Estrela Mountain Dog

 Cindy- Lovabledogs.info

 Three Year Vet and Dog lover. Owner of Website: Lovabledogs.info

Estrela Mountain Dog
By Cindy- Lovabledogs.info

This are very protective of their property and family, friendly with children, but suspicious of any strangers, and can be stubborn and Will protect their pack (family) no matter what. Estrela Mountain dogs are very high spirited and willful dogs and makes very good watchdogs. This breed is born to be a herder. Estrela Mountain and independent and needs a great amount of excise or will develop behavior problems . This breed will also need early training as it has poor socialization skills. Not well suited for small children but will do ok with older more respectful children. If proper training early on, will do well with medium to large dogs but will not with smaller pets.
 

The Estrela Mountain Dog
The Estrela Mountain is said to have originated from the Serra da Estrela mountain range in Portugal, from which it got its name. It could possibly one of the oldest breeds of dogs from the Iberian Peninsula. The Estrela Mountain is a large, powerful, athletic and strongly muscled with a short back and a thick tail. In 1974 it was brought to Great Britain, and in 1998, to the United States. The Estrela Mountain was officially recognized as a breed by the UKC in the year 1996. The Estrela Mountain is also known as the Portuguese Mountain dog.

Estrela Mountain Skills
In ancient times, the Estrela Mountain dog  were bred to work as a guardian of livestock and that of the properties of its owners. Now, though this breed still, on occasion, guard herd s and livestock, most are bred to be show dogs or family pets.

Estrela Mountain Personality
The Estrela Mountain makes good guard dogs as this breed is not only intelligent, it is also very vigilant. The breed is also very loyal and affectionate to its owners, bonds closely with its masters and is good with children. Those the Estrela Mountain considers as family will be watched over and strangers will be approached with suspicion.

This fierce loyalty to its owners makes it difficult for the Estrela Mountain to accept a new owner in adulthood.

The Estrela Mountain Exercise Needs
Ideally, the Estrela Mountain should have a lot of space, indoors as well as out, to move around in. These dogs are very agile and if the Estrela Mountain is to be kept outside, he should stay in a well-fenced garden. They do not necessarily require rigorous exercise but Estrela Mountain dogs would happily join its owner during walks or regular runs.

The Estrela Mountain Living Conditions
It is not advisable to keep the Estrela Mountain on a leash as this breed appreciates the contact of its masters. The can survive in apartments or homes, though canines this large would be better off in places with a lot of wide open spaces. Generally, it really takes very little to satisfy the Estrela Mountain Dog.

The Estrela Mountain Grooming Requirements
The Estrela Mountain may have one of two different coat types: long coat or short coat. Each coat type has different grooming requirements. Long coated have a dense undercoat that is usually of a lighter shade than the thick and slightly coarse top coat which lies close to the body. The top coat could lie flat or be slightly wavy, but it is never curly. With the long coated dog, it easier to brush both coat layers. Short coated dogs, on the other hand still have a thick top coat and the undercoat is shorter in length. You'll have to make sure that both layers get properly groomed. Common colors of Estrela Mountain Dogs include fawn (reddish brown), wolf gray and yellow. The coats may or may not have bridling and white markings. Some Estrela Mountain dogs have a dark facial mask, a trait much preferred by breeders.

The Estrela Mountain Health Issues
Though the Estrela Mountain is a hardy breed that is not prone to illnesses, it is, as other large breed canines, slightly susceptible to Canine Hip Dysplasia.

Cindy  Lovable Dogs .info