The famous...
France Dog Tour!
Join us for an unforgettable 9 days in the Pyrenees Mountains
Sept 10-18, 2023
Discover the past and present of human culture, wild and domestic animals, and the geography they are adapted to as you join a fascinating group of people in this small, private tour.
Along the way we will savor the fruits of local agriculture through winetasting and great meals.
We begin on Sat Sept 9 as we Depart the US (or other home cities) Arrive to Toulouse (TLS) to begin the tour on Sept 10, (Tour ends at TLS airport Sept 18). Those arriving the morning of the 10th can visit the Mediterranean and have lunch! Monday, we will visit the Carcassonne castle citadel and then stay 2 nights in the B&B of Pyr Shep breeders Ron and Jo Rooding, in the Gers-Pyrenees
Discover traditional culture as we wend our way through the High Pyrenees landscape to experience modern-day vestiges of the age-old rustic lifestyle of Pyrenean pastoralists.
Against a stunning backdrop of peaks, valleys, lakes, streams and glacial boulderfields, we will come to a better understanding of the conditions under which these breeds evolved and adapted over millennia to the climate, terrain, ecology and cultures of the Pyrenees.
Outstanding natural beauty highlights this adventure through the Pyrenees Mountains. We’ll have visits to beautiful places in the mountains, spotting for dogs at work, a herding trial, convivial get-togethers, 3 days of folk crafts and dog show, including the RACP Centennial National Specialty show for all 4 Pyrenean pastoral breeds (Great Pyrenees, Pyrenean Shepherd, Gos datura, and Pyrenean Mastiff), with agility, comportment testing, herding instinct testing, the club banquet on the Saturday evening, and optional activities for our less dog-oriented friends, like rafting, kayaking, biking, native animal zoo, spa, etc.
A zoological park is dedicated to preserving the local fauna and letting people observe wolves, bears, and other mammals and birds in a safe milieu comfortable for both humans and the animals
This world-famous Festival of Pyrenean Dogs and Folklore will give us the opportunity to meet enthusiasts from around the globe. The Festival takes place in the magnificent thermal park and botanical garden in the town of Argelès-Gazost (also known as the Parc du Casino as it has both a thermal bath spa and a casino).
Our hotel in Argeles-Gazost is adjacent to the show site, so it’s easy to go back to the hotel and rest, etc whenever you like. It's also next to the spa, the casino, the botanic garden, the bocce court, restaurants, and a brief walk to unique shopping and cafes,
Enjoy traditional singers and see beautifully-costumed folk of all ages executing the complex steps of the traditional dances. Take a ride in an antique carriage pulled by the distinctive Pyrenean breed, the Merens horse. Sample artisanal culinary products of the region, including the many distinctive wines and spirits.
$2995 including ground transportation, most meals, admission to national parks, all activities, etc. plus a donation to the Pyrenean Dog health fund. (single room $700)
More specifically, the tour includes breakfast every day Sept 10-18, dinner Sept 11-16 (including the club banquet on Saturday night), and wine tastings. Meals on your own are: lunch every day, dinner Sept 10 and Sept 17, and any meals after breakfast on the 18. We do it this way because people felt there was too much food on past trips, so this avoids unnecessary expense, and it also allows everyone to choose their lunch among the many options, or skip it according to individual appetite. Also excluded are any additional snacks between meals or extra alcohol.
Ground transportation is included.
Airfare is not.
New puppies are not.
Your leader for the tour will be Patricia Princehouse, Director of the Evolutionary Biology Program at Case Western Reserve University, and Associate Director of the Institute for the Science of Origins. Dr Princehouse earned her PhD from Harvard University, where she worked with Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin. Trained in evolutionary biology, anthropology, and the history of science, she has carried out field research on 3 continents, and runs a very productive fossil site in Turkana, Kenya. Among Dr. Princehouse’s many interests are paleontology, dog genetics, cave art and the origins of human creativity.
Patricia has shown and bred Pyrenean dogs since childhood under the affix La Brise, and is an AKC judge and an honorary lifetime member of the RACP, the French parent club for all 4 Pyrenean breeds. She has also bred sheep, goats and horses and her breeding program has produced excellent working dogs of both breeds. As a teenager she helped pioneer placing Pyrs as livestock guardian dogs in the US. La Brise is America’s top breeding program for show and performance Pyrenean Shepherds, having produced the top 5 Pyr Sheps of all time in conformation, 24 National Specialty Best of Breeds, more than 100 AKC champions, including twenty-some BIS, BISS or Group winners and placers, and over 75 MACHs, ADCHs, and UDXs as well as world team members and AKC and USDAA National and FCI World Agility champions. Dogs she produced have earned well over 2000 titles in dog sports from obedience and tracking to flyball to nosework to herding to freestyle dog dancing, tricks, weight pull, disc dog, dock diving and more. Beyond that she is delighted that La Brise dogs have contributed to other leading breeding programs in the US and Canada. She is also extremely proud of the many happy and healthy family companions produced by La Brise.
France Dog Tour September 10 - 18, 2023 -- Registration Info:
YOU CAN REGISTER by downloading the form and mailing or emailing it.
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REGISTRATION FEES:
Double occupancy: .........................$2,995
Supplement for single room: ............$600
$Full payment due upon registration:
PAYMENT:
By check: Please make payable to LEAPSS (Lake Erie Area Pyrenean Shepherd Association)
Mail form to: LEAPSS, Attn Cindy Wilmoth, 433 Red Rock Dr, Wadsworth, OH 44281
You may also pay via PayPal, just send the signed form by mail or by email (gscindy132@gmail.com). Do NOT use Cindy’s email for PayPal. Instead, call or email Cindy for LEAPSS PayPal details: 330.351.3134
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For more info on tour details, please email, text, or call Patricia Princehouse: labrise@msn.com ; 440-478-5292 (cell/text)