History

Bergamascos are an ancient breed of herding dogs. Bergamascos' progenitors originated in Persia and worked with nomadic shepherds. Eventually groups of these nomads moved west and settled here and there, and their dogs developed distinct characteristics over time. One group settled in the Italian Alps, and these dogs became the Bergamasco. Other groups settled elsewhere, and their dogs became the Komondor, the Puli, the Bearded Collie, and others, which are distant cousins of the Bergamasco, but now all with their own distinct traits.

When wool production dropped off in Italy after World War II, Bergamascos were less in demand as there were fewer shepherds. They began to mongrelize and almost became extinct. Fortunately, one woman in Italy, who happened to be a scientist with knowledge of genetics, was instrumental in saving the breed and was knowledgeable enough to breed carefully. Her name was Dr. Maria Andreoli and she developed what we consider the finest line of Bergamascos in the world. Careful breeders in several European countries, the Canada and the US have worked carefully to expand this bloodline and develop the strongest, happiest, healthiest Bergamascos possible. The breed is still rare: at this time, there are only approximately 125 Bergamascos in the US.

Breed Traits

As a breed, Bergamasco Sheepdogs are very sociable, and generally like other dogs and people. They do not tend to bark, except to warn of changes in their environment. When they do bark, you can be sure they heard something and are simply alerting you.

The Bergamasco was bred to work with shepherds, with a mutual job to do. Instead of being trained to respond to exact commands, however, they were developed to problem solve on their own. So, they will watch you and figure out what's the point, and then they figure out how do it. One of mine has the longest attention span I have ever seen in a dog. She simply will not give up until she accomplished what she has set out to do. However, this intelligence works both ways: Bergmascos have minds of their own and are too smart to do stupid tricks for no reason. If you try to teach them to roll over or jump for a treat, they will probably look at you as if you're an idiot.

Bergamascos are affectionate and love interaction and attention, but if you get tired of petting them, they'll leave you alone and simply lie nearby, (always with an eye on you, however). They don't pester you to death for treats or attention; they understand when you've had enough -- much unlike the panting, jumping stimulus-response mechanisms some dogs can seem to be. Many people have noticed that their Bergamascos almost seem to train themselves. That is not to say that you do not have to teach them, but once they know you are the boss and you have a loving mutually respectful relationship with them, they will observe what you like and dislike, and will be eager to act in a way that pleases you. This is just their nature.

The Bergamasco as Companions

Bergamascos also make excellent "child substitutes" -- dogs for people or couples without children in the house: their easygoing personality, keen intelligence and interesting (and sometimes hilarious) facial expressions make them much more engaging and rewarding company than many other breeds. Almost like a good human friend who doesn't talk much.

Bergamascos with Children

Bergamascos are good with children. They are herding dogs, so they tend to watch out for kids and be protective. However, if very young children start screaming and running around, as they are apt to do, the dog's herding instincts will activate, and they will want to herd the children. It is very important, especially for families with children, that someone in the family has the time to spend with the dog, particularly in the first year of life, to take them to puppy class and obedience class to socialize them and establish the ground rules and who is boss. The Bergamasco is so intelligent and emotionally deep that it needs to feel loved and some direct interaction with its masters. It is not the kind of dog you can just add to a busy family and expect it to fend for itself. If you are an experienced dog owner, then you know what I mean. I am not talking about anything difficult or overly time-consuming. It's just that sometimes families with young children get a puppy because they want their children to have one, but they've never had dogs and they don't understand that a dog requires a certain amount of attention, love and training, too. If someone can spend some quality time each day with the puppy and teach it, then you should have a wonderful dog that will be a wonderful addition to your family if you have one.

The Coat

The coat is totally unique, and its appearance is not for everybody. However, if you do like the coat, it is very beautiful, and not that hard to deal with. They have a puppy coat for the first year, much like an English Sheepdog. At approximately 8 months, the wool starts coming into the coat. At 1 year of age, you must rip the coat into mats. This is a one-time job. Depending on how rough or fine the particular dog's coat is, this can take an evening, or several evenings, but once it's done, it's done. You have to keep after it for a few months to make sure they don't get stuck together, but after that, the coat is basically no maintenance.

They do not really require bathing more than once or twice a year. As the mats get longer, of course, it takes a while to dry, so you have to time it right. Methods have been developed for easiest drying methods, which will be shared with you, but it definitely takes a while for them to dry.

The coat does look a little strange between ages 1 (when you first rip it) and age 2 (when it becomes more obvious what the mats are). You just have to live with people's comments. You will spend a lot of time explaining your dog to people, who will always ask questions. Most of them will be fascinated, but others will think it looks horrible, or is somehow uncomfortable for the dog, and they will not hesitate to say so. You just have to live with this and be willing to educate people about the breed, and not be bothered by the fact that they're not for everybody.

Climate

Bergamascos love the outdoors, and they like the cold. I am in Maine, and it's hot here for maybe 6-10 weeks. They are fine with this if in the shade. In a place in the middle of the country where it's really really hot for long periods, they would want to be indoors in the A/C for the worst of it. If you live where there is a real winter, they absolutely love the cold and the snow. They will roll around in it and stay out for hours, never wanting to come in. I will not place Bergamasco Sheepdogs in hot climates, such as Florida or Southern California. It is simply too hot for them, and they are uncomfortable.

Size

Bergamascos are a medium-sized dog. They sometimes appear bigger because of their coat, but they are only 21-24" high at the shoulder, and weigh anywhere from 45 (smaller female) to 75 (larger male) pounds. Although much of this is hair, and when you seem them wet, you can't believe how small they look.