Bergamasco...anyone here know about this breed?
Has anybody here ever met one, or know of an organization to contact for info on them?   Among other things, Id want to check out his breeder's reputation, and find out about any possible health issues. |
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| Hi Raven, I was so curious as to what this dog looked like that i googled and this is what i found. http://www.bergamasco.ca/navigate.cfm?CategoryID=8 Do they ever look like sheepies! Marianne |
| I did a lot of research on them at one point and even contacted breeders but I wound up with a Komondor instead (just by happenstance). They're considered "flocked" rather than corded but the idea is the same. One of the big differences in the coat from a Komondor (other than the shape of the flocks) is that it's slightly oily? I have no idea what this means for the smell of the dog. Corded dogs that live normal lives stink. It's just the way it is because washing and drying them in the climate that we live in is next to impossible as it takes 2-3 days in the blazing sun to dry a corded dog. If they stay damp, you guessed it, they stink. That being said, from my e-mail conversations with the breeders that I spoke with, they sound like they have similar temperaments to OES but a little more reserved. They're a herding dog so the differences won't be extreme and when I asked the same question of the Bergamasco breeder, she felt pretty confident that the Bergs and OES would live happily side by side with one another (I wasn't buying at this point, either, just asking questions and getting info so she wasn't trying to sell me anything). How old is this dog? Is he in rescue or with the breeder? PM me if you want and I'll be glad to answer any questions I can about what I learned about the breed (I may have even saved the e-mails) and what living with a corded dog, in general, is like. I could probably write a book here so answering questions might be easier! I think I find it most amazing that there are any Bergamascos in Alaska! |
Marianne wrote: Hi Raven, I was so curious as to what this dog looked like that i googled and this is what i found. http://www.bergamasco.ca/navigate.cfm?CategoryID=8 Do they ever look like sheepies! Marianne That dog in that picture is a puppy or very young, before the flocks form. Here's what you're looking at as an adult:  |
| Wow very cool! I'll have to add them as an aside to my obsession with Komondors! |
I have trouble with the dirty color...adding in the on-purpose "mats" might just do me in!  But looks like a cute, nice sized herding dog... And yes, I too am amazed one has surfaced in AK, much less one needing a home! |
got sheep wrote: I have trouble with the dirty color...adding in the on-purpose "mats" might just do me in! But looks like a cute, nice sized herding dog... And yes, I too am amazed one has surfaced in AK, much less one needing a home! They actually come in a lot of different colors. This color just happened to be the first large sized well lit photo.  |
| I have never heard about the breed but sure looks interesting. Too bad I'm so old. |
ButtersStotch wrote: got sheep wrote: I have trouble with the dirty color...adding in the on-purpose "mats" might just do me in! But looks like a cute, nice sized herding dog... And yes, I too am amazed one has surfaced in AK, much less one needing a home! They actually come in a lot of different colors. This color just happened to be the first large sized well lit photo. I see that now - I went to the US Club's site. Good information there.  |
I had a feeling you were the person I should talk to Jill!  I'll PM you for the details!Here's the listing, where I came across it: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/pet/2227790852.html He's only 15 months old, and the woman who has him has been asked to find him a new home when his previous owner(who was also his breeder) had some kind of personal emergency. She cant keep him herself, due to her circumstances, but is super concerned that he not go to someone who isn't prepared to deal with his coat, herding temperament etc. He's currently shaved down, and wow....so cute!  Yeah...I'm stunned to find out that there were not only Bergamascos, but a breeder of them in Alaska! In Valdez, of all places!  The last time I was in Valdez, I did talk to someone who said that their neighbor raised "Italian sheepdogs", but I didn't actually know what that meant. The current owner says that she, and the breeder both feel that keeping a corded dog in Alaska is almost an impossible thing, and recommended keeping him shaved. Seems a shame, but, wow...the drying thing, yikes!  Getting him ourselves is probably not happening  Abby is having some health issues, and not very tolerant of unfamiliar dogs at this stage of her life. The phrase "VERY ACTIVE" from the current owner keeps going around in my head! Still, I want to try and help make sure he gos somewhere appropriate, so I'm going to keep researching and put out some feelers. |
| Did they shave him? I'll bet they got really scared off by the flowy to flocking stage. Bear was the ugliest dog ever from 9 to 24 months. Poor kid. |
| He sure is cute. I guess you could just keep him in a puppy cut like some folks do their sheepies - right? If you didn't want to go through the whole process of forming the flocks? |
| All I can say is Ewww gross. LOL If they have great temperments and personality etc and you really wanted him but not the coat you could just keep it shaved. I certainly would never want a corded/flocked breed. The thought of dirt, fungus, bacteria, the stench.... blech.... not for me anyway! |
| Corded breeds are great. Besides Bobtails it had been Michele's and my intention for Risa Kennels to breed Komondors. I have always liked herding and working breeds the most with a few select hounds rounding out my ecelctic choices. The corded breeds certainly present their own challenges but if you can properly groom and care for an OES you should be able to properly care for a corded/flocked breed. As with anything new it is a case of learning, hopefully being mentored, practising and being adequately dedicated to your choice of breed. They do not need to be dirty, smelly, suffer bacteria or fungus problems or any other of the poor conditions mentioned in this thread, which incidentally an ill-cared for Bobtail can suffer just as readily. Bergamascos are very similarly sized to OES and have similar exercise requirements. I met one a couple of years ago in Stittsville, quite fortuitous considering their rarity-just saw him and his mom walking down the street so I absolutely had to pull over, walk back and ask if I could meet him. She was shocked that I knew he was a Bergamasco and happily obliged. He was very pleasant and well behaved although he could have had his flocks better separated. His temperment was fine - perfectly friendly but obedient to his mom - and from what I have read it was typical of the breed. It was a very nice personal introduction to his breed. Remember that they are not a CKC or AKC recognized breed so that may introduce it's own set of difficulties in evaluating the quality of a breeding program and how well the dog meets the breed standard. Their small population however means that those who breed these dogs are generally very dedicated and as long as they are not bred to closely they should be relatively healthy and free of congential defects that are often associated with puppy mill breeding. While I like Bergamscos a lot if I can ever makethe choice to have a corded breed it will be the Komondor. If necessary I would consider rescuing or at least temporarily fostering a Bergermascobut there is something quite special about a 30", 120lb fully corded snow white male Kom that I cannot resist. We met with a Kom breeder some years ago and were introduced to just such a magnificent young man. Oh how I wanted one of his puppies born about six months later!!! Let us know what you decide and either way keep us updated on how this boy gets along to the extent that you can. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
| Carl! Its nice to see you! thanx for the info. A couple of odd, random questions for any of you who are experienced with corded/flocked coats: If you have to give up and shave, how long would it probably take to re-grow the flocked coat? I know the "transition" period has to be the hardest in (terms of care), so would "starting over" frequently be feasible? Also, if you have to trim out specific (matts? clumps? sections?) areas, would that be a problem, or would they grow back in such a way that the new cords/flocks would blend in? I'm thinking of...well...you know, the inevitable "accidents" that can happen, due to loose stools, rolling in something etc  I'm thinking about this partially just for future reference, because although this dog may not work out for us, we've always been interested in the corded-coated breeds. My husband's, reaction when I told him about this dog was very uninterested, until I showed him a picture in one of my dog books, and he saw the flocked coat. That hooked him immediately, but after a long heart to heart talk we both agreed the timing is really, really bad for us. |
ravenmoonart wrote: A couple of odd, random questions for any of you who are experienced with corded/flocked coats: If you have to give up and shave, how long would it probably take to re-grow the flocked coat? I know the "transition" period has to be the hardest in (terms of care), so would "starting over" frequently be feasible? . Simple answer is No! I'm nowhere as "familiar" with Bergamasco as I am with Komondorok so "take this with a grain of salt" but cording is a long process. If Bergamascos are anywhere similar to Komondorok it takes years for flocks/cords to form. If you go to the Komondor Club of America site http://clubs.akc.org/kca/ there is a nice gallery of "show" Koms in full corded coat. However it generally takes 5-6 years to grow these floor sweeping corded coats.... So even if a Bergamasco grows twice as fast you are looking at a minimum of two to three years to recover their coat to any reasonalbe degree.... Frequent "restarts" really are not in the realm of practicality if you want them to "look" like Bergamascos. ravenmoonart wrote: Also, if you have to trim out specific (matts? clumps? sections?) areas, would that be a problem, or would they grow back in such a way that the new cords/flocks would blend in? I'm thinking of...well...you know, the inevitable "accidents" that can happen, due to loose stools, rolling in something etc The "blending in" of regrown flocks/cords is in large part a function of your own effort. The natural colour will match the surrounding area so you should not have a problem in that regard. The size and shape of the cords/flocks are very much dependant on the level of effort you put into seperating them as they begin to form and then maintain them as they grow. As they do have tails their "poop chute" will under normal circumstances actually stay cleaner than do our Bobtails fantail area. And because the tails are also corded/flocked there is some allowance to trim the coat around the backside without it being overly obvious (at least for dogs not being shown). And odd as it may seem if there is a "potty emergency" the cords/flocks tend to "localize" the disaster so they require somewhat less, or at least a "more focused" clean-up effort. Only the top cords/flocks tend to get "badly soiled". Underneath the top flocks/cords is not as bad. ravenmoonart wrote: I'm thinking about this partially just for future reference, because although this dog may not work out for us, we've always been interested in the corded-coated breeds. My husband's, reaction when I told him about this dog was very uninterested, until I showed him a picture in one of my dog books, and he saw the flocked coat. That hooked him immediately, but after a long heart to heart talk we both agreed the timing is really, really bad for us. As with any "high maintenance" breed do your research and be realistic in assessing your ability to provide the necessary care. As I said in my last post, if you can properly care for a fully coated Bobtail then you should have no problem putting in the time and effort to care for a Bergamasco or other corded breed. It is however a very different type of coat care, in some respects more difficult that Bobtails in others less so. Either way good luck when the time comes. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
| I currently own 9 Bergamascos. Seven are puppies so it really doesn't count. The coats are usually worn two different ways flocked (not corded) or puppy cut (3-5"). They have few known health problems and are an excellent family dog. Re homing can be tricky, because they are so devoted to their families. My adult dogs are UKC and AKC registered and I can't say enough good things about them. |
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