- Solid grey or with grey patches of all possible shades from the softest of grey to a lighter shade of grey on to black.
- Permissible: Tinges of isabella and light fawn
- Permissible: An all-black coat providing the black is really opaque
About the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog
Origin: ItalyBergamasco Shepherd Dog
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
- Origin
- Italy
- Also called
- Perro de Pastor Bergamasco
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Shepherd dog used to drive and guard herds
- Behaviour and temperament
“The function of the Bergamasco shepherd dog is to drive and guard herds and livestock in general, a task for which the breed expresses consummate behaviour thanks to the vigilance, concentration and harmonious built. The capacity for learning and the determination combined with moderation and patience make the dog an excellent guard and companion, suited to various functions. Known to establish a close relationship with man. The breed must never be aggressive or fearful, although a slight natural diffidence is mentioned as a somewhat typical characteristic of some sheepdogs”
Quoted from FCI standard n°194. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Characteristics
- Size
- —
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog
What you get with the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Shepherd dog used to drive and guard herds”
- The standard describes the breed as: “The function of the Bergamasco shepherd dog is to drive and guard herds and livestock in general, a task for which the…”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “The hair on the ears is slightly wavy and soft forming pointed fringes at the tip.”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Bergamasco Shepherd Dog
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged permissible.
Coat
Very abundant and very long, varies depending on the region of the body.
Rather harsh (similar to goat hair) with wavy flocks on the front part of the body, while from the middle of the chest region to the rear it is woolly and forms broad strands of varied length depending on the age of the dog
the woolly coat does not moult and traps the undercoat which is quite long and soft forming mats of felted hair which are very protective.
The flocks start from the topline falling down the sides of the body.
The hair on the head is less harsh and falls over the face.
The hair on the ears is slightly wavy and soft forming pointed fringes at the tip.
The hair on the limbs must be evenly distributed all over with soft flocks on the forelegs and matted flock on the hind legs.
The coat is soft in puppies and the flocks begin to form at 12–15 months.
Their length depends on the age hence young dogs must not be penalised for a coat, which has not yet lengthened.
In old dogs, too thick and long a coat that hampers normal movement and compromises the dog’s welfare should be avoided.
The coat should be cared for and kept clean
avoiding in particular matted flocks on the beard, muzzle and ears flaps
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°194 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Males: Ideal height at the withers 60 cm. Females: Ideal height at the withers 56 cm. With a tolerance of 2 cm over or under ideal height. Weight: Males:32 – 38 kg. Females: 26 –32 kg”
- FCI states a tolerance around the figure.
Quoted from FCI standard n°194. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Facio-cranial head planes convergent or divergent. Nose partially depigmented. Eyes with heterochromia of the iris, bilateral or monolateral (part of the iris blue), bulging or sunken, oval and slanting eyes. More than one missing tooth. (Except for PM1 and M3). Tail set too high or low, carried too high over the back or hanging loosely. Coat with no differentiation between woolly and goat-like hair, soft all over, short on the forelegs and on the muzzle, sparse hair on the tail, too thick and long so as to compromise the function of the dog. Colour other than permitted in the standard. Gait that is ambling or pacing continually. Size that is over or under the margins indicated by the standard
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Bergamasco Shepherd Dog
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Bergamasco Shepherd Dog owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Bergamasco Shepherd Dog breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.