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Home » Breeds » Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

Cane da pastore Bergamasco, Bergamasco

The Bergamasco Shepherd Dog has an excellent character and his beautiful aptitudes make him an great life companion. Although he is widely used and appreciated in the Italian Alps and the Bergamasco region for his qualities as herd keeper, the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog is gaining ground as a companion dog. His population is more concentrated in mountainous regions or in the Italian valleys because he appreciates the outdoors of these regions.

Height 54 to 62 cm

Weight 26 to 38 kg

Life expectancy 13 to 15 years

Hair Loss Low

Excercise Need High

Home country Italy

Index

Personality Appearance Characteristics Price Tips Health History

Quick Overview of the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

Temperament

Not aggressive at all
Excellent life companion
Very patient, loves children
Very sociable

Appearance

Special fur
Cottony look
Hardy physical appearance
Powerful build

Health

Rarely ill
Some cases of hip dysplasia
Generally healthy

Temperament of the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

This very balanced dog is not aggressive at all. Excellent companion, he is ideal for guarding and driving sheep. Very patient, he loves children.

Quite reserved towards strangers, his balanced temperament makes him a reliable and moderate guardian at all times. Very sociable, cohabitation with peers is easy.

Gifted for learning and very intelligent, the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog can sometimes be slightly dominant. It is important to make sure he is well educated to avoid exacerbating his distrust of strangers and control his tendency to dominate.

He is gentle, affectionate, kind, patient with children, trustworthy and not aggressive. He is an ideal companion.

Breed Appearance

The Bergamasco Shepherd Dog has a particular fur and a very cottony look. This nice, well-proportioned, medium-size dog, with a rather rustic appearance, has a powerful, well-built silhouette that is camouflaged behind a unique coat.

Height

Between 54 and 62 cm (21.26 to 24.41 inches) for the male
Between 54 and 62 cm (21.26 to 24.41 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 26 and 38 kg (57.32 to 83.77 pounds) for the male
Between 26 and 38 kg (57.32 to 83.77 pounds) for the female

Color

His coat is very special and can be uniform grey or opaque black. It can also be composed of black patches with shades of light fawn or isabella (lion colour).

Hair

His long hair is very abundant and rough and forms strands in the shape of a corkscrew.

Morphology

His head has a large skull. His big eyes are more or less dark brown. His nose is dark. His tail is carried like a sword.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 1, section 1 and is #194

Characteristics of the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

Life in an apartment

Good first dog

Tolerates solitude

Tolerates cold weather

Tolerates hot weather

Affectionate

Friendly with children

Friendly with strangers

Friendly with other animals

Hair loss

Drooling level

Easy to care for

Robust health

Easy to train

Intelligent

Tendency to bark

Tendency to nibble

Protective

Instinct to hunt

Adventurous spirit

Energy level

Level of intensity

Need for exercise

Playful

Price and monthly budget

Tips About this breed

This magnificent specimen is nevertheless quite special and is an excellent life companion. Buyers are easily discouraged by the rough appearance of his coat but despite this cottony appearance, the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog is the easiest dog to maintain.

His coat never needs to be brushed and even if it needs to be washed regularly, the easy drying in open air and in full sun makes its maintenance much easier. There are no real issues with its maintenance despite its appearance.

However, he needs a good education to control his sometimes dominant character. This education must also ensure that it does not exacerbate his natural distrust of strangers. His ancestral genes as a herd keeper have something to do with it.

The Bergamasco Shepherd Dog can live just about anywhere, but by far prefers the great outdoors. He will be very happy outdoors as long as he can enjoy frequent visits with his family and friends, the humans he simply adores.

Health of the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog

Robust, he is rarely ill even if some cases of hip dysplasia have been recorded in this breed. Despite everything, the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog generally enjoys good health.

He is a hardy and very robust dog with a good life expectancy.

GROOMING

Despite his deceptive appearance, the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog should never be groomed or brushed. However, he must be washed regularly but without drying him.

Ideally, he should be left to dry in the sun on sunny days. In spite of his rough appearance, his coat is one of the easiest to care for.

History of this breed

Known for more than 2,000 years, the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog is native to the Bergamasco region of Northern Italy. Descended most certainly, but not officially, from Asian and French Shepherds, he was created in Roman times to ward off wolves and guard herds of sheep.

The Italian Alps were his first playground and even today, the breed is still found in high numbers in the Alps and in the town of Lombardy in the Po region, in the valleys of the Bergamasco region in the North of the country.

He resembles the Berger de Brie but has a very different coat. Morphologically similar, he certainly shares common ancestors with the latter.

In the past and still today a sheep herder, he is also appreciated as a companion dog. Not very well known, even in his country of origin, he is an excellent life companion. Despite his great qualities, his appearance repels many owners. His coat frightens many potential buyers even though they should not be fooled by the rough appearances of his coat.