Portuguese Sheepdog

The Portuguese Sheepdog worked the Serra de Aires mountains, herding and guarding flocks and sometimes doubling as a farm watchdog. The long, wiry coat often falls over the eyes like a curtain, which is why the breed is sometimes nicknamed the mop-faced dog. Males weigh only around 18 kilograms, a medium, agile build suited to long working days outdoors. Despite its working roots it bonds closely with people and tends to be fiercely loyal to its owner. The coat needs regular brushing to prevent matting. Vocal habits run strong in this breed, it tends to bark at anything happening nearby. Life expectancy runs 12 to 14 years.

Browse dog food sized right for this breed

Portuguese Sheepdog: how old in human years?

42–52 cmHeight
12–18 kgWeight
12–14 yrsLife expectancy

Bouvier des Ardennes

FCI group: Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
FCI section: Section 1: Sheepdogs
FCI: 93
Country of origin: Portugal

Energy level

4/5
Trainability

4/5
Family friendly

4/5
Grooming need

4/5

At a glance

Height

Males 44–52 cm

Females 42–50 cm

Weight

Males 12–18 kg

Females 12–18 kg

Life expectancy

12–14 yrs

Coat

long, shaggy coat (long)

Temperament & Family Life

Portuguese Sheepdog's average temperament and family-life score for this breed is moderate.

Family friendly 4/5
Good with children 3/5
Good with other dogs 3/5
Friendly with strangers 3/5
Intelligence 4/5
Trainability 4/5

Exercise, Energy & Space

Portuguese Sheepdog's energy and exercise needs are moderate.

Energy level 4/5
Exercise need 4/5
Apartment friendly 2/5
Prey drive 2/5
Hunting instinct 1/5

Guarding & Alertness

Portuguese Sheepdog's guarding and alertness traits are high.

Guarding instinct 3/5
Watchfulness 5/5
Barking level 4/5

Grooming & Care

Portuguese Sheepdog's grooming needs are low.

Shedding 2/5
Drooling 1/5
Grooming need 4/5

Living with the Portuguese Sheepdog

In Portugal it's nicknamed the "monkey dog", and not for nothing: curious, nimble and crafty, it watches everything that happens and soon works out how to open whatever was meant to stay shut. On mountain pastures it moved sheep, goats and cattle, so it needs not just a walk but a job: long hikes, running, scent work, tricks or agility. A bored sheepdog finds work of its own, such as herding your children or the cat.

It enjoys learning and picks things up quickly, especially when lessons are short, varied and end in praise. It is sensitive to your tone of voice, so shouting gets you nowhere and consistency gets you everywhere. A flat is too cramped for it unless it gets plenty of exercise every day; it is happiest in a house with a garden where it can keep an eye on its patch.

With its family it is devoted and cheerful and it gets on with children, though it may try to round them up. It is reserved with strangers at first and makes an alert, vocal watchdog: you'll be the first to know about every passer-by, cat and delivery driver. If you value quiet, teach it from puppyhood when enough is enough.

Grooming and coat

After a walk in the woods, a Portuguese Sheepdog comes home wearing half of the forest: the long, slightly harsh, shaggy coat collects needles, seeds and leaves, exactly as you'd expect. It sheds little, so there'll be less hair on the sofa than you'd fear from such a hairy dog, but the same coat would rather knot into mats than fall out. Two or three times a week, comb right down to the skin, especially behind the ears, in the armpits, on the chest and on the hind legs, where things rub most, and after any scramble through scrub run your fingers through to check nothing has lodged there.

The hair around the eyes and on the muzzle grows long, so trim it now and then and let the dog see the world rather than its own fringe. Check the ears weekly, and shorten the hair between the paw pads so mud and snow don't pack in there. Trim the nails every few weeks, brush the teeth several times a week, and bathe only when you really have to: a shaggy coat takes a long time to dry.

How to do it:

By age:

Health and possible conditions

We don't have reliable health information specific to this breed, so we don't list conditions here. Keep up regular vet check-ups, and if you are getting a puppy, ask the breeder about the parents' health testing.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.

Food for medium breeds — cheapest per kg

This list is chosen by the breed's weight (18 kg) rather than the breed itself: shops label food by dog size, so every breed of the same size gets the same list. Prices are updated daily.

≈ 225 g of dry food a day, from €12,33 a month For a neutered, normally active 15 kg dog. Calculate for your dog