What breed of dog was tig in Open Range?

Answer 1

It appears Tig had a double in the film in various shots that was a different breed. About 14 minutes into the film you see Tig up on a hill surveying the cattle below. From this and other shots of Tig, his size, color, fur, head, face, chest and back, happy personality, his bark, his affection for those he considers his family, his interaction with other animals, his herding ability, his fiercely protective nature, and his keen intelligence, there is little doubt that he is a Great Pyrinees. One possible reason why this information is not readily available (virtually impossible to find) could be due to the fact that the movie, itself, was very realistic of the life and times of the era it portrayed; Tig's breed (whether pure blood or a Pyr mix) runs contrary to that realism. The Great Pyrinees is not a breed most Americans are familiar with, so Tig's bloodline would go unnoticed by most moviegoers and even fewer would know the history of the Pyr, so it wasn't that big a risk for them to use him in this movie. The Great Pyrinees was first introduced in America in 1931 and recognized by the American Kennel Club as an official breed in 1933. Open Range is set in 1882 in Montana.

The dog is no where near the size of a Great Pyrinees nor the color (white). Above answer is wrong.

Yep, no way Tig was Great Pyr -- he was a terrier of some sort, I think. A dog that needs to be groomed.

Answer 2

I believe the dog Tig in Open Range is a soft coated wheaten terrier. Size, coloring are all right for the wheaten breed. I have had 3 wheatens myself and this is exactly how they look with their coats grown out.