- Seen from the distance the dog seems to be unicolour and may have lighter shadings at the extremities.
- Seen close up, it is noticeable that the colour comes from the mixture of hairs of different tone: fawn, brown more or less reddish, grey, black and white.
- The basic colours deriving from this mixture are : • Fawn, in its light tones, medium or dark. • Sable, with chestnut hairs, fawn, white and black, also in its light tones, medium and dark. • Grey, made up of white, grey and black with shadings going from silver grey to blackgrey.
- If black is dominant and is simply combined with white, it gives a black which looks frosty.
- There are also dogs with a mixture of black, fawn and reddish brown, which can dominate in one or several parts, giving the impression of black and tan subjects.
- Not are white or black spots
- Permissible: Sometimes a few white hairs, as a star shape on the chest, or on the upper part of the toes, but, in that case however, this must not be accompanied by white nails
About the Catalan Sheepdog
Origin: Spain
- Typical life span
- 12-14 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 20-28 kg
- Female
- 17-21 kg
- Height
- Male
- 47-55 cm
- Female
- 45-53 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
- Origin
- Spain
- Also called
- Perro de Pastor Catalan
- Known hereditary risks
- None well documented
About
What is a Catalan Sheepdog?
Medium-sized, agile herding dog from the Catalan Pyrenees with long shaggy coat, distinctive beard and mustache, and alert expression. Known for intelligence, courage, and watchful nature as a versatile herding breed.
Catalan Sheepdog history and origins
Ancient herding breed developed in the Catalan Pyrenees for managing sheep and goats. Used as messengers and sentinels during Spanish Civil War. Nearly extinct afterward but restored through dedicated breeding programs in the 1970s.
Catalan Sheepdog appearance and size
Males typically weigh 20-28 kg and stand 47-55 cm at the shoulder; females 17-21 kg and 45-53 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- It is in the driving of flocks that the true essence of this breed manifests itself, because not only does he obey the shepherd, but in numerous cases, he shows his initiative, directing the flock with marvellous ease, preventing any animal from separating from the others. Through his great bravery and courage, he can also be used for guarding missions. Because of his size, his beautiful coat, his intelligence and his great loyalty to his masters, he can be an excellent companion
- Behaviour and temperament
“A very sedate dog, active and intelligent, with a noble expression, with a hardy and pleasant character, really devoted to the shepherd and flocks entrusted to him, wary of strangers, which at times make him seem unsociable. He is very vigilant, very resistant to heat, cold and all atmospherics. A very frugal alimentation is sufficient for him to work in extreme conditions”
Quoted from FCI standard n°87. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 4 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Nothing hereditary documented
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Catalan Sheepdog
What you get with the Catalan Sheepdog
- Purpose stated in the standard: “It is in the driving of flocks that the true essence of this breed manifests itself, because not only does he obey the shepherd, but in numerous…”
- The standard describes the breed as: “A very sedate dog, active and intelligent, with a noble expression, with a hardy and pleasant character, really devoted…”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “Long, flat, or very slightly wavy, rough with abundant undercoat on the whole of the…”
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 · Catalan Sheepdog
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged permissible.
Coat
Long, flat, or very slightly wavy, rough with abundant undercoat on the whole of the posterior third of the body.
On the head we notice a beard, moustaches, tuft and eyebrows which do not affect the sight.
Tail well covered with hair as are all the extremities.
It is noticeable that during the moult we observe a typical phenomenon: the moult occurs in two times.
First of all it affects the coat on the front part, giving the impression of two halves of dogs with different coats
then it is the turn of the hind part of the dog and everything becomes uniform again
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°87 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Catalan Sheepdog in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
Health & screening guide for the Catalan Sheepdog
Nothing hereditary is documented for the Catalan Sheepdog breed, but there is still specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
No breed-specific hereditary condition for the Catalan Sheepdog was found in any authoritative source. That is consistent with a small breed, largely registered in Spain, that sits outside the main English-language veterinary literature — it means the breed has not been formally studied for inherited disease, not that it is free of it.
What to ask for anyway
- Hip score from a recognised scheme (OFA, BVA/KC or FCI) on both parents
- Eye examination under a recognised scheme (BVA/KC/ISDS or ACVO) on both parents
- Documented line history and cause of death across at least three generations, since no breed-specific screening protocol exists to ask for instead
0 sources
Gallery
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Puppies
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