Bergamasco Shepherd

Bergamasco

Bergamasco in the Italian Alps at work
Other names	Bergamasco Shepherd Dog Bergermaschi Cane da pastore Bergamasco
Country of origin	Italy
Traits Weight Male 32–38 kg (71–84 lb) Female 26–32 kg (57–71 lb) Height 54–62 cm (21–24 in) Coat felted Color gray or black Life span 13-15 years
Classification and standards FCI Group 1 Section 1 #194 standard AKC Herding standard The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration. KC (UK) Pastoral standard UKC Herding Dog standard
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

The Bergamasco should be a medium size dog, well proportioned and harmonious having a rustic appearance. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

See also

• Komondor and Puli are breeds with similar-looking coats.

External links

• International Bergamasco Sheepdog Association
• Bergamasco Sheepdog Club of America
• Bergamasco Sheepdog Association of Canada