Bergamasco Did You Know?

• The Bergamasco has been assigned the Herding Group designation.
• The Bergamasco is also known as the Cane da Pastore Bergamasco.
• The Bergamasco has been recorded in the Foundation Stock Service since 1997.
• Despite its formidable appearance, underneath that coat the Bergamasco is really a trim, athletic dog weighing 50-75 lbs, with no tendency to overeat.
• Bergamascos have extremely long upper eyelashes to keep the curtain of hair that falls from their forehead out of their eyes. The curtain of hair is to protect the Bergamasco's eyes from snowblindness.
• The Bergamasco traces its origins back nearly 7,000 to what is now Iran.
• The Bergamasco's coat contains "dog hair" "goat hair" and "wool" which combine to form feltlike mats that grow over the course of the dog's life, reaching the ground at approximately 6 years of age. The coat can actually smell like a sweater when it is wet. Most people with allergies to dogs are not allergic to the Bergamasco coat; however, those with allergies to wool or lanolin have been known to react. Thus the Bergamasco has many similarities to the sheep it has lived to protect.
• The Bergamasco has extremely acute hearing and an almost psychic awareness of its environment. With these faculties, they can be very reliable predictors of approaching visitors or violent behavior. They have even been known to warn unsuspecting people that another dog was preparing to attack.
• The Bergamasco is a very sociable animal, developing independent relationships with each person in the household, and relating to them in an individualized way.