A rustic, woolly-coated Spanish herding and water-retrieving breed — athletic, intelligent and highly trainable. Thrives with active owners who give it a job to do.
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Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
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From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
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Minimum
Home with daily structured exercise
Apartment/house + 60 min daily exercise
Medium dogs need at least an hour of varied daily exercise — leashed walks plus off-lead play or training. Apartment living is workable only if exercise commitments are met every day; crate-train and allow supervised free-roam at home.
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Recommended
Home with fenced yard + training time
House + fenced yard + 60–90 min varied exercise
A home with a securely fenced yard, daily walks plus off-lead play, and ongoing training keeps a medium dog mentally satisfied. Add a sport or hobby (fetch, scent games, agility intro) for breeds with extra drive. High-drive working breed — the recommended tier still demands daily structured mental work (training, scent games, herding ball, fetch with rules), not just walks.
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Ideal
Active home with a job or sport
Suburban/rural home + secure yard + canine sport
Herding/water breed — stockwork, water work, or agility channels the drive. — ideal is acreage or rural property paired with a daily job or canine sport: herding stock, scent detection, agility, protection sport, sledding, gundog field work, or a structured working role. Without that outlet, expect destructive behaviour, reactivity, and welfare-relevant frustration.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
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Newborn
Newborn mammals are nursed on their mother's milk. Many are born helpless — blind, deaf, and sparsely furred (altricial, as in dogs, cats, and rodents) — while others stand and follow within hours (precocial, as in hoofed livestock).
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Juvenile
After weaning, juveniles grow quickly and become increasingly active, playful, and independent. Adult coat, proportions, and (in many species) the permanent teeth come in as they approach full size.
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Adult
Adults reach full body size and sexual maturity, with the species' mature coat and build. Sexual dimorphism — differences in size, mane, horns, or markings — is pronounced in some mammals and subtle in others.
Senior
Senior animals show aging signs such as graying fur, reduced activity, and a greater need for veterinary monitoring of joints, teeth, and organ function. Lifespan and the onset of old age vary widely by species and size.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Can adapt to apartment living if given substantial daily exercise, but does best with access to a yard and outdoor activity. A working breed needing 60+ minutes of vigorous exercise plus mental stimulation daily — swimming, fetch, herding, agility or nosework are ideal. Without an outlet they can become bored and vocal or destructive.
Diet
Feed a quality medium-breed diet portioned to maintain a lean, athletic build; very active or working individuals may need more calories. They are not especially prone to bloat, but monitor weight as inactivity readily leads to obesity, which stresses their joints.
Behavior & temperament
Loyal, lively, affectionate and devoted to their family, with strong herding instincts and natural wariness of strangers that calls for early socialization. Highly intelligent and eager to please — excellent trainability for obedience, agility and water work. Generally good with children and other pets when raised together; may try to herd. High energy with a strong work drive.
Health
Predisposed to hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), congenital hypothyroidism with goiter, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, neuroaxonal dystrophy, and allergies/atopy. Recommended screening: hip evaluation, ophthalmologic/PRA exam, and breed-specific DNA tests (PRA-prcd, NAD, CHG) where available, plus thyroid testing in breeding stock.
Tips, DIY & hacks
The single coat forms natural cords or curls and is never brushed out; it is allowed to felt and is trimmed/clipped down (often once or twice a year) and corded by hand — never combed once cords form. Bathe and dry thoroughly to prevent skin issues. Low-shedding and often tolerated by allergy sufferers, but requires committed coat maintenance. Give this clever breed daily mental work to prevent boredom-driven behaviors.
