Collection: Personalised Bergamasco Gifts

You are guaranteed to stand out from the crowd when you are with a Bergamasco because of their easily identifiable thick, mop-like coat. These Sheepdogs come from Bergamo, in the mountains of Northern Italy, hence their name.

Most herding dogs have a good sense of hearing, but this pooch has a perfect sense of its surroundings, as they have an almost psychic ability to detect prey. Did you know that their coat takes up to 8 hours to dry?

The Bergamasco is an ancient breed and was used as a herding dog in Persia (modern-day Iran) almost 7,000 years ago. Nomadic settlers migrated to northern Italy to farm, taking their sheepdogs with them. Cold winters don’t faze the breed as their thick coat insulates them and also provides them with camouflage from predators.

In 1881 the breed was presented at a dog show in Milan and since then has become a popular herding and companion dog. They weren’t far from dying out after World War Two when there was a lack of demand for Italian grown wool. However, dedicated breeders made sure that their numbers built up again.

This breed will happily fit into most family homes as they are loving and obedient. Apart from having to wash their coat, they are very low maintenance and don’t need as much daily exercise as other sheep-herding dogs. They can be wary of strangers, so it’s a good idea to give them early socialization training, or they will bark every time somebody new enters your home. Despite this, they are seldom aggressive and will only behave so if they sense immediate danger.