El can of Palleiro It is a breed from the northwest of Spain and to be more exact from the region of Galicia. Needless to say, it is a breed that is not well known outside of that autonomous community. Unfortunately these dogs are in danger of extinction, there are currently 1300 dogs officially accounted for.
In the late 1990s, the local authorities, in an effort to rescue and preserve the breed, established an official Can de Palleiro standard in 2001 and began a search process for the surviving specimens.
Origin of the dog of Palleiro
Since 2002, the Can de Palleiro Club became the guardian of the species, for which it has organized since then supervision and adoption programs, in order to recover the number of the Galician shepherd, as it is also known. The Galician shepherd has been used as a herding dog and guardian of rural farms in the region.
He bears a resemblance to his cousin, the famous German shepherd, with the advantage that he does not suffer from hip problems. Thanks to the initiative of the authorities and the efforts of the Can de Pelleiro Club, the population increased gradually in the Galician territory during the second half of the XNUMXth century, which generated the resurgence of the breed, which became the pride of the Galician people, a dog with character, beauty and proven dexterity.
The origin of the Can de Palleiro or Galician shepherd goes back to Galicia. It is a well-known breed in the north of the peninsula. It is said that it is of Indo-European origin, in consideration of its rough typology and it is suspected that its ancestors were brought to Galicia during the expansion of the British Isles and the European Continent by the so-called Visigoth, Norman, Celtic and other ancient nomadic tribes.
Adopted by farmers as a working dog, is believed to have been around for centuries. By the nineteenth century, the semblance of the breed became consistent and fairly uniform, but the cruel world wars of the early and mid-twentieth century placed the breed in danger of extinction, leaving only a small group of individuals in a state of purity. Unfortunately many were crossed with other breeds of shepherds after the Second World War. There are those who described these crosses as harmful for the conservation of the breed, while others saw it as a possible salvation.
Features
This is a good size breed, males can reach 38 kg of body weight, they are robust and have the ability to adapt to any environment. Like the aforementioned German shepherd, it is also a dog that enjoys great intelligence, has a fairly balanced character although it can be shy at first with strangers. Palleiro's canine has an appearance similar to that of a wolf, has a fairly strong back, a muscular neck and a broad chestIt has a broad head, long and strong snout, erect ears, its limbs are strong and muscular, it is agile and athletic. Strong and fast running dog.
Its dense and dense coat is slightly rough on contact, it appears thicker during winter, generally of a light and uniform color such as beige, chestnut, gray, brown; even if you can get some black and dark brown specimens, this being a strange breed. As we have seen, morphologically it is a large dog, which can weigh between 30 and 38 kg. In relation to size, the male is larger than the female and can measure between 59 and 65 centimeters, while the female can measure between 57 and 63 centimeters.
Food
Like any large dog, the Palleiro dog requires a high quality diet suitable for all large breed. It cannot be forgotten that it is a breed of working dog, which in order to maintain its active lifestyle, it needs a diet that helps it maintain its ideal weight and health. A lot of attention should be paid to the weight of the animal and avoiding obesity, which is one of the risks it can face if it is not fed properly.
Training
The Palleiro dog is an energetic and independent dog, it does not require much training to develop its work, however, it can also be trained. It is a dog that responds well to the firm instructions given by its owner, who must use methods based on the positive reinforcement.
Temperament and behavior
The main characteristic of Can de Palleiro is its instinct for protection, since this breed was developed to protect livestock and farm property. He has a strength and character inherent to the family of shepherds, yet he has an affable and serene temperament. The Dog is quite suspicious of strangers, however it takes little time to get used to them.
Health problems
As it is a little known breed, its possible health problems are too. Although it can be safely said that it is a strong dog, very resistant and that apparently does not present genetic health problems, it should not be ruled out that there may be other health problems. On the other hand, the same care patterns applied to other breeds must be followed, such as their vaccinations, regular deworming, care and cleaning.
Regarding its cleaning, weekly brushing is recommended to care for their coat and rid it of parasites and other possible ills that afflict dogs. Depending on the level of dirt accumulated, you can bathe once a month or every three months with products made for dogs. It must keep its fur and in no case can it be cut.
Sometimes people avoid adopting one of these loyal and friendly animals, so as not to have to live the sad event of its death. Regarding the life expectancy of the Galician shepherd, there is no further information. However, due to its weight, size and similarity to other sheepdogs, it is estimated that their life span is possibly between 12 and 15 years. For its strength and endurance it is an excellent breed for work, but it is not a very hyperactive dog, so it requires daily exercises consisting of walks in the open air in places where it can function freely, where it can fulfill its physiological needs and get rid of stress.