The Estrela has a thick outer coat that resembles the texture of goat hair and comes in longhair and shorthair varieties. Beyond regular weekly grooming, the occasional bath will keep them clean and looking their best.
Their strong, fast-growing nails should be trimmed regularly with a nail clipper or grinder to avoid overgrowth, splitting and cracking. Their ears should be checked regularly to avoid a buildup of wax and debris which can result in an infection. Teeth should be brushed regularly.
The Estrela Mountain Dog is not a highly active dog but it does require a long daily walk to meet its needs for exercise. This breed will appreciate having a large outdoor space to run and play in addition to having a daily walk. The Estrela Mountain Dog has high protective instincts and hewill not hesitate to come to the rescue for those he loves.
Because the Estrela Mountain Dog is a large-breed dog it should be fed a dog food diet formulated for large breeds. Large breed dogs actually have slightly lower energy needs than small breeds so a regular dog food formula might lead to weight gain. If your dog is particularly active, however, it may benefit from switching to an active breed formula.
Though the Estrela Mountain Dog is largely healthy, it can be affected by some of the same health problems that affect other large-breed dogs includinghip dysplasiaand elbow dysplasia. Purchasing your dog from a reputable breeder will help to reduce the incidence of congenital conditions because most reputable breeders perform genetic tests on their breeding stock to reduce hereditary health problems.
The Estrela Mountain Dog is an intelligent breed so it has the potential to respond well to training. Because this dog was bred to protect livestock, however, hecan be a bit independent and strong-willed.
For this reason, you need to maintain a firm and consistent hand in training and it is recommended that you use positive reinforcement-based training methods. Starting this dog with training and socialization as early as possible is incredibly important and strong leadership will be required throughout its lifetime.
