Majorca Shepherd Dog
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| Origin | Spain | ||||||||||||
| Distribution | Mallorca, Balearic Islands | ||||||||||||
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| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||||||
The Ca de Bestiar or Spanish: Perro de Pastor Mallorquín) is a Spanish breed of herding dog indigenous to the island of Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands of Spain. It is used as a herding dog, as a watchdog and as a guard dog.[1] It is of medium size. The coat may be either short or long; it is entirely black, either with or without a white patch on the chest.[1]
History
[edit]While the timing of its arrival is unknown, the breed came with the conquest of King James I of Aragon or shortly thereafter, and over the centuries the Majorcan Shepherds and foravilers conferred its very own and distinct features, not only from other island dogs, but also its neighbors around the Mediterranean.[citation needed] It was used as a shepherd dog for cattle, a bird dog, and to guard and defend the home.[citation needed] It has benefited, in the islands, from the near disappearance of the Ca de Bou breed.
Selection and controlled breeding began in the 1970s, and the breed standard was drafted in 1980. This prototype was accepted by the RSCPFRCE Archived 2023-12-03 at the Wayback Machine (Royal Central Society for the Promotion of Dog Breeds of Spain) and also recognized by the top world body, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), on 13 September 1982.
Description
[edit]The Majorca Shepherd Dog is a tall, up to 73 cm and up to 40 kg (88 lb) shepherd and guard dog. Most of the breed is short-haired, about 1.5 to 3 cm long on the back, with a very fine, thin undercoat. In the long haired variety, the hair is slightly wavy on the back and can reach over 7 cm in length in the winter. In the long-haired variety the undercoat is well distributed and not thick, showing varying shades of black. The ears, which are slightly bent from the side, are relatively small, triangular, thick and set high on the head. The color of the fur is described by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale as follows: "The only acceptable color is black in the shades jet, normal and pitch black. White is only permitted on the chest, a thin tie at the neck and the front and rear (...) ".[1] Räber mentions an additional dark brindle coloration.[2]
References
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- ^ a b c "Chien de Berger de Majorque" FCI Standard N°321 Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine 30 August 2002, Fédération Cynologique Internationale
- ^ "Der Ca de Bestiar" in Räber, Hans Enzyklopädie der Rassehunde: Ursprung, Geschichte, Zuchtziele, Eignung und Verwendung volume 1, Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart, page 377, ISBN 3-440-06555-3