Catalan Sheepdog Breed - Facts and Information

Appearance
The first thing you will notice about the Catalan Sheepdog is its long and little curved coat, which can be found in many different colors. At the limbs, the coat tend to be lighter and very often it is multicolored. Most often you will see the longhaired Catalan Sheepdogs, but there is also a shorthaired variety, which is extremely rare, almost extinct. The coat color ranges from fawn to shades of sable to grey to black.

Because of their long shaggy coat, this breed looks heavier and bigger than it actually is, but it is a medium sized muscular and athletic breed. The average height is between 45-55 cm which is 17-22 inch and their weight should be between 20-27 kg, which is 45-60 pounds. The females are little bit smaller than males.

The triangular folded ears are set high on the head and the hair can cover the dark round eyes. Overall their heads are well-proportioned with their skulls being longer than wide and also longer than their blunt muzzle.


Temperament
Just like all the sheepdogs, this is extremely intelligent and easily trainable breed. They are also very loyal and eager to please which means that they will truly enjoy every activity, training session or just anything you will do together.

Even though, they were primarily used as herders and sheep guardians, this is very versatile breed, that excells at various dog sports. And any dog sport is a great choice for this breed, because it will naturally exhaust their mind and body. And believe me, the Catalan Sheepdog has a lot of energy. The Catalan Sheepdog is doing great at agility, herding or obedience trials.

The Catalan Sheepdog is little bit independent, which is why they can guard the sheeps without any instructions. But overall, this is an easygoing pet with loving, playful, relaxed, cheerful and courageous temperament. If you will meet the dogs exercise needs, this is just an amazing family companion.

It is true that the Catalan Sheepdog is very affectionate and friendly towards its family, but they are little bit alert and suspicious with strangers. That is why they can be easily trained to patrol a larger property and make good watchdogs.


History
The history of the Catalan Sheepdog is not very well documented, but we know that they originated in the Catalonia region of Spain and that their ancestors were ancient Pyrenees-type dogs. Maybe some other herding dog breeds as well.

During their history, they were mostly used as herders, but thanks to their versatility, they find a use in other areas as well. The Catalan Sheepdog worked as a watchdog, guard dog, messenger dog and even as search and rescue and police dogs. During the 1970s the breed almost went extinct, but it was luckily saved by group of enthusiasts.


Health and grooming
I already mentioned that this is highly active breed and indeed, if you want to have a happy and healthy dog in your home, daily proper exercise, like long walks, jogs, or longer vigorous playtime is needed. But other than that, the maintenance is not extremely hard, which might be surprising when you look at all that coat.

Of course, you must regularly brush the coat to prevent matting, but overall, this is not a heavy shedder, but they still do shed, so the brushing will also help to minimize the shedding. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their eyes ears and nails and clip them or clean them when needed.

This is very healthy dog breed with average lifespan between 12-14 years. Just like all dog breeds, they can suffer from some health issues, commonly from hip dysplasia, patellar luxation or skin allergies.