or as in Finland where there are today about 1400 registrated. There have been a few numbers of breeders here in Sweden, but today we can see new ones, enthusiastic ones, who will help the still going recovery and selective work of breeding, and at least SHOWING; showing the public that this lovely breed do excist also in Sweden!!
All my honour to the ever first import of PM in 1981 by Gunilla Marin, kennel Jariwa’s; a male called Ombrizio, bred by Rafael Malo Alcrudo; the owner of the kennel Tajadera del Tio Roy, situated in Zaragosa in Spain.
This man; Rafael Malo Alcrudo, I do see him as the “Godfather”, the Mentor, for our lovely breed. He was one of the men searching in the mountains, the valleys, to find survived specimens to start the tremendous work in recovery of the PMs. He and his family have dedicated their whole life to this, and I am forever thankful to him, for his work, for the rest of my life.
We have a swedish document, called Recommended Breed Strategy for Breeding in sweden, mainly written by Lars Hultgren, kennel Purebloods, where you can read and study the aspects concerning the situation in Sweden today. Read about it here.
Rafael Malo Alcrudo, owner of the world famous spanish kennel Tajadera Del Tio Roy.
