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The Cao da Serra da Estrela is a mountain dog that comes from the Estrela mountains in Portugal. In its original habitat, the Estrela Mountain dog is used by the inhabitants of rural areas to guard their flocks , mainly in mountainous regions. These areas cover great distances so that is why the Estrela needs a deep, broad chest with room for heart and lungs to function optimally, as well as a strong, muscular back. The need for agility in the rugged, mountainous terrain, gave it the special angulated limbs necessary to get about easily with the minimum of energy. Thus a big, heavy dog is not typical of the breed.
Being an agile breed the Cao da Serra da Estrela does require good high fencing to keep them in, but I have found that if they have never gotten out then they do not try. An Estrela pup grows rapidly and so they do cost a lot to rear, if it is done properly. As an adult they do not eat a huge amount, and in fact getting weight on them is often a problem. The breed seem to do well on quite a low protein diet, and they do not tolerate very rich food well.
The Cao da Serra da Estrela has powerful jaw-bones and large, strong teeth. The coat is dense with a special thick tuft of hair around the throat which serves as a defense to protect it from the jaws of its enemy, the wolf. The ears are small, folded and carried back so as to keep them out of the way. The Estrela has a double coat which is course and feels like Portuguese goat’s hair. There is a short and long haired variety but the coat is never very long. There are varied colors ranging from fawn to red-brown to wolf-grey and brindle.
Group
Guardian
Life Expectancy
11-13 years
Size Male
Height: 24-28 inches
Weight: 85-110 pounds
Size Female
Height: 24-28 inches
Weight: 65-90 pounds
Appearance
Although the Cao da Serra da Estrela is of Mastiff type, it must be remembered that it is not a Mastiff, and should not be too heavily boned or built. The Cao da Serra da Estrela is an active dog whom is very agile and so should never be cumbersome. When the breed was in its developmental stages in Portugal, it must be remembered that it was owned by peasants who were often not able to feed their own families adequately, let alone a dog. Even today in Portugal many of the dogs survive on a very frugal diet of a lot of bread and rice, sometimes not seeing any meat for weeks on end.
The mouth and jaws are extremely powerful, you only have to see how quickly an Cao da Serra da Estrela can demolish a bone to realize how effective these dogs would have been against wolves. The tuft of hair under the throat (especially in the male) is also for defense, coupled with the spiked collar the dogs often wore when on the mountains guarding flocks, this gives the dogs added protection. The eye should be amber in color which in a black mask is very striking, but care must be taken that horrible yellow or even worse, greenish eyes do not creep in, as this will detract from the correct soft Cao da Serra da Estrela expression and give a fierce look to the dog.
The ears are carried back against the side of the head (somewhat like a Whippet) giving the dogs excellent hearing. Ears set too high on the head give the impression of wearing a bonnet. Pendant, hanging, dead ears are also to be frowned on as this would seriously compromise the dogs hearing and devalue his ability as a guard. The body should be square and compact. The tail ideally should have a hook at the tip, some of the very best tails have a natural break at the end. There is no explanation for this occurrence and it does not seem that it can be bred for, it is random and is very rare indeed. The tail will often be carried over the line of the back when the dog is in motion or excited, but it should never resemble a (Spitz) tail.
Temperament
The Cao da Serra da Estrela is a working dog. The Cao da Serra da Estrela is also a natural guard dog. With the right training however, it can develop into an affectionate, social companion, friendly to everyone it is familiar with and with whom it has had a positive experience. An Cao da Serra da Estrela will never forget unpleasant things that might have happened to it. Although it is an extremely alert guard dog it is not pathologically aggressive but will demonstrate this alertness in a very loud manner (by constant barking) which, incidentally, can be dealt with whilst educating a puppy. One must remember, however, that these (loud warnings) are part of this breed’s character.
An Cao da Serra da Estrela loves to work with its master and its a pleasure to participate in obedience and/or special skills training. But only if it is willing because to force an Estrela to do something against its will can lead to bizarre situations, as any owner can tell you. So, an Estrela is stubborn, very stubborn in fact which can be very funny but also very frustrating. You will need to show the same degree of stubbornness as your dog during the training period. In this period and during the first months it will need your constant attention but not your constant presence. It will become very attached to you the more time you spend with it. This bond of attachment begins to show after about six months. If you should ever obtain an older dog from someone else, it takes a lot longer to achieve this feeling of there being something between you and the dog. Then suddenly the situation changes and you sense that the two of you have found that everlasting relationship that comes from the heart. From this moment on it will risk its life for you.
Grooming
The Cao da Serra da Estrela do not need a lot of brushing as the coat does not easily get matted or tangled. During the molting period which is normally twice a year, grooming is necessary to help loosen the undercoat. Molting occurs in sections and can often take several weeks. The thick coat around the neck can be damaged by chains and collars and it is better to remove these when not essential.
History
The Cao Da Serra Da Estrela as the breed is known in its native Portugal, is a guarding breed who originates from the Estrela mountain region in the North of the country. The breed is old and is thought to have evolved from the Mastiff dogs the Romans took with them into the Iberian Peninsula, this theory can not be proved or disproved it is safe to say the breed is very old.
The development of the Cao da Serra da Estrela was in the hands of the local farmers who highly prized the dogs' guarding ability. As the sheep and goats were often the sole source of livelihood for the farmer, only dogs who excelled in guarding were kept and bred from, this meant that the breed could be quite formidable and not to be taken lightly.
As transportation in the mountain region was difficult, the breed was kept fairly pure by the use of only dogs that occurred locally. The breed has developed over hundreds of years and is still a good guard as well as a family pet. The Cao da Serra da Estrela had to be capable of dealing with a full grown wolf and so it developed into a strong powerful dog who is supple and agile, and should show no signs of being cumbersome and slow, the breed has a fair turn of speed.
They are also very capable of clambering over very rough terrain. In the times before the wolf was wiped out, the dogs often wore heavy metal spiked collars to protect them against attack. At one time the breed caught the eye of the aristocracy and were a decorative addition to the villas and mansions where they were bred and sold as pets, in this way they moved out of the mountains and into the country as a whole. Today, there are not many Portuguese who have not heard of the Cao da Serra da Estrela.
Cao da Serra da Estrela Dog Details
Head
Strong, big, long and slightly convex, with well developed jaws. Smooth skinned skull and cheeks. Stop not very marked, about the same distance from the tip of the nose and the occiput. Well inserted and in good proportion with the body, as well as the skull proportioned to the muzzle, in a whole full of harmony.
Skull
Skull well developed, arched and convex in profile.
Mouth
Wide and clean cut, large lips but not very thick, not hanging and well closed. Inner and outer lips black as well as the palate. Strong white teeth, well inserted and well adapted.
Nose
Long, narrowing towards the tip, but not sharp. Almost straight but slightly convex at the tip. Nostrils, straight, wide and well open. Always darker than the coat, preferably black.
Eyes
Horizontal, oval eyes. Medium size, well open, neither protruding nor deep set. Keen and calm expression. Preferably dark amber in color Well closing black rimmed lids. Eyebrows slightly marked.
Ears
Comparatively small (11 cm by 10 cm); thin, triangular. slightly rounded at the tip, hanging; moderately high set, slightly leaning backwards; falling close to the head, leaving at the base a bit of the inner side visible. Clipped ears accepted, although natural ears are more appreciated.
Neck
Straight, short and thick, well set into the shoulders, dewlap not too apparent.
Chest
Well filled, wide, but not barrel-shaped, deep and well let down.
Body
Above Line: Almost straight back, preferably short, wide loins muscled and well connected to the croup, which should be slightly sloping.
Bottom Line: Belly firmly drawn in, not paunchy, well proportioned to the size, bottom line gradually and smoothly raising from the sternum towards the groin.
Upright, when the dog is in good stance. Forelimbs and pasterns well boned and approximately cylindrical in cross section. Solid bones and muscles throughout. Thick articulations, regular angulations allowing easy movement. Hock slightly down, evenly open and well directed, vertical pastern.
Feet
Well proportioned. Well built, neither too rounded nor too long, more or less between ca t paw and hare foot. Thick toes, well closed and hairy in the spaces between them, and between the pads, which should be thick and tough. Dark or preferably black, well grown, nails. The hind limbs may have one or two dewclaws each.
Tail
Long, not docked. Should reach the hock when the dog is at rest. Thick, saber shaped. Set on at normal height, well provided with hair and plumed in long-haired dogs, ending in a hook. At rest, below the horizontal line, hanging naturally between the hips. When the dog is excited or in motion, the tail raises above the horizontal curving upwards, forwards, sideward or even downwards.
Coat
Strong, thick, rather rough, somewhat like goat hair. Smooth or slightly wavy, almost all over the body; very abundant, either in smooth or long hair varieties. Normally the hair is not evenly distributed in certain areas. In the limbs, below the wrist and the hock, it is rather short and dense as it is in the head; in the ears it gets gradually shorter, from the base towards the tip, becoming thinner and softer, It is longer in the tail, which is bushy, thick and plumed, in the long haired variety. It is also rather long around the neck, where it may form a dewlap, and over the buttocks. Also, specially the longhaired dogs, may present a fringe on the back of the forearm.
The undercoat is short, and dense, made of fine hair twisted around the base of the coarser hair and generally lighter than the coat. It is found mainly in the longhaired dogs.
Color
The only allowed colors are: Fawn, wolf, yellow and brindle, either uni-color or white marked.
Maggie and Dave
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