The Estrela is a working dog, raised from early times with the purpose of protecting flocks from wolves and cattle robbers. Transhumance would make it cover long distances, frequently on very irregular ground – a task for complete athletes, marathon runners that, whenever required, could turn into sprinters. Living under hard conditions, depending on the shepherd’s sparse means, it necessarily had to be a sturdy, healthy animal, with a strong survival and protection instinct and an immune system that could overcome infections; its character and physical capacities also had to be up to the function they performed. Such were the working dogs, the ones the shepherds bred from. Throughout the centuries, the breed survived and become vigorous thanks to breeding practices that copied natural selection.
The Estrela's courage and sturdiness stems from longtime natural breeding practises that reinforce his skills. When kennel breeders took interest in the breed and began working on it, priorities changed: type homogenization and aesthetics took first place. Those goals were achieved through systematic tight in-breeding practices, which on the other hand endangered all the traits that were the one reason for the Estrela to exist: temperament, physical skills, sturdiness, vitality.
The Estrela's courage and sturdiness stems from longtime natural breeding practises that reinforce his skills. When kennel breeders took interest in the breed and began working on it, priorities changed: type homogenization and aesthetics took first place. Those goals were achieved through systematic tight in-breeding practices, which on the other hand endangered all the traits that were the one reason for the Estrela to exist: temperament, physical skills, sturdiness, vitality.
My breeding project has a conservational perspective. It is based upon my respect and admiration for the breed and my will to preserve the inheritance built up by consecutive generations of shepherds and a few breeders - but it also uses the means and techniques currently available by science and technology. Therefore I established the following
Alvorada da Ponta da Pinta
Photo: Márcia Silva
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Help preserve the genetic diversity of the breed, especially in the long-haired variety (in whose breeding lines there is a high coefficient of inbreeding).
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Establish health, character and natural survival and work skills as priorities, along with morphological correction.
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Carry out systematic screening for hereditary diseases and contribute to academic scientific research on diseases affecting the breed.
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Study the genetic heritage of the breed and the frequency of hereditary diseases and defects.
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Contribute to reducing, in the breed, the frequency of certain mutant genes responsible for disabling, lethal or sub-lethal diseases.
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Cooperate with other breeders, breed clubs, researchers and various institutions to develop projects to study and improve the breed.
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Cooperate with breeders/livestock owners who own Estrela Mountain Dogs, carrying out an exchange of puppies that allows both parties to diversify their lineages.
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Contribute to the re-establishment, in Portugal, of the long-haired variety as a flock protection dog.
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Benefit both varieties by occasionally crossing them.
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Create new long-haired lines from short-haired ones, thus expanding the genetic diversity of that variety.
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Contribute to the conservation, improvement, promotion and expansion of the short-haired variety.
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Carry out a selection of breeding stock that is similar to natural selection, as a way of preserving fundamental characteristics for survival as a working dog.
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Preserve rare colors in the longhaired variety.
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Establish a network of collaborators and partners that support and enable our breed improvement program.