Pyrenean Partners: Herding and Guarding Dogs in the French Pyrenees - Tapa dura

Patricia Lore and Bryan Cummins take the reader on an historical and photographic journey into the development and contemporary use of livestock protection dogs and herding dogs -- in particular, the Great Pyrenees (Pyrenean Mountain Dog) and Pyrenean Shepherd -– as they ply their ancient trade in the French Pyrenees today. Illustrated with magnificent full color photographs of the dogs at work and at rest, Pyrenean Partners examines the distinctly unique relationship each breed has with its owner and their crucial roles in the pastoral economy of the region. Pyrenean Partners is not only a book of exceptional beauty, it is an important contribution to the growing field of ethnocynology, the study of dogs in their particular cultural contexts.

Bryan D. Cummins, PhD, is a cultural anthropologist who has conducted extensive research in the area of ethnocynology (the study of dogs within their cultural contexts). He was a regular columnist and feature writer for the Canadian Kennel Club's magazine Dogs in Canada. He is also the owner of Bryan's Books, one of the largest rare, antiquarian, and out-of-print dog book businesses in the world.

Patricia Lore has developed an appreciation for working dogs during her long association with Bryan D. Cummings. Witnessing the Labrit and the Patou at work in the Pyrenees was truly awe inspiring. Her photographs have appeared in Dogs in Canada as well as a number of other books by Bryan.