Ottoussuire Patous Galerieottoussuire@la Toussuire
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What is the originof the word ‘Patou’?
There are two possible origins of the word ‘Patou’: either the Old French ‘pastre’ or the Occitan ‘pastor’, both of which mean‘shepherd’.
The earliest record we have of the Patou dates back tothe Middle Ages. This iconic breed of the Pyrenees has been guarding flocks for centuries. It was from the 17th century onwards that the breed’s reputation rose to new heights, thanks to one woman:Madame de Maintenon,Louis XIV’s second wife. Whilst visiting the Pyrenees, the queen fell under the spell of the Patou. She also decided to bring these dogs back to the King’s court, and he subsequently chose the Patou as theroyal dog.
The Decline of the Patou
However, the Patou – a dog that had been an indispensable asset in the face of numerous predators, including wolves, lynx, bears, foxes and birds of prey, for many years –cameveryclose to becoming extinctfrom 1850 onwards.
The cause? The opening up of the mountains to forest roads and the construction of dams. The modernisation of sheep farming in sheepfolds, as well as the numerous large-scale hunts organised to cull predators – particularly the wolf – meant that there was no longer any need to protect the flocks.
The number of Patou, a herding dog,plummeted.
A return to the 1960s
It wasn’t until the famous TV series‘Belle and Sébastien’in the 1960s that the general public rediscovered thePatou.
Its image as a gentle, brave and loyaldog lefta lasting impression.
Since then, with the return of sheep to the mountains and the reintroduction of the wolf, the Patou has fully regained its role asa herd protection dogin the French mountains.
