The patou (Pyrenean mountain dog) is a large, white livestock guardian breed that works independently alongside shepherds throughout the French Pyrenees and Alps, protecting sheep flocks from predators, including wolves in some areas. They're a working animal, not a pet, and they're trained to treat anything approaching the flock — human or animal — as a potential threat to be assessed and, if needed, confronted.
If you encounter a flock on a hiking trail, the general safety advice is consistent: spot the flock and any guardian dogs from a distance before you're close, stay calm and quiet, avoid direct eye contact, and give the flock the widest berth the trail allows. If a patou shows warning signs — a raised head, arched back, raised hackles or growling — back away slowly without turning your back, rather than approaching, shouting, or running, all of which tend to escalate the situation rather than defuse it.
Travelling with your own dog raises the stakes further, since a patou treats an unfamiliar dog near its flock the same way it treats any other potential threat. Where the trail allows it, give flocks extra distance with your own dog kept close and leashed, and if a confrontation does happen, prioritise getting clear rather than intervening physically. If a genuine incident occurs, it's worth reporting it to the gendarmerie.