The History of the Breed
The Catalan Sheepdog has its origins in the Catalan Valley in the Southern Alps and, as a result, the breeds country of registration is Spain. The Catalan Sheepdogs are closely related to the French Pyrenees dog, although they differ in size, namely the Catalan is bigger than the French. During the First World War, it was used as a patrol dog in the military. Nowadays, the breed is very popular in Spain, and can be found in France and Italy also, but rarely.
Personality Traits
The Catalan Shepherd dog, also known as Gos dAtura in Spanish, is an intelligent, lively, sober, and very vigilant dog. Excellent guardian of the herds, with a great ability to find lost cattle and guide them back, preventing them from leaving the pasture or preventing them from destroying cultivated areas, this dog is an unbeatable help for the shepherds. This wonderful animal is also very skilful in gathering and raising sheep in no time. It is a well-known fact that neither the fiercest bull nor the wildest horse can escape from its control. This Sheepdog knows best how to bring the herds to a perfect discipline. So much so, that one shepherd with one or two Catalan Sheepdogs can easily manage and guard a herd of hundreds of animals. Furthermore, used in police and military, it is a protective dog and a faithful companion.
Physical Characteristics
Male Catalan Sheepdogs weigh somewhere between 18 to 20 kg, and the female's weight is around 17 to 20 kg. To what height is concerned, it can go as high as 45 -56 cm in males, and 43 to 56 cm in females. This is a medium sized dog, with gentle looks, with a muscled, moderately long body and strong, short, straight-held legs. Its neck is muscular and massive, but somewhat short. It also has a steep shoulder position and prominent back line. The Catalan Sheepdog also has a well-developed chest and a long, sat down tail, if the owner does not decide to cut it. If, however, the tail is cut, than it usually measures 10 cm in length.
Its head is broad, with a low muzzle; it is a little short and following the shape of a truncated cone. Its eyes are expressive, intelligent, and with a distinguished gaze. Its ears are set high and, if they are not cut, they are pretty lengthy. They are covered with long hair and hang close to the head.
This Sheepdog has beautiful, smooth and curly hair, long and silky on its legs, longer and spiky on the body. A variety that has derived from it is the short haired version - which has the same characteristics and traits as the long haired one, but distinguishes itself through its hair color and length. As a result, the short haired version has a black-grey coat throughout the body, having tinted reddish head and legs, and a long and crooked tail. Its hair color can go from black, grey to beige and even white on its legs.
The Catalan Sheepdog is a faithful and intelligent companion that can bring a lot of joy to the family that has adopted it.
