Azores Cattle Dog

The Azores Cattle Dog can be found in the island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal. The first reference to this dog dates from the XVI century. It is thought that settlers brought their working dogs from Portugal to the islands and, due to its isolation, they stayed true to their working origins. Later, they were crossed with Mastiffs and Bulldogs. However the story of this dog is closely linked to the Terceira Dog, a now extinct breed of a nearby island of the same archipelago.  

The Azores Cattle Dog is also known as “Cow Dog” due its skills in driving and protecting livestock. When driving the cows, he bites them lower not to harm them; however, he bites higher in the runway ones.

The Azores Cattle Dog became public recently and it is now waiting for international recognition. The standard dates from 1995.

This breed is a terrific cattle dog as well as a guard dog. As all livestock dogs he needs to be properly socialized, since he is suspicious of strangers. They are docile with their human family and love to please the owner.

Very intelligent dog, the Azores Cattle Dog isn’t although advisable for the novice owner. 

Robust, hardy and rustic, the Azores Cattle Dog is a dog perfectly adapt to his job. His body is slightly longer than higher and his height at the withers is 48 to 60 cm. His weight ranges from 20 to 35 kg.

His head is squared with a stop and the nose is black and wide. The chest is broad and the body is well muscled. The tail is docked or naturally short and the ears are cropped with rounded tips. If not, they have triangular shape.

The coat is dense, smooth and short. It is fawn and grey, with lighter or darker shades, but it is always brindle. 

Being a rare breed, not accessible to everyone only to the locals and some selected breeders outside Portugal, it has no known inherited diseases.