Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Petfinder Post: Bergamascos and Other Very Hairy Pets

Next on the list of dog breeds the Busybodies of Britain would like to render extinct are the Bergamascos or Italian Sheepdogs. These dogs are so shaggy they're not always immediately recognizable as dogs. They look like very large wads of hair.


A show-quality Bergamasco. Photo from Google.

Although the object looks like a big wig, there is a dog inside the hair. Quite a large dog, in fact--show-quality females must weigh at least 55 pounds and males can weigh over 85 pounds. It doesn't look as if the dog could be healthy and happy inside such a mess but the consensus of veterinary opinion is that they are. The only hereditary health problem they're at all likely to have is weak joints. They are generally healthy dogs. Big dogs often have shorter lives, but Bergamascos often live longer than small dogs or cats, 13 to 15 years.

The long hair, which naturally forms felted dreadlocks, thrives on neglect. It helps the dogs survive the cold, harsh weather high up in the Alps. Breed experts say Bergamascos do best when they're not combed or bathed too often, and the coat should not be shaved. The felted hair doesn't shed! The hair starts to grow long when the logs are about a year old. When this happens, Bergamasco owners spend a few days "ripping" the matted hair into dreads. Then it's all done. New hair will grow into the existing strings and felt down so that it never sheds much, and the dog needs only two or three baths a year..

Bergamascos are typically less frantically energetic than some other shepherd-type breeds, but they do need a fair amount of exercise. According to the American Kennel Club they can't just be left in the back yard to burn off their energy. They were bred for a tendency to bond with one man and want to exercise with him, if not climbing the Alps together at least walking, running, and playing with toys together in a big yard or park. 

Bred to guard sheep rather than guide them, Bergamascos aren't usually entered in the athletic events in which some shepherd-type dogs compete. They can and should be trained in basic "good dog" behavior like walking at heel and using a designated "toilet" space. They are usually said to make good family pets, patient and protective, but even those who love these dogs say they see themselves as part of their master's family, peers rather than pets of his parents, wife, and children. They seldom attack anybody but growl and threaten outsiders who approach their home.

So, if the dogs typically have long healthy lives and seldom attack other animals or humans, what's these people's problem with the breed? Well...the Bergamasco doesn't look like their fantasy of how dogs ought to have evolved, or be evolving. These people may place faith in evolution as their God but they don't trust it enough not to try to control it. If the Bergamasco has adapted to survive in the Alps, they fume, it can't be well suited to exist in England. 

The dogs' need for veterinary care is usually minimal. The busybodies' need for help...hey, nobody's claimed that they can be helped, but there ought to be humane ways of keeping them from making themselves tedious to the rest of society.

There are not and don't need to be a lot of Bergamascos in the United States. As a result there aren't a lot of Bergamascos in shelters. Petfinder doesn't even have a category for this breed. This week's photo contest is for large shaggy animals, both dogs and cats. In the US neither species' ancestors are likely to include Italian Sheepdogs but shelters do offer opportunities for anyone who fancies the Bergamasco to live with an animal that has an abundance of fur.

Zipcode 10101: Shiloh from Houston by way of NYC


Rescued from a hoarder, called Shiloh because he is shy, this big friendly mutt doesn't want to hurt or scare anybody and acts scared as a submissive display until he gets to know people. He has put up with abuse from smaller dogs. He needs a home where the senior dog, if there is one, will play nice. They think his ancestors include terriers, retrievers, poodles, and who knows what else. His healthy weight is over 80 pounds. 

Akuna from West Nyack 


Yes, that's her sister's paw kneading her flank. The two Maine Coon cats grew up together and were put up for adoption when someone suddenly developed allergies. Probably the cats were blamed for triggering reactions to one of the poisons in the current version of "Roundup." Anyway they're a large fluffy breed so they're big shaggy cats, well behaved, used to being house pets.

Zipcode 20202: Felicity from Texas by way of DC



Felicity's ancestors include Great Pyrenees (like Huck) and probably Golden Retrievers (like Marley). She likes to play and might get to like other animals, but she wants to have a loving home and may cling to a human whose pet she wants to be. Being in a cooler climate seems less important to her than being a house pet again. The shelter staff sound a bit like control freaks--instead of talking about fostering to find out how this dog might fit into your family, they brag about their ability to place dogs with people who say the dog they've rescued is a perfect match, possibly because that's easier than going through the shelter's "screening process" again. However, if you want a big shaggy sweetie-pie of a dog, this is one. Felicity's base adoption fee is high, as if she were a purebred Great Pyrenees, and a fee will be added for transportation depending on mileage and, by the look of things, whether the driver wants to visit your city. 

Honor from Stafford 



Honor and her sister Freedom have separate pages so you can fall in love with one cat's photo, but they're a package deal. They are not for everyone and come with low price tags but fair warnings: They are wary of new people and especially wary of men, children, and dogs. A home without small children or dogs would be best. Honor is the bold sister who likes to park her considerable weight (each cat's healthy weight is in the 12-15 pounds range) on top of her human, lick skin, and drool to show affection. Freedom is the shy sister for whom staying in the same room with you means she's getting to like you. They like to nap on, under, and among blankets and quilts. Apparently they grew up in an all-female home and would acclimate most easily to another all-female home. 

Zipcode 30303: Zoe from Tennessee by way of Atlanta 


Great Pyrenees dogs have a lot of hair. Strangers come up to their humans and tell them earnestly that it's not good for dogs to be obese, when the dogs are healthy and well exercised under their thick heavy coats. Like other very hairy dogs bred in cold climates, the dogs get some insulation from their coats but may still overheat easily and do best in colder parts of the US. In the South they tend to like lying in front of the air conditioner.

Zoe's ancestors probably include Great Pyrenees and Australian Shepherd, and other things. Somebody fell in love with her big hair and found that there was too much dog underneath for some lazy body to handle. Zoe and her sister were rescued from a house where they were kept chained up outside all the time. She does need a large yard with a high board fence, not a chain-link fence--she likes to climb on and over chain-link fences. She needs attention and walks and games and love. Zoe is cautious about new people and situations, but affectionate with the right people. 

Reginald from Fort Oglethorpe 


Thought to be part Maine Coon, Reginald's healthy weight is in the 12-15 pounds range. He is about ten years old and has outlived his original human. He's friendly, but set in his ways and likely to take his time about bonding. 
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