Basque Shepherd Dog
Encyclopedia
The Basque Shepherd Dog is a breed
of dog
originating in the Basque Country
and traditionally used by the local shepherd
s to help them take care of their cattle and sheep.
The Pastor Vasco or Perro de Pastor Vasco is the Spanish name, and Euskal Artzain Txakurra, is the Basque, by which they are known in their homeland. It is believed that they originated from Central Europe
an shepherd dogs.
Of the two distinct types of Euskal Artzain Txakurra, the more outgoing Gorbeikoa is the most pure and ancient. It is recognized by the distinct cinnamon colored moderate length hair coat.
and the Catalan sheepdog
, in January 1996, the Royal Canine Society of Spain was recognized as a breed with two varieties: Iletsua and Gorbeikoa.
trials, obedience
, Rally obedience
, Schutzhund
, showmanship
, flyball
, tracking
, and herding
events. Herding
instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Basque sheepdogs that exhibit basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
herders brought their sheepdogs to the Western United States American West when they journeyed to the United States under sheep herding contracts with the Western Range Association in an agreement with the Spanish government.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
originating in the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
and traditionally used by the local shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
s to help them take care of their cattle and sheep.
The Pastor Vasco or Perro de Pastor Vasco is the Spanish name, and Euskal Artzain Txakurra, is the Basque, by which they are known in their homeland. It is believed that they originated from Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
an shepherd dogs.
Appearance
These dogs are well proportioned, with strong, rectangular bodies and trotter features. Their eyes are oval and are brown or amber. Their ears are medium sized, triangular and sometimes show folds. The vivid yellow Iletsua's medium length rough coat is longer over the trunk than over the head and is shorter on the face, but does not hide the eyes. The relation between height and length is about 1/1.2. His head is rather light relative to the trunk, which is attached by a short neck and muscular.Of the two distinct types of Euskal Artzain Txakurra, the more outgoing Gorbeikoa is the most pure and ancient. It is recognized by the distinct cinnamon colored moderate length hair coat.
History
This ardi txakurra (sheepdog) is one of the oldest of the canine race. Neolithic cave prehistoric skeletal remains were found showing that 12000 years ago Basque shepherds and used it for grazing. Later, in medieval Pastoriles Ordinances, in frescoes and paintings of the sixteenth century, there have been representations of Euskal Artzain Txakurra. Nevertheless, their recognition has required extensive research on more than 3000 copies rescued from all areas of Euskadi. Only after demonstrating their differences with other races such as the Pyrenean ShepherdPyrenean Shepherd
The Pyrenean Shepherd is a medium-small breed of dog native to the Pyrenees mountains in southern France and northern Spain, bred since at least medieval times for herding livestock, especially sheep...
and the Catalan sheepdog
Catalan Sheepdog
The Catalan sheepdog is a breed of Catalan pyrenean dog used as a sheepdog. The dog is bred in Europe, especially in Catalonia, Finland, Germany, and Sweden.-Appearance:...
, in January 1996, the Royal Canine Society of Spain was recognized as a breed with two varieties: Iletsua and Gorbeikoa.
Activities
The Pastor Vasco can compete in dog agilityDog agility
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
trials, obedience
Obedience training
Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. Obedience training ranges from very basic training, such as teaching the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay", to high level competition...
, Rally obedience
Rally obedience
Rally obedience is a dog sport based on obedience. It was originally devised by Charles L. "Bud" Kramer from the obedience practice of "doodling" - doing a variety of interesting warmup and freestyle exercises....
, Schutzhund
Schutzhund
Schutzhund is a dog sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a breed suitability test for the German Shepherd Dog. The test would determine if the dog displayed the appropriate traits and characteristics of a proper working German Shepherd Dog...
, showmanship
Dog showmanship
Dog showmanship is a set of skills and etiquette used by handlers of dogs in a dog competition. Dog showmanship is not a competition in itself but a qualification of the handler to present a dog to its best advantage. Skills are technical as well as artistic...
, flyball
Flyball
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.Flyball is run in teams of four...
, tracking
Tracking (dog)
Tracking is a technique in which dogs are trained to locate certain objects, such as a downed bird, using the object's scent. Many bird and rabbit hunters train their dogs in tracking. The scent hounds are generally regarded as having the best tracking abilities among all dog breeds.In dog sports,...
, and herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
events. Herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Basque sheepdogs that exhibit basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
Basque Sheepdogs in America
Some BasqueBasque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
herders brought their sheepdogs to the Western United States American West when they journeyed to the United States under sheep herding contracts with the Western Range Association in an agreement with the Spanish government.
See also
- Basque sheepdog trials
- Basque breeds and cultivarsBasque breeds and cultivarsThere are a number of Basque breeds and cultivars. These are domesticated animals that have been bred - or plant species cultivated - for particular traits and features by Basque people in the Basque Country....