Catalan Sheepdog
The Catalan Sheepdog, the Gos d'Atura Catala, worked the flocks of the Catalan Pyrenees and the plains below them, and it was used as a messenger and sentry dog during the Spanish…
About the Catalan Sheepdog
The Catalan Sheepdog, the Gos d'Atura Catala, worked the flocks of the Catalan Pyrenees and the plains below them, and it was used as a messenger and sentry dog during the Spanish Civil War. It is a herder with a guarding streak, less driven than a Border Collie and easier to live with than most of the mountain breeds.
Dogs stand about 47 to 55 cm with a long, flat or slightly wavy coat, a full beard and moustache, and hair falling over the eyes. The colouring is a blend rather than a pattern: fawn, sable, grey and black hairs mixed so the dog reads as a single shade at a distance. Double hind dewclaws are traditional. A stud should be biddable and friendly, since the breed's role now is largely as a family and activity dog.
Numbers in Britain are small and imports matter, so ask where the stud's line comes from and what the coefficient of inbreeding for the mating would be. Ask for hip scores and a current eye certificate; progressive retinal atrophy and cataract have both been reported in the breed. Patellas are worth a question in a light, athletic dog, and so are the ages the stud's own parents reached.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Catalan Sheepdog
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 9 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 11 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Catalan Sheepdog stud dogs
No Catalan Sheepdog studs are listed right now
When a Catalan Sheepdog on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Catalan Sheepdog litters
No Catalan Sheepdog litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
