The Pyrenean Mountain Dog

A Tribute to Mrs Constance Prince

It would be true to say that the book might never have been written if it had not been for the dedication of Mrs Constance Prince, to the breed.

Since writing her first Handbook of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog in 1956, and updating it many times to keep up with public demand, she was of the opinion that a full-scale book on the breed was badly needed in this country, as with the passing of time stories of well-known personages; pictures and pedigrees of top dogs etc. as well as important parts of the breed's history would be lost to succeeding generations. She felt something had to be done about it and decided she would "make a start" and see what she could do. Her enthusiasm for the project really took off, and together we spent hours and hours pouring through old books, making telephone calls and visiting museums, but by the time the Bergerie Kennels moved to Penn House at Bramshaw in the 1960's and became one of the largest Pyrenean kennels in the country, not only had Mrs Prince's devotion to the breed completely taken over her life-style, she had then set herself the task of trying to strengthen existing bloodlines, so any research had to take a back seat.

By 1973, for a variety of reasons, Bergerie effectively ceased to exist but both Mr & Mrs Prince maintained their interest in the breed and looked forward to the annual rallies and Members' Days which they were still pleased for the Club to hold at Penn House. Now that her time was not taken up with the running of a busy kennel, Mrs Prince decided to really concentrate on writing her book on the breed and even though she completed several more chapters ready for printing; collected hundreds of photofraphs of historical significance and found a publisher, she again had to put it all on hold to take over some of her husband's duties with their firm in Southampton as he was fully occupied elsewhere.

Unfortunately, her time back in the throes of "business life" did not last long, her health began to deteriorate and in the middle of the 1980's, when we left the New Forest for our current home in Cornwall, Mrs Prince presented me with the whole of her 12 years' work as she said she was never going to finish it and hoped that one day I would be able to complete it and have it published.

When plans were being made for the Diamond Jubilee the Committee agreed unamimously that the Club should go ahead and publish a full-scale book on the breed, using as a base Mrs Prince's research. She was delighted when I told her, and said she would look forward to reading it, but unfortunately she never had the chance to see her efforts in print. In the middle of 1992 the slow debility of Alzheimers Disease had begun to take its toll and she never fully recovered from all the worry and traumas of her husband's year-long fight against cancer which was to end his life. She passed away on the 6th March 1993 and was buried with her husband in the churchyard at Bramshaw.

In their Diamond Jubilee Year, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog Club of Great Britain were honoured to be able to dedicate the book to her memory.

Joyce Stannard (President)

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