Great Cambrian Shepherd

The Great Cambrian Shepherd gets its name from one of its parent breeds – the Great Pyrenees – and the homeland of its other parent breed, the Welsh Sheepdog, which comes from “Cambria” – the medieval name for Wales. It’s Great Pyrenees parent is closely related to the Kuvasz and is thought to have originated in Central Asia or Siberia. The breed eventually migrated to Europe and settled in the mountainous region between France and Spain known as the Pyrenees Mountains. In fact, evidence of Great Pyrenees in Europe date back to the Bronze Age between 1800 and 1000 BC. While in Europe, this breed was used for sheep herding until the 1600s when it was declared the royal dog of France. They were then employed as guard dogs for the French elite and started to gain international attention. Canada started to import the Great Pyrenees to breed with other large dogs and the United States soon followed the import trend in the 1800s. In 1933, after decades of being shipped to North America, the Great Pyrenees was recognized by the American Kennel Club. The Great Cambrian Shepherd’s other parent, the Welsh Sheepdog, is native to Wales where it has worked on farms for centuries. As its name suggests, it was originally bred to herd sheep and other types of livestock. In modern times, however, it has been largely replaced by more popular Border Collies. It has also been bred with the Border Collie, making the purebred Welsh Sheepdog extremely rare to come by outside of its native Wales. Though it is closely related to other types of Collies and Shepherd mixes recognized by the AKC, the Welsh Sheepdog is not currently on its roster of purebred dogs. The mating of these two parent breeds is unusual, but the result is an alert, eager, and loyal companion. The Cambrian Shepherd – like its Welsh parent – is not recognized by the AKC and still varies considerably in temperament and appearance because of unregulated breeding guidelines for the hybrid.