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Quick Glance

  • size-icon.svg
    Size
    Large to Giant (27Kg +)
  • exercise-icon.svg
    Exercise
    40 min/day
  • hart-border-icon-b.svg
    Training
    Weekly
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    Size of home
    House with garden
  • garedn-icon.svg
    Time at home
    Alone with support
  • sizzer-icon.png
    Grooming
    Weekly
  • hart-border-icon-b.svg
    Barking preference
    Watchdog barking
  • time-icon.svg
    Personality
    Independent + affectionate
Estrela Mountain Dog

History

The Estrela Mountain Dog is a large breed of dog which has been used for centuries in the Estrela Mountains of Portugal to guard herds and homesteads. (1)

Although this dog has developed and settled in the Estrela Mountains area, its true origin has been lost in time. Nevertheless, it can be considered one of the most ancient breeds in the Iberian Peninsula. It can be found from the foot of the mountains to the summit (approximately 2000 m), mainly in the summer, after the snow has melted, when the green pastures are much sought after by the herds, because the excessive heat has dried the grass on the lowlands. The progressive recognition of its aptitudes has led to its diffusion throughout the world since the second half of the 20th century. (2)

Appearance

Large, mastiff-type molossoid dog. There are two varieties of coat: long and short. Rustic, substantial, with brisk gait and an impressive attitude.

The breed has a lively, calm and expressive look; it is well proportioned; well made with harmonious appearance, which is traditionally how the breed has been recognised since a long time.

Hair: Strong, very abundant, slightly coarse, without excessive harshness, the texture is similar to goat hair. The undercoat is composed of fine hair, short, abundant and entangled, normally lighter in colour than the outer coat.

Long-haired variety: Straight or slightly wavy top coat, uneven in some areas. It is shorter and more dense on the limbs, below the elbows and hocks, as well as on the head; on the ears, it becomes gradually shorter from the base to the tip, becoming thinner and softer. It is longer on the tail, which is bushy, thick and feathered, around the neck and throat and on the buttocks, which are abundantly feathered, as well as the back side of the forearms.

Short-haired variety: Short hair, evenly distributed over the body, slightly shorter on the head and limbs, without feathering.

The following colours are accepted and considered typical:

Solid: yellow, fawn and grey in all ranges of colour intensity; - Wolf Grey: fawn, yellow and grey tones, commonly in lighter and darker shades.

Brindle: Fawn, yellow or grey base colour with blackish brindling. In the cranium-facial area, a dark coloured mask is typical.

White markings are admitted only at the extremities of fore- and hind feet and on a small extension on the lower region of neck and chest. (2)

Sizes

Height at the withers:
Males: 65-73 cms. Females: 62-69 cms. (with tolerance +2cm)

Weight:
Males: Minimum 45-60 kgs.
Females: Minimum 35-45 kgs. (2)

Temperament & Suitability

Inseparable companion of the shepherd and faithful flock guardian, bravely protecting it against predators and thieves. Wonderful farm and house guard, distrustful towards strangers and typically docile to its master. (2)

It is calm but fearless and will not hesitate to react to danger, making it an exceptional watchdog as well as an excellent guard dog. It is intelligent, loyal, and faithful, affectionate to those it knows but wary of those it does not. It is instinctively protective of any children in its family. It needs early and continued socialisation to be trustworthy around small pets and other dogs. (1)

It's important to begin training and socialising this breed from puppyhood ,to nurture its acceptance of different situations. This is a strong independent-minded breed that will need persistent training and consistent leadership. It has a tendency to bark, especially when protecting his or her territory. As with most livestock guardians, the Estrela dog is not a "pet" for everyone. Strong ownership is paramount. (1)

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Estrela Mountain Dog, you may have think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Estrela Mountain Dog and its needs and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

 

References

  1. Wikipedia.org
  2. DOGSAUSTRALIA.org.au

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 14 Sep 2015)

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Breed Standard - Estrela Mountain Dog

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Large, mastiff-type molossoid dog. There are two varieties of coat: long and short. Rustic, substantial, with brisk gait and an impressive attitude.The breed has a lively, calm and expressive look; it is well proportioned; well made with harmonious appearance, which is traditionally how the breed has been recognised since a long time.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Moderately long (sub- longilinear), tending to mediolinear. The depth of the chest is less than half the height at withers. The muzzle and skull should be approximately the same length; if not, the skull should be slightly longer.

Temperament

Inseparable companion of the shepherd and faithful flock guardian, bravely protecting it against predators and thieves. Wonderful farm and house guard, distrustful towards strangers and typically docile to its master.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull HEAD : Strong, voluminous and long and slightly convex seen in profile. Well inserted and in good proportion to the body, with the skull in proportion to the foreface; all parts in perfect harmony. Smooth skin on the skull and cheeks.CRANIAL REGION :Skull : Well developed, rounded, with slightly divergent longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes, convex profile, slightly developed superciliary arches with slightly apparent frontal furrow, occipital protuberance not prominent.Stop : Only slightly marked and at approximately equal distance to the tip of the nose and the occipital protuberance.FACIAL REGION :Nose : Straight and in line with nosebridge; well opened nostrils; large and black.Muzzle : Long, tapering to the tip, without being pointed; tends to be straight but very slightly convex at the tip.Lips : Well developed but not thick, well overlapping, not pendulous; mucous membrane of mouth, palate and edges of lips with intense black pigmentation.
Eyes Medium sized, tending to small, oval shaped, level set, equal in size and well open, with a keen and calm expression; preferably dark amber in colour. Close fitting lids with black rims. Eyebrows slightly apparent.
Ears Set on at medium height; hanging, carried falling backwards and laterally against the side of the head, with inner edge visible (so called rose-ear); thin, triangular, rounded at the tip; small in comparison to the body.
Mouth Jaws/Teeth : Clean cut mouth with well developed jaws; full dentition with strong, white, well implanted and close-fitting teeth, preferably with scissors bite, pincer bite acceptable.
Neck Short, straight and thick; well set and well connected into the shoulders; with a slight dewlap, not exaggerated.
Forequarters General appearance : Upright with strong bone and thick joints, moderately open angulation, with easy movement.Forearms : Straight, parallel, long, with strong bone and almost cylindrical in shape.
Body Topline : Straight. Almost level.Back : Preferably short, well muscled.Loin : Short; broad; well muscled; well connected to the croup. Croup : Slightly sloping; short, broad and muscled. Height at croup should be equal or slightly superior to the height at the withers.Chest : Broad; deep; well sprung without being cylindrical; well let down to the elbow or slightly below it.Underline and belly : The underline should rise gradually but smoothly from sternum to the groin; belly not too wide, in proportion to the animal’s substance and harmoniously connected to the body.
Hindquarters General appearance : Upright, strong bone with thick joints, moderately open angles, with easy movement.Hock : Slightly let down; moderately open, neither turned in nor out.Metatarsus (rear pastern) : Vertical, almost cylindrical. Possible presence of single or double dewclaws.
Feet Forefeet : Proportioned, neither too round nor too long, between cat and hare feet (not splayed); thick, tight toes with abundant hair between toes and pads; dark nails, preferably black, well developed; pads thick and hard.Hind feet : Identical to the forefeet.
Tail Set on at medium height; long; thick; carried below the horizontal, scimitar-shaped, with a hook at the end.At rest it hangs naturally between the thighs, reaching at least the hock; when excited and in motion, the tail rises above the horizontal, curving upward and forward, sideways and downward, without being carried over the croup. It should be well furnished with hair, and feathered in the long-haired variety.
Gait/Movement Sound and easy movement.
Coat HAIR : Strong, very abundant, slightly coarse, without excessive harshness, the texture is similar to goat hair.The undercoat is composed of fine hair, short, abundant and entangled, normally lighter in colour than the outer coat.- Long-haired variety: Straight or slightly wavy top coat, uneven in some areas. It is shorter and more dense on the limbs, below the elbows and hocks, as well as on the head; on the ears, it becomes gradually shorter from the base to the tip, becoming thinner and softer. It is longer on the tail, which is bushy, thick and feathered, around the neck and throat and on the buttocks, which are abundantly feathered, as well as the back side of the forearms.- Short-haired variety: Short hair, evenly distributed over the body, slightly shorter on the head and limbs, without feathering.
Colour The following colours are accepted and considered typical:- Solid: yellow, fawn and grey in all ranges of colour intensity; - Wolf Grey: fawn, yellow and grey tones, commonly in lighter and darker shades.- Brindle: Fawn, yellow or grey base colour with blackish brindling. In the cranium-facial area, a dark coloured mask is typical.White markings are admitted only at the extremities of fore- and hind feet and on a small extension on the lower region of neck and chest.
Size Height at the withers:Males: 65-73 cm. Females: 62-69 cm. Tolerance: + 2 cm.Weight:Males: 45-60 Kg. Females: 35-45 Kg.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect on the health and welfare of the dog.• Appearance : General bad appearance, thinness or obesity.• Height : Outside the limits set by the standard, but within 2 cm tolerance at the upper limit.• Head : Narrow, long and pointed.• Eyes : Light coloured.• Ears : Incorrectly set, too long, thick or rounded tips. Hanging completely flat.• Tail : Carried over the back. Absence of hook.• Colour : Absence of dark mask.SEVERE FAULTS :• Behaviour : Animals showing nervous unbalance with signs of shyness.• Nose : Pale coloured nostrils, partly unpigmented nose.• Ears : Cropped.• Tail : Docked or rudimentary.• Coat : Hair somewhat different from the described type.• Height :Males: Under 65 cm or over 75 cm. Females: Under 62 cm or over 71 cmDISQUALIFYING FAULTS :• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.• Type : Atypical.• Head : Very narrow, very long and very pointed completely lacking molossoid type.• Jaws : Undershot or overshot.• Eyes : Wall eyes or difference in size.• Tail : Anurous.• Coat : Hair completely atypical.• Colour : Any colour not mentioned in the standard. Albinism.

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

History

Since remote times, this dog has developed and settled in the Estrela Mountains area, its true origin being lost in time. Nevertheless, it can be considered one of the most ancient breeds in the Iberian Peninsula. It can be found from the foot of the mountains to the summit (approximately 2000 m), mainly in the summer, after the snow has melted, when the green pastures are much sought after by the herds, because the excessive heat has dried the grass on the lowlands. The progressive recognition of its aptitudes has led to its diffusion throughout the world since the second half of the 20th century.

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