Bergamasco Shepherd

Bergamasco

Bergamasco shepherd dog - a merle female
Other names Bergamasco Shepherd Dog
Bergamasco
Cane da pastore Bergamasco
Country of origin Italy
Traits
WeightMale32–38 kg (71–84 lb)
Female26–32 kg (57–71 lb)
Height54–62 cm (21–24 in)
Coatfelted on the main parts of the body
Colorblue-merle, gray or black
Life span13-15 years
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Bergamasco is a breed of dog with its origins in the Italian Alps near Bergamo, where it was originally used as a herding dog.

Appearance

Bergamasco is a medium size dog with a rustic appearance
Bergamasco with puppies
Bergamasco in the Italian Alps at work

The Bergamasco is used in herding and guarding sheep and cattle. This ancient dog breed is found in the Italian Alps, especially in the region of Bergamasca valley. The Bergamasco should be a medium size dog, well-proportioned and harmonious, having a rustic appearance. The Bergamasco has a square body. It is a solidly compact dog with a strong, powerful build that gives it great resistance without taking away any of its agility and speed of movement. Males weigh 32–38 kilograms (71–84 lb) and females weigh 26–32 kilograms (57–71 lb). Their height is around 54–62 centimetres (21–24 in) and the life expectancy is 13–15 years. The rims of its lips are well pigmented, and it has a scissor bite. Its skull is broad and the eyes are dark chestnut color, ears are set high. Its back is straight and well-muscled. Its coat is dense abundant, long and dense, and the texture is harsh. Its undercoat is short and dense. Its muscles are well developed. In action the dog wags his tail. This breed of dog can easily run long distances for a comparatively long time.[1]

Coat and color

The breed's most distinctive feature is the unusual felted coat, a normal and healthy characteristic of the breed. The coat is characterized by three types of hair: a fine, dense, oily undercoat, long harsher hairs similar to a goat's and a top woolly outer-coat.[2] The three types of hair weave together as the dog gets older to form flat mats or flocks. The mats start from the spine and go down the flanks, growing every year to reach the ground. The color of the coat can be anything from an appearance of gray or silver gray (in fact a merle) to a mixture of black to coal, with brown shades also intermixed. These colors may have served as a camouflage when working in the mountains. Bergamascos are born with short, smooth fur, which slowly develops the characteristic mats as the dog grows. The coat is solid grey or with grey patches of all possible shades from a most delicate grey to a brighter shade of grey on to black; Isabel and light fawn shades are permitted. An all-black coat is allowed providing the black is really opaque. An all-white coat is prohibited. White patches are tolerated as long as their surface is not more than a fifth of the total surface of the coat.[3]

Temperament

The Bergamasco is an alert, observant and patient dog breed with good self-control and balance. This breed is suited even as a guard and companion dog. The Bergamasco establishes close bond with his owner. Aggressive or overly shy behavior is a fault.

Activities

Bergamasco can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Bergamasco exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.[4] The Bergamasco is still used in the Alps in Italy and in Switzerland to herd cattle. The cattlemen just let the dog go and the dog brings the herd back to the stable without human supervision. Bergamascos are often photographed herding sheep, but they are actually superb cattle dogs, who can perform in a mountain environment.

Health

Health information for this breed is sparse. The only health survey appears to be a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey, which had a sample size of 0 deceased dogs and 10 living dogs, far too few dogs from which to draw any conclusions.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ [FCI-Standard N° 194 / 01. 06. 1992 /GB]
  2. ↑ "Dog Breeds Expert Website: Bergamasco Sheepdog". Dog-breeds-expert.com. 2013-11-01. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  3. ↑ Renna, Christine Hartnagle (2008). Herding Dogs: Selecting and Training the Working Farm Dog. Kennel Club Books (KCB). ISBN 978-1-59378-737-0.
  4. ↑ Hartnagle-Taylor, Jeanne Joy; Taylor, Ty (2010). Stockdog Savvy. Alpine Publications. ISBN 978-1-57779-106-5.
  5. ↑ "Kennel Club/British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee. 2004. Purebred Dog Health Survey. Retrieved July 5, 2007". Thekennelclub.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-01.

External links

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