Carea Leonés

The Carea Leonés is the herding dog of León in north-western Spain, worked on the merino flocks that crossed the country.

History

León sat on the great transhumance routes — the cañadas along which merino sheep were driven between summer and winter pasture — and the Carea moved them, sometimes for hundreds of kilometres. It often carries the merle coat and the pale eyes that come with it. The breed declined with the droving routes and was documented regionally in the twenty-first century.

Temperament

The breed is known for being intelligent, quick and strongly bonded to its shepherd, reserved with strangers and confident with stock far larger than itself.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and mental work. The medium coat needs regular brushing. Merle-to-merle breeding produces deafness and blindness, which is a matter for a breeder rather than an owner.

Health

Generally robust, with the merle-associated sensory defects the main documented concern. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.