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Bergamasco Sheepdog breed guide
AKC calls the Bergamasco Sheepdog much more than a show-stopping hairdo: low-maintenance, robustly healthy and eager to please, with smart, stubborn devotion to work.
Hair of three textures forms naturally occurring loose mats called flocks, which protected the dog from the fierce cold and wild predators of the Italian Alps.
- Height
- 23.5 inches male, 22 inches female
- Weight
- 70 to 84 pounds male, 57 to 71 pounds female
- AKC group
- Herding Group
Bergamasco Sheepdog temperament
Bergamasco Sheepdogs are happy with kids and other animals. AKC calls them patient but protective, bright and loyal. They are sociable and highly intelligent.
Because they bond closely with their owners, their exercise should be a shared activity and not time alone in the backyard.
Bergamasco Sheepdog lifespan
Bergamasco Sheepdogs live 13 to 15 years. AKC says some dogs face health challenges in life, as in any breed, but the majority are healthy.
Bergamasco Sheepdog care
An adult's coat is basically maintenance-free. It is made of three types of hair called dog, goat and wool and the goat and wool hairs do not appear until the dog is a year old.
When they do, the coat must be ripped into mats, a process that can take a few hours or a few evenings. Exercise needs are moderate, though the dog has a good deal of energy.
Bergamasco Sheepdog history
The Bergamasco has been tied to the Alpine town of Bergamo, near Milan, for many centuries. It is among several Middle-Eastern breeds the Phoenicians, pre-Roman seafaring traders, bartered around the Mediterranean.
French authorities theorize that the Bergamasco Sheepdog descends from the Briard, while patriotic Italians insist it came first and helped form the Briard and other European flock dogs.
AKC trait ratings
| Trait | AKC rating | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Level | 3 of 5 | Couch Potato to High Energy |
| Trainability Level | 3 of 5 | Self-Willed to Eager to Please |
| Shedding Level | 1 of 5 | No Shedding to Hair Everywhere |
| Barking Level | 1 of 5 | Only To Alert to Very Vocal |
| Adaptability Level | 3 of 5 | Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable |
| Good With Young Children | 3 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Children |
| Good With Other Dogs | 3 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs |
| Watchdog/Protective Nature | 4 of 5 | What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant |
More Herding Group guides
Sources
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Bergamasco Sheepdog by Towncommon, CC BY-SA 4.0
