Appearance

The Alentejo Mastiff is a large, powerful dog of rustic appearance. He has a bear-like head with a sober expression, a long, curving tail and a medium length, straight, dense coat that comes in a variety of colors.

History

The Alentejo Mastiff (Rafeiro do Alentejo) originated in Portugal and was used as a herd guardian, moving with large herds of cattle as they were driven from pasture to pasture. The breed is likely to be descended from the huge dogs of the Tibetan highlands. What is known is that this breed and the ancient types from which it descended have been used to move sheep from mountains in northern Portugal to the plateau of Alentejo and back to the mountain. Due to changes in agriculture and livestock raising, and the elimination of large predators, the breed ceased to have economic use and began to decline. Fanciers, however, have been able to keep the breed alive, although, in Portugal, it is still considered "vulnerable". Today the Rafeiro do Alentejo is most often kept as a companion and guard dog.