Catalan Sheepdogs are known for their fun-loving personalities, which makes them excellent family pets. They are also very energetic, more so suiting a family who enjoys physical activities, such as running or swimming! On top of this, they also need lots of walking, to remain fit and healthy. These guys tend to be very protective over their families, which without proper training can turn into ‘over-protection’, so it’s vital to try and soften this trait. However, they would never act aggressively towards anyone. Their wariness and over-protection, however, does mean that they make excellent watchdogs. The intelligence of this breed means that they are a great choice for first-time owners as they are easier to train than some other breeds.

These dogs originate from Spain and were first discovered around the time of the Romans, making the Catalan Sheepdog one of the oldest in the world! It’s thought that the Romans introduced two types of doggy around the time of 200 B.C. Supposedly, one of these two dogs was crossed with Native Catalan dogs to produce the breed that we know today. These doggies became very popular throughout Spain and were highly prized working dogs by their owners and included both herding and guarding. They were even used during the Spanish Civil War to carry messages and guard. However, the onset of WW2 saw numbers of the breed decline until they almost vanished. But in the ’70s, enthusiasts of the breed began a breeding programme to ensure their survival. Even to this day, they are an extremely rare breed but with continuous breeding, it’s hoped the breed will be able to slowly increase!