Sunday, June 28, 2009

Rafeiro do Alentejo

Rafeiro do Alentejo
Rafeiro do Alentejo by moitas61

The Rafeiro do Alentejo or Alentejo Mastiff, also called the Portuguese Mastiff, is a breed of dog that originated in Portugal. The Rafeiro do Alentejo is of the livestock guardian dog type, and the name refers to its area of origin, Alentejo, in south-central Portugal. The word rafeiro means mongrel in Portuguese.

The Rafeiro is a very large dog, averaging 47.5 kgs (104.5 lbs) and 73 cms (28.7 ins) at the withers. The head is described as bear-like. Eyes should be dark, never yellow. The ears are set medium high and fold downwards. The dog has a deep chest, and should have a general aspect of length (not whippety, the standard says.)

The fur is short to medium, the same length all over, and can be black, yellow, and fawn (a light brown colour) with white markings, or white with other colours. The coat can be streaked or brindled or dappled.

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