Lobito Herreño

Also called Lobo Herreño, Perro de Pastor Herreño

Rare breedShort profile

From Spain: the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands, with smaller numbers on Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife.1 2

At a glance the quick version

Weight, male22 kg1 2

Weight, female18 kg1 2

Height, male54 cm1 2

Height, female52 cm1 2

Sizemedium

Reference weights from the RSCE description.

skilled herder of small livestock

loyal to its owner

light, efficient mover

Coat and looks how to spot one

short coat

A medium, wolf-like dog with a straight profile, triangular skull, narrow muzzle, small brown eyes and short triangular ears. Its short coat grows longer and denser in winter. It moves with a light, ground-covering trot.1 2

Colourslight or dark grey with pale maskreddish with pale masksolid whitesolid cream1 2

Personality what they are like

Devoted to its own person and naturally reserved with people it does not know. It has a strong natural talent for moving sheep and goats.1 2

Daily activity how busy a day looks

A working herding dog that suits an active home with daily exercise and ideally some herding or similar tasks.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Short coat that thickens in winter; brushing during seasonal coat change is usually all that is needed.1

The story where it all began

The dog's early origins on El Hierro are not known for certain, though some think it comes from dogs brought to the islands from the 18th century on. Shepherds used it to handle flocks of small livestock, and as herding declined it has increasingly become a family companion.2 1

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
Its name comes from its wolf-like, primitive look; 'lobo' is Spanish for wolf.2
2
A 2009 study measured 55 of these dogs on El Hierro and found average heights of about 54.7 cm for males and 52.6 cm for females.2
3
Its trot is so low and gliding that the feet barely seem to leave the ground.1

Recognised by the official bits

Real Sociedad Canina de España (RSCE): Listed among the RSCE's 'grupos étnicos caninos' (ethnic canine groups) since 2013; a draft standard was published that year. Not recognised by the FCI.1
Asociación para la Recuperación del Perro Lobo Herreño: Breed society working to preserve the dog.2

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Lobito Herreño. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

Brushingevery week
Bathevery 8 weeks
Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
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.

Lobito Herreño - Real Sociedad Canina de España rsce.esused for recognition, size, coat, colours, temperament, history
Lobito Herreño - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, recognition, history, fun facts

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.