At a glance the quick version
The FCI standard does not set a weight; figures from Wikipedia.
Coat and looks how to spot one
long, flat or slightly wavy, with undercoat
A long coat that lies flat or has a gentle wave, with plenty of undercoat over the rear of the body. The face sports a beard, moustache and eyebrows, and the body is a little longer than it is tall.12
Personality what they are like
Composed, alert and bright, it is deeply loyal to its shepherd or family and a little cautious with strangers. It works with real courage and copes well with harsh weather.123
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Around an hour of exercise a day plus a job to do; it shines in herding, agility and other dog sports.32
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Brush about once a week, more often during the seasonal moult.3
Home where they are happiest
Adapts to family life if it gets enough exercise; happiest with outdoor space and activity.32
Company who they like around
A people-oriented dog that thrives on involvement with its family; early socialisation helps it relax with strangers.21
The story where it all began
It descends from the long-haired herding dogs of the Pyrenees and spent centuries moving and guarding flocks in Catalonia. A first written standard appeared in 1929 and the FCI took it on in 1954. A dedicated breed club formed in the 1980s to build on the revised 1982 standard.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It moults in two stages, front half first and then the back, so for a while it looks like a dog in two different coats.1
- 2
Cobi, the mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, is a Catalan Sheepdog drawn in a Cubist style by Javier Mariscal.4
- 3
Up close the 'single' colour turns out to be a mix of fawn, reddish brown, grey, black and white hairs.1
- 4
It has double dewclaws on the hind legs.1
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard no. 87, Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs, Section 1 Sheepdogs; standard of 26.05.1982, revised 13.09.2004. FCI adopted the breed internationally in 1954 per Wikipedia.1
- The Royal Kennel Club
- Pastoral group; not a vulnerable native breed.3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Catalan Sheepdog. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- BrushingDaily during heavy sheddingevery 3 days
- Double coats insulate against cold and heat, so shaving is not recommended
- Bathevery 10 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkevery 2 weeks
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- FCI Standard No. 87 Gos d'Atura Català fci.beused for recognition, height, coat, colours, temperament, moult, dewclaws
- Catalan Sheepdog - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, history, weight, lifespan, uses
- The Royal Kennel Club - Catalan Sheepdog royalkennelclub.comused for group, exercise, grooming, lifespan
- Cobi (mascot) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for Olympic mascot fact
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.