The Cão de Serra de Estrela, as it’s known in its native Portugal, is an imposing guardian dog that bravely protects the herd against wolves and livestock thieves. Naturally suspicious of strangers, the Estrela Mountain Dog is loyally devoted to its owner.
The Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog is a courageous and intelligent livestock guardian, known for its alert nature and strong protective instincts toward its herd, home, and human companions
Alertness, courage, and intelligence define the Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog, making it an excellent guardian of the herd, house, and yard.
This confident breed watches anyone approaching its territory with suspicion and stands protectively—in some cases, threateningly and barking loudly—in front of the herd and its shepherd. Protecting and ensuring the wellbeing of its owner is paramount to this dog, which is evident in its loyal devotion and obedience to its “leader”.
Loyal but Independent
Despite a close bond with its owner, as a guardian dog, it is used to working independently and making its own decisions. This trait often manifests as a certain stubbornness, especially in its training.
Although it remains loyal and stands by its owner, one shouldn’t expect blind obedience from this intelligent and self-thinking dog. However, with proper training that includes knowledge, consistency, love, and patience, it will usually be willing to follow.
Guardian Dog, Watchdog & Family Dog
Its modest, calm nature and deep loyalty to its human family, combined with its ever-vigilant and defensive character, make the Estrela Mountain Dog not just a reliable guardian but also a sought-after watchdog and beloved family pet.
However, the Estrela is far from a simple household dog. Its significant need for activity and exercise and its dominance, especially between two males, require experienced dog owners, understanding, and a considerable amount of time and patience.
The Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog is a large Portuguese breed with a strong, rustic build and dense, weather-resistant coat in fawn, yellow, or wolf grey
Estrela Mountain Dog’s Appearance
The Cão de Serra de Estrela’s physique shows that it loves to move and needs lots of space. Despite its size, this large and impressive dog with a compact yet harmonious build is very lively and has a graceful gait.
Females weigh around 40kg with a shoulder height of 62cm to 69cm, while males stand taller at 65cm to 72cm and weigh up to 50kg.
Classified under molossoid dogs of the Mastiff type, the Estrela breed is among the larger dog breeds.
Short and Long-haired Variety in Three Colours
The Portuguese shepherd dog’s rustic look is mainly due to its goat-like fur, which comes in two varieties—short and long. Both types can have either straight or slightly wavy hair. The coat is very strong and dense, with thick undercoat, giving reliable protection against windand cold even on the highest peaks of the Estrela Mountains.
The closely fitting fur varies in length depending on the body region and comes in yellow, wolf grey, and fawn. The undercoat, often lighter, intertwines with the coarser hair. All colour variations are allowed white markings.
History Behind the Estrela Mountain Dog
As the name suggests, the Cão de Serra de Estrela originates from the Estrela Mountain region in Portugal. Although its exact origin is unknown, it is considered the oldest dog breed on the Iberian Peninsula. For centuries, this large guardian dog has accompanied and protected livestock from wild animals, wolves, or thieves. It follows its shepherd and herd from the valleys up to 2000m high grazing areas.
Despite its dense coat, the Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog is low-maintenance—weekly brushing is enough outside of shedding season
Known Beyond the Estrela Mountains
Despite a significant decline in the wolf population in and around the Estrela Mountains, with the current population estimated at only 300 to 500 animals, these dogs are still used in Portugal as guardian dogs.
Nowadays, they protect livestock not as much from wolves but from stray dogs or tourist dogs exploring the beautiful mountains. Beyond its homeland, the Estrela Mountain Dog has gained popularity and found enthusiasts and breeders in the Netherlands, England, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, and even the USA, where a small Estrela club has formed.
Training and Socialisation of the Estrela
Thanks to its quick understanding and close bond with its owner, the Estrela Mountain Dog is quite receptive to training and proves to be a submissive and obedient dog, yet it has its own mind.
It resists useless drills or harsh treatment. Its pronounced dominance, especially in males, can become problematic, evident when trying to assert superiority. This trait usually doesn’t affect familiar humans but shows in encounters with other dogs, particularly larger males.
Practise Encounters with Other Dogs
Comprehensive socialisation is crucial for harmonious living with an Estrela Mountain Dog. Ideally, it should begin with the breeder and continue with the new owner during the puppy phase.
Besides classic socialisation exercises, allowing the puppy to meet various people, animals, environments, and noises, fostering encounters with many different dogs is particularly important for the Estrela.
It must learn other males pose no threat and that you, as the owner, do not tolerate dominance displays. Without socialisation and adequate training, living with and walking this confident giant becomes a real challenge.
Estrela Mountain Dog Health and Care
The Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog’s requirements for housing, socialisation, and training are substantial, but fortunately, the breed isn’t demanding in every aspect.
It is low-maintenance in terms of care. Its goat-like fur, even when long, is dirt-repellent and requires thorough brushing only once a week. During the seasonal coat change, daily brushing is needed.
The Estrela is also robust regarding its health, with no breed-specific diseases known, except for the commonly found hip dysplasia (HD), which some representatives may suffer from.
The Nutrition of the Estrela
Balanced and age-appropriate diets are crucial in combating joint problems. Although many HD cases are hereditary, the disease’s onset heavily depends on diet and housing in the first few months. Improper diet and excessive stress during puppyhood can lead to severe hip problems later.
How to Properly Feed the Estrela Mountain Dog
After the high-energy puppy diet, the dog’s growth phase should include a protein-reduced diet. Excess energy during this stage causes rapid growth, outpacing the development of bones and joints, leading to misalignments and wear. Once fully grown, the dog’s food energy value can be increased, aligning with activity level, weight, and health status.
Estrela Breeding and Purchase
If you are interested in the Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog breed, you will likely find many Portuguese breeders selling to overseas buyers. Portugal remains heavily involved in the conservation and development of the breed. Foreign breeders often collaborate with Portuguese counterparts, frequently sourcing breeding dogs from Estrela-region lines.
Always Contact Responsible Breeders
A responsible breeder does more than meet breeding guidelines and provide necessary papers—they assess potential buyers’ suitability for this unique breed. Don’t be surprised if the breeder queries your living conditions, family status, occupation, and lifestyle.
These questions help the breeder ensure a good match for the dog. If the breeder advises against purchase, don’t take it personally. Acquiring a large and demanding dog used to guarding a herd independently requires careful consideration.
What to Consider When Buying
A puppy from Portugal does not guarantee a purebred, stable-tempered, and healthy Estrela Mountain Dog. FCI certified papers, a pedigree, potentially an export pedigree, and proof of vaccinations, deworming, and microchipping should be present upon contract signing. Even if these papers seem unimportant, they are a sign of a reputable breeder raising its puppies with love and responsibility.
Who is Suited for the Estrela Mountain Dog?
Although the Estrela Mountain Dog has become more popular as a family pet due to its robust constitution, easy care, and loyal, human-centred nature, it is still best suited for experienced dog owners who understand what caring for this breed involves.
Living with an Estrela means a lot of work, time, and expense. Only those familiar with the breed’s traits and how to train a confident and independent dog should consider bringing one home.
This robust, active dog does not belong in a city apartment. For sporty individuals with a house and garden, ample time for physical and mental engagement, and experience in training and socialisation of dogs, the Estrela Mountain Dog can be a loyal partner, motivating friend, and reliable watchdog.
With this dog, you won’t fear wildlife or burglars. Satisfying a Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog doesn’t necessarily require a herd to guard.
zooplus Editorial Team
The zooplus editorial team consists of a dedicated team of experts with many years of experience in the field of animal husbandry: Luisa with her White Swiss Shepherd Elyos, Laura, Julio, and Florian. Together with a large network of animal experts, we work to make the zooplus magazine a trusted source of information for all animal owners and lovers. Our goal is to provide exciting animal knowledge and relevant information on the proper care of pets.
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