Estrela Mountain Dog

Estrela Mountain Dogs are a Portuguese breed that was bred as a guardian dog for both the home and for livestock. They are very large and have long, luxurious coats (the texture of their fur is often described as “goat-like”, so take that as you will).

Estrela Mountain Dogs get their name from Serra da Estrela, a mountainous region of modern-day Portugal. They are one of the country’s oldest breeds. There are no written records of them until modern times, but it is likely they were brought to Portugal by the Visigoths. They were developed over hundreds of years to love their family and protect their sheep. Since the area they come from was so hard to reach until modern day transportation methods were invented, they were not mixed with other breeds of dogs and have a remarkably pure ancestry. They are still rare outside of their native Portugal.

Because they were bred to be guardian dogs and fierce protectors, Estrela Mountain Dogs are powerful, formidable, and serious about their guard duties. They are definitely not the right dog for a first-time dog owner, or any owner who doesn’t have experience with large guardian breeds. They love their family and are intensely devoted and loyal to them, but are wary of strangers and can be dangerous if not taught from a young age to differentiate between a guest and an intruder. They love children but are not typically fond of other strange dogs.

Due to their size and history, this is not a city dog. This isn’t even a “small house” dog. Estrela Mountain Dogs need land to run on (and survey, because they’ll spend less time running and more time protecting their territory) and will do best in a rural home. They are not a good breed if you have a lot of house guests or if you have nosy neighbors who may unwittingly walk into your property. These leonine dogs need early socialization and exposure to become suitable family pets. If not taught how to curb their guardian instincts, they can become overly territorial and aggressive. If properly trained and socialized, they are mellow in the home and will react appropriately to strangers who are welcomed into the home by their owners. They make excellent guard dogs, but you'd be missing out on a loving family pet if you only train them to guard your property- they love their family over all else and enjoy being with them!