Pastore della Sila Dog Breed - Facts and Information

History
The Pastore della Sila is believed to be one of the oldest Italian dog breeds, that have been bred in the mountainous regions of Calabrian Apennines for a long time. The breed is actually named after the La Sila plateau, where it is most widespread.
We do not know exactly, how they got into Italy and what are they ancestors. It is very likely, that the ancestors of Pastore della Sila came to the Calabrian mountains as flock guardians, following nomadic greek shepherds to southern Italy. It is very likely, that they are related to Greek Sheepdog, which looks quite similar as Pastore della Sila. It is believed, that these dogs were crossed with local Calabrian breeds, which led to creation of new unique dog breed – Pastore della Sila.
We do not know, if they are really related to Greek Shepherd, there are some theories, that they might be related to Bankhar dog, Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog or to Karaman Shepherd.
The breed was always used to guard livestock from dangerous predators, especially from wolves. But during the 20th century, the old shepherding methods were not needed that much anymore and even the need for shepherd dogs declined, which led to almost extinction of the Pastore della Sila.
Since the 1980s, there were efforts, to revive the breed. For several years the eminent cynologist Dr. Ferdinando Sala spent his time and money by reconstruction of this ancient breed, by breeding and selecting fitting dogs. Thanks to these efforts, Pastore della Sila is once again a reality in Italian mountains, where its serves as a skilled guardian once again.

​Appearance
The Pastore della Sila is a large mountain dog with powerful but agile and athletic body, large and wolf-shaped head, strong neck, almond shaped eyes, triangular ears and pointed muzzle.
The average height is between 60-70 cm, which is 23-27 inch and weight between 35-55 kg, which is 77-120 lbs. There is quite a big difference in size between males and females.
The Pastore della Sila has a thick and abudant straight doublecoat. It can also be slightly wavy. The coat is very practical for mountainous weather and it protects the dog from all kinds of weather. The breed can be either black, black and tan or sable. White patches may be present on the chest, toes and tip of the tail.

Temperament
The character of the Pastore della Sila is mainly formed by its utilization, which is guarding. They have very balanced character and they know when it is time to be agressive, strong and couragous and when it is time to be calm and affectionate. When their flock is in danger and there is a potential predator, such as wolf, the Pastore della Sila will do anything in its power to deter the predator, typically by barking and chasing them away. These dogs can also be easily trained for property protection.
On the other hand, they create extremely strong bond with its owner and they are very attached to him. They should never be agressive towards people, definitely not without a real reason. They are very docile, extremely loyal, loving and active. They are also very loving with children, but you should always supervise the interaction between any dog breed and a very young child.
But they are also typicaly wary of strangers and they typically do not approach people they do not know. This is a watchful and attentive dog breed, equipped with excellent memory, whihc is a reason why they have great learning ability. They can learn all the basic obedience commands quite easily.
In conclusion, this is a tireless, brave and courageous livestock and property guardian, but also a perfect loyal companion, playmate and a true friend.

Health and grooming
For such a big dog, this is rather healthy breed, with average lifespan around 13 or 14 years. There are no big health issues reported for this dog breed.
This is very independent breed in terms of grooming and maintenance. Even with limited maintenance, the coat of Pastore della Sila stay in decent condition. But of course, regular brushing will help to remove all the dead and loose hair, to redistribute natural oils all over the coat and it will keep the coat in best possible condition. No other grooming is required. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.