Rafeiro do Alentejo

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a dog breed that originated in Portugal. The dog is of the livestock guardian dog type and the name originated from it's area of origin, Alentejo, in South-Central Portugal while Rafeiro means mongrel in Portuguese.

These dogs are often used as a flock guard, guard and defense dog as well as house pet. They do not do well to city living. They need a large, securely fenced yard for exercise and play. Brushing the dog during it's shedding season is all the grooming it requires to help with the shedding.

The powerful, hardworking, rustic dogs are dedicated and courageous. This dog is loyal and very affectionate with his humans. But they can be aggressive towards strangers just like with predators.

Color

This dog's coat color can come in different varieties. This includes Black, Wolf Gray, Fawn or Yellow, with or without White; or White with spots, stripes or Brindle.

Coat

The dog's coat is preferably short to medium in length, smooth, coarse and thick.

Personality

These dogs are often described to be sober which means that the dog is marked by seriousness, gravity or solemnity of conduct. The dog also has movement as slow and rolling and as having a calm expression. This dog will surely benefit from early socialization as individual dogs may vary in behavior and temperament. They are not compatible with the inexperienced dog owners as with any other very large dog. Large sized dogs tend to become a danger to others if proper socialization is not provided to them. An experienced dog owner will have the time to properly socialize and train the dog. The Rafeiro do Alentejo matures slowly but they are very independent and will not respond to traditional force methods of dog obedience training. They are extremely protective and territorial of their family, household and sheep. They get along well with children and are not aggressive making them wonderful as family dogs as well as watch dogs.

Care

The dog requires a fairly easy amount of grooming as the dog's coat will only require thorough brushing during the shedding season. This happens only twice a year. You can relax the rest of the year. These dogs are seasonal, heavy shedders. The breed is known to be generally healthy and free from any genetic diseases. They are prone to hip dysplasia as any other large dog breeds. Make sure to check it daily and after any activity done in the outdoors. Given proper nutrition and care, sufficient exercise and regular visits to the vet, these dogs can live up to 12 or more years on the average. Like all other dogs, responsible owners would need to determine the dog's ears, eyes to protect you from possible infection.

Training

This dog will need to start training at a very young age. Proper socialization and obedience training should begin from puppy hood. The dog will need an experienced human handler. The Rafeiro do Alentejo will tend to become stubborn unlike other large docile breeds. The dog should be made to heel beside or behind the handler during their walks. This is to emphasize that the leader of the pack is the human. You will also want to dictate the walk's pacing while entering and exiting doors first before the dog. These dogs are highly trainable; however the dog will need a valid and dominant handler. Training should be done inside of motivation, firmness, respect, fairness and consistency. Never harsh or negatively driven training as they don't respond to this kind well.

Activity

This dog will need to start training at a very young age. Proper socialization and obedience training should begin from puppy hood. The dog will need an experienced human handler. The Rafeiro do Alentejo will tend to become stubborn unlike other large docile breeds. The dog should be made to heel beside or behind the handler during their walks. This is to emphasize that the leader of the pack is the human. You will also want to dictate the walk's pacing while entering and exiting doors first before the dog. These dogs are highly trainable; however the dog will need a valid and dominant handler. Training should be done inside of motivation, firmness, respect, fairness and consistency. Never harsh or negatively driven training as they don't respond to this kind well.