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StartOur blogBasque shepherd or Euskal Artzain Txakurra - Knowing this Basque dog race
Basque shepherd or Euskal Artzain Txakurra - Knowing this Basque dog race
To those who like to have a pet, it is very interesting and helpful to know its most relevant characteristics, such as those that define a race, even the races that could well be considered exotic or little known.
Size: Medium/large.
Weight: Between 17 and 36kg.
Hair type: Long and dense.
Character: Sociable, friendly, calm
Health: Healthy
Life expectancy: Between 13 and 15 years.
Euskal Artzain Txakurra or Basque pastor dog It is a medium/large dog, accustomed to broad and steep terrain like those of its land of origin. With this we do not mean that they cannot live inside an apartment, they are very versatile dogs and will adapt to it; However, a Basque shepherd dog will need you to pass daily if not, like people, the confinement will stress and depress him. In addition, if you live in an apartment you must keep in mind that due to its leafy fur, in the time of mute, you may find hairs in the most unsuspected places in your apartment. Said the above, it must be taken into account that the mute is a process of natural adaptation, the dog tends to detach from the layer that is left over in times of heat and accumulate fur when it is cold.
Illustration 1995 of the 2 varieties
Needless to say what is the land of Origin of Euskal Artzain Txakurra. The normal thing in the Basque Country is that each person dedicated to grazing had a copy of the race next to it. In this way, and throughout many generations, the race evolved perfecting its capabilities to gather and control herds. With the practice disappearance of grazing over the years, the race was careless to the point of almost disappearing. It was not until 1995 when its recognition was finally achieved by the Royal Spanish Canine Society initiating a difficult recovery process that still continues with difficulties. It is important to highlight that The Société Centrale Canine (France) has decided in 2018 to accept the Basque pastor and that the ultimate goal is to be recognized by The International Canine Federation. According to some studies of bone remains found by archaeologists, it is believed that this race, comparing it with the characteristics of the current specimen, can even have 12,000 years. The Euskal Artzain Txakurra has starred in past -centuries, confirming that for years it is a known race and in the same way valued.
History of the Basque Pastor
The History of Euskal Artzain Txakurra, a beautiful and faithful dog has been registered since the 16th century where it appears portrayed in some European frescoes. Which gives indications that they used to be pets of wealthy families and of important position in society.
In the first decade of the twentieth century, it was when they began to integrate into the work of grazing, this was mainly due to the proliferation of wolves in the region which used to attack herds. The so -called Euskal Artzain Txakurra were mixed with other bigger dog breeds so that they could perform as pastors and as caregivers. It was in 1995, specifically June 1, when the Real Canina Society of Spain, recognizes the Euskal Artzain Txakurra breed as a Basque pastor. Because it is a geographically located breed the number of copies is limited. There are currently less than 1000 copies of this breed. However, their disposition and great intelligence for the grazing of herds are recognized worldwide. Frequently organized grazing competitions, events that are carried out in some places in Spain where the Basque pastor finds the possibility of exhibiting their skills to order and organize farm animals. They also compete in categories such as beauty, agility, obedience and even rescue.
Basque pastor dog varieties
From the Basque pastor there are two varieties: Gorbeiakoa and iletsua. His biggest difference with the naked eye is his fur; In fact, the meaning of the Basque word iletsua means lanudo. The most obvious difference, and what is recognized at first glance is the dog's fur, the Gorbeiakoa has a more silky mantle, soft and, in general, well attached to the body while the iletsua, of lighter tones, has a more rough and slightly curly fur, which looks bulky.
Although the RSCE recognizes two varieties of the same race, the two associations that represent it in Spain (on the one hand Eate (official and that acts nationwide) and, on the other eata (friendly association and acting at the regional level), they have, among their main objectives, to achieve that they are recognized as what they are, that is, two different races, as confirmed by the ancestral knowledge of the people of the Basque country scope of the university, where a doctoral thesis that opened the route to the admission of the breeding in the RSCE was defended in 1995. Life, you can choose a Basque pastor with the assurance of choosing well. Gos d´Atura or the Berger des pyrénées. The iletsua can be distinguished by the following characteristics:
The iletsua is among those who are considered woolly dogs, its fur is longer and funder than that of Gorbeiakoa.
His fur is grinding blonde or cinnamon.
Their ears are located behind the head.
They can measure between 47 and 61 centimeters.
Its weight, according to the standard, ideal varies between 17 and 29 kilos the females and between 18 and 36 kilos the males.
His snout is shorter than that of Gorbeiakoa.
Its tail is a little shorter than that of Gorbeiakoa, but it is not a difference too pronounced.
For its part, Euskal Artzain Txakurra Gorbeiakoa or Basque Pastor is a dog of stylized lines. If we want to make comparisons, we can find similarities between this grazing dog with races such as German shepherd, he Belgian shepherd and the Border Collie inter alia. As a curiosity, it is well documented that the Australian shepherd It is an heiress breed of the Gorbeiakoa who traveled with the Basque families that emigrated to Australia.
The Basque pastor can be distinguished by the following characteristics:
His face is clearer with hair.
Its color, according to the RSCE is the Fuego red, known as redness with frequent darkening in snout.
Its tail is long and very leafy fur.
It is a race of medium dog, it can measure up to 60 centimeters tall to the cross (the union of the scapulae with the neck).
It has an athletic and muscular contexture
Basque pastor dog puppies
The most important stage are the first months of life of the puppy. First, you have to make sure the dog's origins. Choosing a breeder but and responsible will make the difference between a healthy and balanced dog of one that is not. You have to have very Puppies They should not leave the nest until they turn at least two months of age, this period in which they will learn to relate to their mother, their brothers and the people who live in the environment. The first three months of the puppy's life will determine the degree of socialization they will have during the rest of their life. To all of the above, of course it is essential to ensure that the dog has been administered by the vaccines that correspond to him according to his age, that the microchip has been placed. Finally, it is very important to ask the breeder for the puppy's parents to prevent mixture between consanguineous dogs to be the cause of genetic diseases in the animal. For the latter there is the pedigree that is not more than a canine family tree.
All of the above is only the previous period before the puppy arrives home, only then will begin the real work which requires time, patience and love although as everyone knows, the rewards are much greater than the sacrifices. Keep in mind that there are precious copies of this race that have been abandoned and that they need a family, so, it is always necessary to consider the possibility of going to one of them (even outside the Basque Country) and rescuing an animal from one of the many protectors. If you opt for this option, you must keep in mind that there are several requirements that you must meet. Among these are of legal age, demonstrate responsibility for the care of your pet and sign a contract where it is certified that you will not use it for breeding. The process also verifies whether you can adopt any specimen that has been previously abandoned, before being able to access a puppy with little birth. Likewise, in this case, once the puppy is acquired, you must take it to your local veterinarian to administer the corresponding deworming and vaccines plan. On the other hand, there is the option to go to a breeder specialized in the race. At present there are hardly any breeders dedicated to Basque shepherds. It must be remembered that a responsible breeder is not a person who is dedicated to selling dogs, but a person who loves animals, opts for a particular breed and allows you to have one of his puppies, in return, you help breeding paying a amount of money. A responsible breeder will make you sign a contract, think that not only do you choose a puppy but that the breeder also chooses you, because he hopes that you can seek a healthy and happy home to the animal.
Confirm a lot about puppy's feeding during your first months of life, supplying the special food for your age and weight, you will avoid allergies, indigestions and make sure you grow strong and healthy. Also avoid giving your puppy sweets, chocolates, seasoned foods ... for example, chocolate is a toxic food that does a lot of damage to dogs. The Euskal Artzain Txakurra, like all dogs, need to be educated and the earlier education, the better habits will acquire for the rest of their life. He thinks that the puppy will do almost everything that does not prohibit him, it is important to teach him (with positive reinforcements and never mistreat him) what is the space in which he can be at all times, which is the place where he must do his needs etc. There are very good publications in this regard but keep in mind that you will receive thousands of different advice from different people so it is best to trust experts. Think that when they see you with the puppy, everyone will want to tell you what you should do, as in football or in politics in which everyone believes to be a better coach or president than the coach or the president, in the world of dogs, the coach and the president is you for what at the end, it is you responsible and you should avoid being confused with bad advice. To help you, here you can find specialized trainers tutorials. When the puppy arrives home, on more than one occasion (perhaps in more than 100 occasions) they will behave inappropriately, remember that you are the one who must educate them, therefore, a bad behavior that extends over time is the cause of not having been corrected in time for you. If they misbehave, which is the most common during their puppies, since they are beginning to know their surroundings and everything is new, attractive and interesting for them and, in addition, they will want to explore everything with their sharp teeth, it is normal that if you leave it within their reach, break shoes, furniture or any other object that they can catch with their mouth. Tell them when they are doing a behavior that you do not like with a strong and firm tone, the dogs are very good to capture the different tones of voice. Remember that it is not necessary to be abrupt or mistreat them. Finally, not to confuse them with contradictory messages, remember not to consent for a while after reprimanding it. Like all dogs (and we would say that like all living beings), the Basque pastor likes to receive affection. We are sure that you will enjoy miming this beautiful dog. So caress it, give your friendship, show it that you want it and that it is a member of your family nucleus. Veterinarians usually recommend not letting the puppies out of 3 months of age, for this reason it is important to remember here what we said before. If a puppy is separated from its mother and brothers very young and you do not get it from home until 3 months, the puppy will lose a very important period for its socialization which will largely determine its future behavior.
As previously referred to the best stage to educate a Basque pastor dog, it is in the era of puppies. Keep in addition to the professional training techniques that you put into practice, it is necessary to take care of the emotional needs of the dog, for example, it is vital that you feel loved and that it is identified as one more member of the family, or in its terms, of the pack. Likewise, it is important to understand that a dog that is not physically and mentally stimulated will be bored and can seek entertainment breaking things or, in general, lting it at home. With this we do not mean that we have to tire the dog until the exhaustion which is a mistake, in the puppies stage the dogs need rest in the same way to play and experience, in fact, an excessive exercise will be harmful to its growth. As in everything in life, the key will be found by a dog that is being done looking for an intermediate point. The Basque pastor is factory a Very smart dog, therefore you will easily learn things like: where should your needs do, what objects you can take and which are not, and even some tricks.
The Euskal Artzain Txakurra have natural characteristics that make them suitable for grazing, after all, the race has been dedicating themselves to it for several years; However, if you want your Basque pastor to help you in your pastor's work, it is very important that you start teaching him from puppy. At present you can also get sports grazing clubs although even in Spain this sport is not extended more than in a few specific clubs. The Basque pastor is very intelligent and very protective, so it will be very easy for you to take advantage of those qualities. He will soon understand that in his grazing work, he is the one who sends the flock, so he will successfully organize it.
Basque pastor dog care
All dog breeds need special care so that they can enjoy a full life. The Basque shepherd dog needs to be combed daily, since having somewhat long fur, you should prevent knots. This also helps us reduce the amount of hairs that would disperse around the house in case of not withdrawing them with a comb. Your diet must be adequate for your size and weight, in that his veterinarian advises you. High meals in fat and protein are recommended, but not any fat, so you should make sure you are fencing correctly. Avoid giving him leftovers of what you eat. The food we eat contains spices and other elements that are not appropriate for dog health. Usually these dogs must bathe between every 15 and 30 days, however it is something that will depend on each specimen and its fur. For this it is important to follow the suggestions of your veterinarian. If you want your Basque pastor dog, live healthy and strong, take it regularly with the veterinarian. Stay attentive to vaccines and vitamins that you may need during your adult, because it is common for these controls to be neglected when dogs come to your adult life. Other dog breeds that may interest you:
