Catalan Sheepdog

March 23rd, 2009 • Related • Filed Under
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The Catalan Sheepdog hails from the district of Catalonia found in the extreme north-eastern region of Spain and like most sheepdogs sports a shaggy coat that enables it to blend in well with the sheep. The Catalan Sheepdog closely resembles the Portuguese Sheepdog as well as the Long-Haired Pyrenean Shepherd. The Catalan Sheepdog breed harks back to the 1700s when it was commonly used as a sheep herder and on occasion was employed to round up cattle and horses.

During the Spanish Civil war Catalan Sheepdogs were frequently used as dispatch dogs entrusted to convey important messages across battle lines. These dogs were also employed to find and assist wounded soldiers, a task that they excelled at.

Though the Catalan Sheepdog is usually shaggy-haired, there does exist a short-haired variant that is pretty similar in most respects to its long-haired cousin save for the fact it sported a short-haired coat. Those short-haired variants were unsurprisingly called the Short-Coated Catalan Sheepdog and were most likely developed to contend with herding sheep in the hotter climates typical of the lowland districts.

The Catalan Sheepdog is also known by one of the following names:

• Catalan Shepherd
• Catalonian Shepherd
• Catalonian Sheepdog
• Catalan Herder
• Catalaanse Herdershond
• Gos d’Atura
• Gos d’Atura Catala
• Perro de Pastor Catalan de Pelo Largo

Article on catalan sheepdog written by Kayye Nynne

Catalan Sheepdog

Catalan Sheepdog

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