UTILIZATION:

Guard and protection (livestock, property).


GENERAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER


DESCRIPTION OF THE ENSEMBLE OF THE DOG:

It is a dog of great size, hypermetric and medium proportions.
Well balanced, very powerful and muscular. compact bone structure.
Massive head and a body covered with a semi-long coat.
Robust, affectionate, kind and noble, it is a dog very determined when facing harmful (dangerous) animals and in front of strangers, especially when he has the opportunity to defend and protect farms or cattle.
His bark is raucous, low pitched and deep, very sonorous, audible from a considerable distance.
He is a very intelligent dog, not without beauty, whose expression manifests both these qualities.
In his behaviour, one can see that it is a dog sure of himself, determining his strength because he is aware of his enormous power.


HEIGHT AT THE WITHERS:

There is no upper limit of size, the subjects of greatest size being the ones most highly thought off providing they are of harmonious proportions.

Minimum size: Males 77 cm.
Females 72 cm.


It is desirable that these measurements be amply exceeded; the size in males should be over 80 cm, and the females over 75 cm.


CONFORMATION:

Sub-long line structure.
Longer than high.
Most important are balance and functional harmony in the dog standing as well as on the move.


UTILIZATION:

Guard and defense.
Must be avoided for reproduction those subjects which are very timid, frightened or unbalanced.
The breed is closely related to the seasonal moving of the live stock, and especially the merino livestock which he already accompanied at the time of the “Mesta” (association, in the Middle-age, of breeders of wandering herds) by guarding them from wolves and other predators, all along their journey from one location to another and on the grazing pastures, in all seasons and sites.
Actually he accompanies numerous herds, whether sedentary or wandering by fulfilling his ancestral task.
He performs in the same way the function of guard and protector of farms, people and properties in general.