Cão de Castro Laboreiro
Encyclopedia
The Cão de Castro Laboreiro, or Dog from Castro Laboreiro, or Portuguese Cattle Dog or Portuguese Watch Dog, is a dog breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of the livestock guardian dog
Livestock guardian dog
A livestock guardian dog is a domesticated canine used to defend livestock against predators. LGDs are commonly referred to as "sheep dogs" since they most often have guarded flocks of sheep, but most are capable of guarding other species of livestock. They are classified as pastoral dogs...
type
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
, originating from Castro Laboreiro
Castro Laboreiro
Castro Laboreiro is a village in northern Portugal, one of the 18 parishes of the Melgaço munincipality, in the district of Viana do Castelo. It is in the mountain range of the Laboreiro. As of 2001 the area had 726 inhabitants...
in the northern mountains of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
History
The name, "Dog from Castro Laboreiro", refers to a small town, Castro Laboreiro, in the far north of Portugal, now a parish in the Melgaço urban area. It is in the same mountains as the Peneda-Gerês National ParkPeneda-Gerês National Park
The Peneda-Gerês National Park , also known simply as Gerês, is the only national park in Portugal...
. Although now served by modern highways, the mountainous, rocky area was once quite remote. The modern breed is descended from a very old molosser
Molosser
Molosser is a category of large, solidly-built dog that includes several breeds, probably all descended from the same root stock. The name derives from Molossia, a subregion of ancient Epirus, ancient Greece, where the large shepherd dog was known as the Molossus.The proper noun "Mastiff", however,...
type
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
, which worked with livestock herders in the mountains, defending against wolves and other large predators.
The origin of the Cão de Castro Laboreiro is not known, although many legends are given. The Portuguese breed club notes that "Everything that is written about their origins is pure fiction, without any scientific or historical accuracy...data is rare, or does not exist...most guardian and herding breeds do not have records before 1900".
There are mentions of the Castro Laboreiro in the 19th century (1800s) but none before 1800. Camilo Castelo Branco
Camilo Castelo Branco
Camilo Ferreira Botelho Castelo-Branco,1st Viscount de Correia Botelho , was a prolific Portuguese writer of the 19th century, having authored over 260 books . His writing is, overall, considered original in that it combines the dramatic and sentimental spirit of Romanticism with a highly personal...
in his novella A Brasileira de Prazins (1882) (The Brazilian Girl from Prazens) mentions "the dogs of Castro Laboreiro, very fierce..."
The modern breed today is of the general type of livestock guardian dog that moved with the pastoralist nomads of the transhumance
Transhumance
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
into many areas of the world, possibly arriving before 3000BC in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. It is generally theorized that the origen was in Mesopotamia where modern sheep and goats were domesticated. Modern genetic studies have shown that the modern breed is unique from other similar breeds in Portugal; and in the future, DNA studies may provide more evidence about the movements of the ancient types from which the modern breed developed.
With the eradication of wolves and other large predators the Cão de Castro Laboreiro lost its original use. Changes in agricultural methods over the last hundred years led to many of these dogs being abandoned, turning feral and becoming a problem for those that raise cattle and horses.
Today, most of the breed has been removed from its native range and purpose, and is kept as a companion and guard dog. It was first exhibited at a dog show in 1914, and the first written breed standard was by veterinarian Manuel Marques, in 1935, and the breed was recognised by the Clube Portugues de Canicultura, the official Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
kennel club for Portugal originally founded in 1897. The Cão de Castro Laboreiro is recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in Group 2, Section 2.2 Mastiffs, Mountain Type, Portugal (breed number 150). Other breeds in Section 2.2 include the Cão da Serra da Estrela (number 173) and the Rafeiro do Alentejo
Rafeiro do Alentejo
The Rafeiro do Alentejo or Alentejo Mastiff, also called the Portuguese Mastiff, is a breed of dog that originated in Portugal. The Rafeiro do Alentejo is of the livestock guardian dog type, and the name refers to its area of origin, Alentejo, in south-central Portugal...
(Alentejo Mastiff), number 96. It is also recognized by the United Kennel Club
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
in the United States, in the Guardian Dog Group
Guardian Dog Group
Guardian Dog Group is the name of a breed Group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds.- Guardian dogs :Guardian dogs are dogs bred to defend people and their possessions...
. It may also be listed under the name Cão de Castro Laboreiro, similar sounding names, or different English versions of the name (such as Portuguese Cattle Dog or Portuguese Watch Dog) by large commercial breeders, minor kennel clubs that require little to no breed verification for registration, and internet-based dog registry businesses, where it is promoted as a rare breed
Rare breed (dog)
Rare breed is any breed of dog that is small in number. Since dogs have greater genetic variability than other domesticated animals the number of possible breeds is vast...
for those seeking a fashionably novel or unique pet. Nevertheless, the number of specimens of this breed does not exceed 500 in the whole world. In Portugal, there are a half dozen of breeders, a couple of them in Europe (Germany) and one in the USA (www.sunhearth.org/castrolaboreiro.html).
Appearance
The desired appearance for which the Cão de Castro Laboreiro has been bredDog breeding
Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected specimens with the intent to maintain or produce specific qualities and characteristics.Dogs reproduce without human interference, so their offsprings' characteristics are determined by natural selection. Domestic dogs may be intentionally bred by...
is somewhat wolflike in outline. It is a large dog, but not oversize. Height should not be above 60cms (24ins) at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
and weight should not be more than 40 kg (88 lbs); females somewhat smaller. Coat
Dog coat
Dog coat can refer to:*rug , jacket or blanket for a dog*coat , dog's fur or hair...
colours are also described in wolf terms, dark wolf colour, light wolf colour. Most breeders prefer what is considered the most authentic, called mountain colour (cor do monte), also described as similar to the coat of a wolf. The mountain colour is a mixed light and dark grey interspersed with individual hairs (not spots) that are brown (called pine-seed) or dark red (called mahogany), in a brindle
Brindle
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat...
.
Temperament
The Cão de Castro Laboreiro is a large guardian dog. Dogs of this size and type have the potential to be a danger to others if not well socialized at an early age, and are recommended only for the experienced dog handler who has the time to socialize and train the dog. Individual dogs may vary in temperament.Health Issues
Health issues specific to the breed have not been documented. Dogs represented as Cão de Castro Laboreiro may be mixed with other breeds, which may have other genetic health problems. Puppy buyers should enquire of breeders about types of health testing done on the sire and dam; responsible breeders will be able to provide information. Being a "rare breed" does not guarantee immunity from inherited disease or disability.See also
- TranshumanceTranshumanceTranshumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
- Cão Fila de São MiguelCão Fila de São MiguelThe Cão de Fila de São Miguel is a dog breed of molosser type originating on São Miguel Island in the Azores, an island chain which is one of the autonomous regions of Portugal...
(São Miguel Cattle Dog, Azores Cattle Dog)