Pastore Della Lessinia E del Lagorai

The Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai is a medium, agile Italian herding dog developed around livestock work in northeastern Italy. ENCI currently admits the population to its open supplementary register and says recognition procedures have begun. That is a real national registry status, but it should not be shortened to fully FCI recognized.

If you live with one, start a Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai profile on Creatures and connect identity, parentage, health and work records to the individual dog.

What is its registry status?

The current ENCI breed page uses two precise statements: the breed is admitted to the RSA, Italy’s open supplementary register, and recognition procedures have been started. ENCI assigns code 907 and places it in Group 1, Section 1 for sheepdogs.

The official Italian standard hosted by ENCI still shows FCI Standard number 000 and blank international publication fields. Together, those records support Italian development-register status. They do not support saying that FCI has completed provisional or definitive international recognition.

This distinction matters when evaluating pedigrees or listings. Ask which ENCI register contains the dog, what document was issued, and how the parents were recorded. A club membership, visual resemblance or informal genealogy is not the same thing as an ENCI record.

Names and regional context

The full official name is Cane da Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai. Shorter search names include Pastore del Lagorai and Lessinia and Lagorai Shepherd. ENCI’s standard also records the local names Lagorai, Pastore Mocheno, Pastore Bajo and Pastore delle Alpi.

Those aliases refer to the same developing population in this article. Pastore delle Alpi can also be used broadly in regional discussion, so a name alone does not confirm registry identity.

The standard associates the dogs with pastoral work in eastern Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, including seasonal livestock movement. It also reaches much further back in its historical narrative. Claims about Neolithic shepherd dogs should be read as regional background, not proof that a modern registered dog has a continuous pedigree from prehistory.

A 2023 peer-reviewed genomic comparison of Italian dog populations included ten Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai samples among several shepherd populations. That helps place the dogs in comparative research. The small sample does not justify a universal purity, health or antiquity claim.

Appearance in the current standard

The ENCI standard describes a medium dog with a wolf-type outline, balanced proportions and strong muscle without heaviness. The body is usually a little longer than the height at the withers. The head is dry and proportionate, and high-set triangular ears may be erect, semi-erect or sometimes dropped.

Average withers height is 58 cm for males and 54 cm for females. The stated tolerance is 5 cm either side, and the standard allows a larger departure when the dog remains typical and harmonious. This is not a tight height guarantee.

The semi-long coat has undercoat and a hard texture, especially over the back. It should protect against weather without becoming so long or bulky that mud and ice weigh it down. Solid black, brown and fawn are listed. Merle combinations are also listed, with limited white permitted at the extremities. Eye colors may be dark, hazel or amber; heterochromia is allowed but not sought.

One generated dog cannot show the standard’s legitimate variation. A merle hero and a solid brown working scene are included so that readers do not mistake one color for the whole population.

Work, temperament and daily life

The standard describes a livestock dog expected to move and contain sheep, goats, cattle or horses across variable terrain. It calls for intelligence, balance, moderate liveliness, willingness to work with people and an absence of unjustified aggression or fear.

A standard describes the selection goal. It cannot predict every dog. A prospective keeper should meet adult relatives, observe recovery after surprise, and ask how puppies are raised around people, dogs, livestock, traffic and handling.

This is not a low-activity dog simply because no flock is available. Build a daily plan around purposeful movement, scent work, trained tasks and calm recovery. Avoid repetitive forced running in immature dogs. A qualified trainer can help adapt livestock instincts to a household without punishing normal alertness.

Secure fencing and reliable recall protect dogs, livestock and wildlife. Teach loose-leash walking, settling, cooperative examination and a stop or leave cue. If livestock work is part of the plan, use an experienced instructor and calm, suitable stock. Chasing is not training.

Coat, health and breeding records

Brush deeply enough to find tangles near ears, chest, rear legs and tail. Check paws, nails and skin after rough or icy terrain. The protective coat should not be shaved as a routine shortcut. Ask a veterinarian or experienced groomer about any matting or skin problem.

No robust breed-wide disease prevalence study was located for this guide, so claims that the breed is free of inherited disease are not supported here. A breeder should explain what conditions appear in the family, which tests were selected, and which laboratory or specialist issued each result.

Merle requires a specific safeguard. The ENCI standard prohibits mating two dogs that are both phenotypically merle and warns that extensive white and depigmentation can result from such pairings. Do not rely on color guesses alone when breeding decisions carry genetic risk. Confirm phenotype, parentage and any relevant test with qualified veterinary and genetics professionals.

For any litter, preserve microchips, ENCI paperwork, parentage, mating date, whelping record, examinations and original test reports. Records should make uncertainty visible rather than filling a gap with a confident label.

How to evaluate a puppy or adult

Start with the exact ENCI document, not a photograph. Match the microchip to the paperwork. Confirm the registered names and parents through the issuing system. Ask whether the dog entered the open register by ancestry, assessment or another route.

Then evaluate the actual animal:

• movement on ordinary ground and recovery after activity;
• comfort with gentle examination, restraint and new people;
• behavior around livestock, dogs and household animals;
• veterinary history and family-specific health evidence;
• the breeder’s socialization and placement process;
• return support if the placement fails.

Do not choose by merle pattern alone. Structure, behavior, health, working fit and traceable identity matter more than a dramatic coat.

The dog hub helps compare current breeds and regional populations. Useful sister guides include the Kuchi, Philippine Forest Dog, Tarsus Catalburun, Greek Shepherd and Segugio Maremmano.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai FCI recognized?

Do not describe recognition as complete. ENCI says the breed is admitted to Italy’s open supplementary register and that recognition procedures have begun. The hosted standard still lacks an assigned FCI standard number.

Is Pastore del Lagorai the same dog?

It is a common shortened name for this population. The ENCI standard records several additional local names.

How large is it?

The standard gives averages of 58 cm for males and 54 cm for females, with broad tolerance. Proportion and functional soundness matter more than hitting one exact number.

Are all dogs merle?

No. The standard includes black, brown, fawn and several merle presentations. Limited white can occur.

Can two merle dogs be bred together?

The ENCI standard explicitly prohibits mating two phenotypically merle dogs. Breeding decisions should involve documented identity, veterinary guidance and appropriate genetic expertise.

Is it only a sheepdog?

The standard describes work with sheep and goats, cattle, horses and other domestic animals. Suitability still depends on training and the individual dog.

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