Cane di Oropa


The Cane Pastore Biellese is a mid-size yet powerful dog with plenty of stamina that is used in the Western Alps of Italy to drive flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. Though not recognized by the FCI, it has gained recognition in the Alianza Canina Latina.

Origin

In 2018 a genetic study found that, just prior to 1859, a broadly distributed European herding dog had given rise to the German Shepherd Dog, the French Berger Picard, and the five Italian herding breeds: the Bergamasco Shepherd, Cane Paratore, Lupino del Gigante, Cane di Oropa, and the Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai.

Description

The Cane di Oropa is a working dog, very obedient and possessed of great athletic ability, which is indispensable since the dog has to run up and down steep mountain slopes all day, managing the flock.
Many Cane di Oropa specimens are naturally bobtailed. The coat is short or medium-length and can be smooth or somewhat rough. The coat color is usually merle, merle with black and tan markings, black or different shades of brown. The eyes should be brown and blue eyes are considered a fault.