The or Transmontano Mastiff is a

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

of livestock guardian dog from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. It originates in the historical province of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro in north-eastern Portugal, and is a rare breed confined mostly to this area.

History

The origin of this breed conjoins the history of all the Iberian

mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful Dog type, type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short Coat (dog), coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephal ...

s, and its evolution is linked to the

transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...

route on the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. In ancient times, this molossus dog was found in the high regions of Portugal, in particular in Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Province. The breed is used to improve

pastoralism Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where domesticated animals (known as "livestock") are released onto large vegetated outdoor lands (pastures) for grazing, historically by nomadic people who moved around with their herds. The anim ...

by developing it as a livestock guardian dog, particularly against Iberian wolf attacks, that are always prolific in the area. The breed has evolved over time with improved

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinians, Augustinian ...

through

selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

for the conditions of pastoral farming. It is thought by some that the breed is related to the

Tibetan Mastiff The Tibetan Mastiff is a large Tibetan dog breeds, Tibetan dog breed. Its double coat is medium to long, subject to climate, and found in a wide variety of colors, including solid black, black and tan, various shades of red (from pale gold to deep ...

, but no proof of this exists. It is related to the Rafeiro do Alentejo, the southern Portuguese cattle dog, which "for many centuries" would follow the cattle herd in their migrations within the country. As those migrations were curtailed, the two breeds diverged. In the mountains of Portugal, which are characterized by steep fields of

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

s and difficult road access, this breed has adapted to the conditions of the region (i.e., may be classified as a

landrace A landrace is a Domestication, domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural Environment (biophysical), environment of agric ...

), and to the types of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

, and

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

s that have traditionally grazed in these areas. Until the second half of the twentieth century, the region was primarily pastoral. This changed when the government of Portugal encouraged land clearance so that grain could be grown. However, many of those areas have returned to their previous use as pasture. This breed continues to guard extensive sheep flocks in the region, and more than 95% of the dogs are so employed. As of 1995, the breed was exclusive to Portugal, with no known exports to other countries, and was rarely seen outside of the northern Iberian peninsula. The breed has been imported to the US state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, as participants in an experiment to document the introduction and effect of "bigger" and "bolder" breeds than the so-called "white dogs", i.e. the Great Pyrenees, Akbash and Maremma Sheepdog as a deterrent to predation by wolves. This occurred in large part because of the reintroduction of wolves to northeast Oregon. Since their return in 2008 through 2014, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife documented "86 fatal wolf attacks on livestock." A similar experiment with cattle herds was conducted by the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

Description

Coat and color

The breed has a short to medium coat with a dense undercoat, well adapted to the warm dry climate of the region. Generally the coat is white, with large patches of black, yellow, fawn, brindle or 'wolf grey'. It can also be of solid colour of fawn, yellow, wolf grey or brindle.

Size

This is the largest of the Portuguese breeds. It is a powerful, muscular and large breed with a broad muzzle and large head. Males range from , and weigh between . Females range from , weighing in between . They have moderately loose-fitting jowls and a single dewlap.

Temperament

They are first and foremost working livestock guardian dogs, and their development and temperament should be understood and appreciated in that context. This breed has a calm and reserved reaction to threats, and is notably curious and intelligent. An important attribute is its ability to work as a mixed pack with intact males and females; of course, younger males have to socialize to "temper their dominance" and adapt to working within the pack. They have a natural predisposition toward digging under fences and "expanding their territory," which needs to be monitored and controlled. They are high energy fit, active, vigorous defenders of the flock, and well adapted to fending off

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

foxes Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

, and

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

, which are the prevalent predators in the area. Feral dogs are another opponent. They are an "excellent night guardian." "This dog is an athlete of all terrain able to make many miles along rugged landscapes, protecting both day and night his herd of possible threats. The largest of these is the Iberian Wolf, an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

that with the help of dogs of this breed can be preserved." Representatives were selected and imported to the United States for a

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

study on use of dogs to mitigate wolf predation in the western United States. They need large spaces and by nature like to roam free. They are ill-suited to being chained or apartment living. To cope with the heat, they like to burrow and make dens. They are a good companion dog. Females are generally more tractable and better companion dogs than males. Like most livestock guardian dogs, they bond with the flock; they are independent thinkers; and they must be trained to respond to their master's voice. Early training and socialization is essential. The breed association counsels: "... like all shepherds, the Transmontano Cattle Dog is a dominant dog and a 'single owner' og And because he is quite jealous and possessive, it is important to emphasize the importance of education and socialization...." They are possessive of toys and food, and owner control is essential. They are highly trainable and responsive to positive dog training techniques. They do not respond well to punishment, and have 'a long memory.' They are high energy dogs that require a lot of space. In the right environment they are very effective to protect an estate and flock. They are well adapted to protecting flocks (and perhaps herds) from wolves; their use is also seriously being considered for the western United States.

Breed recognition

In 2020, the FCI provisionally recognized the breed.Cão de Gado Transmontano
Federation Cynologique Internationale. Searched Mar, 15th 2020. There is also a small breed association, and the government of Portugal maintains a breed registry and facilitates placement of Cão de Gado Transmontano for flock protection from wolves through its agency Parque Natural de Montesinho. Grupo Lobo supports placement of these dogs to protect flocks from wolves; thereby helping to preserve the wolves (a protected species in Portugal) from human conflict.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cão de Gado Transmontano FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in Portugal Livestock guardian dogs