Gaucho Sheepdog
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The Gaucho Sheepdog () is a
dog breed A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globall ...
that originated in the
Pampas The Pampas (; from Quechua 'plain'), also known as the Pampas Plain, are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all o ...
, Brazil.Guia de Bichos: Ovelheiro Gaúcho

The breed is not recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), but it has been recognized by the CBKC, a Brazilian kennel club affiliated with FCI.Gaucho sheepdog breed standard by the CBKC
Dogs of this breed are often characterized as sturdy and agile, which makes them suitable for herding activities. The Gaucho sheepdog is widely used for herding sheep and other livestock, especially in the southern region of Brazil.


History

The Gaucho Sheepdog was discovered in
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...
,
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
by shepherds in search of dogs with better herding abilities. There are two theories for the origin of the breed. The older and more widespread theory argues that the Gaucho Sheepdog descends from herding dogs (unspecific breed) in Rio Grande do Sul. This theory is based on the physical and behavioral characteristics of the breed, as well as historical context. The breed bears similarities to the
Border Collie The Border Collie is a British list of dog breeds, breed of herding dog of the collie type of medium size. It originates in the region of the Anglo-Scottish border, and descends from the traditional Sheep dog, sheepdogs once found all over the ...
and
Rough Collie The Rough Collie (also known as the Long-Haired Collie) is a long-coated dog breed of medium to large size that, in its original form, was a type of collie used and bred for herding sheep in Scotland. More recent breeding has focused on the Co ...
breeds that arrived with European settlers in the 19th and 20th century to herd farm animals such as cattle, horses, and sheep. The Border Collie likely arrived in the municipality of Uruguaiana in Rio Grande do Sul in the 1950s, along with a herd of Australian
Merino The Merino is a list of sheep breeds, breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monop ...
sheep. Subsequently, these dogs were introduced in
Pelotas Pelotas () is a Brazilian city and Municipalities of Brazil, municipality (''município''), the fourth Largest cities in Rio Grande do Sul by population, most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, after Porto Alegre, Caxias do Su ...
city. The Rough Collies first arrived at the end of the 19th century with European immigrants, then later in the early 20th century. In addition to arriving with their European owners, this breed was also imported by farmers who wanted to modernize herd management techniques on their ranches. As a result of a recent historical, morphological, and behavioral study of the breed, a second origin theory developed. This hypothesis posits that the Gaucho Sheepdog descended from the herding dogs (unspecific breed) in the region, as well as the
Rough Collie The Rough Collie (also known as the Long-Haired Collie) is a long-coated dog breed of medium to large size that, in its original form, was a type of collie used and bred for herding sheep in Scotland. More recent breeding has focused on the Co ...
,
Estrela Mountain Dog The Estrela Mountain Dog () is a large dog breed, breed of dog from the Serra da Estrela, Estrela Mountains of Portugal. They are a livestock guardian dog bred to Livestock guardian dog, guard herds and homesteads and also kept as a family ...
, and
German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...
. Both theories conclude that the herding breeds, upon arriving in this region, underwent genetic selection. Dogs with sheep herding aptitude were bred selectively to meet demand from gaucho cowboys seeking herding dogs. A new breed emerged in a short time: the Gaucho Sheepdog, with a phenotype more adapted to the climate and geography of the region and a temperament more adapted to the needs of the local cowboys, maintaining an excellent aptitude for sheep herding.


Appearance

Morphologically, Gaucho Sheepdogs are similar to Border Collies, but they move differently when they are shepherding. Their size and height are medium, larger than Border Collies and a little bit smaller than Collies. Their coats are of moderate length, with or without an undercoat, in various colors.


Temperament

This breed is not known to be aggressive. Gaucho Sheepdogs are seen as good
watchdog Watchdog or watch dog may refer to: Animals *Guard dog, a dog that barks to alert its owners of an intruder's presence * Portuguese Watchdog, Cão de Castro Laboreiro, a dog breed * Moscow Watchdog, a breed of dog that was bred in the Soviet U ...
candidates since they are alert to strange noises, although they seldom attack intruders. They are smart dogs and learn commands quickly, and they are not aggressive with their herds. These dogs are known to co-exist happily with humans, as they are docile and friendly.


Bibliography

* Marcos Pennacchi, Revista ''Cães & Cia'' nº 293, Editora Forix, 2003. * Andrea Calmon, Almanaque ''Cães & Raças'' 2009, Editora On Line, 2009.


See also

* Dogs portal *
List of dog breeds This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties and dog type, types. A research article on dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines modern dog breeds ...
*
Dogue Brasileiro The Dogue Brasileiro is a mastiff-type working List of dog breeds, dog breed originating in Brazil. It is neither recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) nor the American Kennel Club (AKC). However, it has the official Br ...
*
Fila Brasileiro The Fila Brasileiro () is a Brazilian list of dog breeds, breed of large working dog of mastiff type. It is used as a guard dog, for cattle herding and for big-game hunting; it may also be kept as a companion dog or pet. In the eighteenth centu ...
* Terrier Brasileiro * Campeiro Bulldog 


References


External links


Gaucho Sheepdog breed standard
nbsp;- CBKC
Reluta Kennel
{{Pastoral dogs Dog breeds originating in Brazil Herding dogs Rare dog breeds