La Brise Pyreneans

It all started in 1975. I was in 5th grade. Horse-crazy. Dog-crazy. I had taught every trick I could think of to my dog Snorky, a springer-lab mix. One day at school the Weekly Reader book list came out and on it was a slim volume called The Ten Best Breeds for Boys and Girls. I got it, and read it cover-to-cover. Next came the AKC Complete Dog Book and a trip to a dog show! (By which time I made sure I knew all the breeds & could identify them on sight!) And a wonderful Pyr-Newf cross named Dozer who stood 33" tall. 

 

​In 1977 I got my first purebred Great Pyrenees and began showing. I took French in school because the breed came from France. And in 1979 I went on a school exchange program to France. While there I met numerous breeders and became acquainted with the little Pyr Sheps. I think I spent more time at dog shows than in class! But I returned with a little white ball of fluff imported from France -Patoune du Grand Baou, sired by the top dog in the country. I whelped my first litter in 1980 and was honored that one of those pups won his class at the National Specialty under Mary Crane!

 

In 1983 I returned to France. I spent all summer going to shows, visiting breeders and learning about other things French --like cooking! I returned with 2 more balls of white fluff and a furry little tan rocket! 

This was Urrugne de l'Estaube "Blythe" -my first Pyr Shep. Through college, grad school, marriage, and the beginning of my university career, she and I were inseparable for the next 18 years.

 

More imports followed of both breeds. As the Pyrenean Shepherd Club of America got started and began to hold shows I learned just how high quality were the dogs the various French breeders had entrusted to me. As the decades pass I try always to honor that by maintaining that level of quality in type, temperament, movement and athleticism. As the La Brise bloodline has developed, this great foundation has served us well and I am extremely proud that the La Brise dogs have earned 20 National Specialty Best of Breeds, more than 80 championships, and over 1200 performance titles in -among others- sports ranging from herding, tracking and obedience to weight pull, flyball and disc dog! Agility has been a major focus with some 50 MACHs and national winners in AKC and USDAA and members of several World Teams. And to top it off, in 2011 we were thrilled when Luka de La Brise took the Gold Medal at the FCI World Championship in Lievin, France!

 

Thus far La Brise is the only producer of AKC Group, RBIS and Best in Show Pyrenean Shepherds but it won't be long before others start achieving at this level. Nothing makes us more proud than to see the many breeders who got their start with La Brise dogs and are continuing their own breeding programs with tremendous success --in the USA and around the world from Canada and Mexico to Europe and Japan!

  

We are passionate about our dogs and our sport!   

Feel free to contact me at 440-478-5292