Written by Luigi Guidobono Cavalchini. Translated by Ana Hernandez.
Edited and provided by the National Bergamasco Sheepdog Alliance.

After World War II, the Bergamasco population was in an alarming state and at real risk of extinction. Rural life had changed dramatically, and there were very few purebred Bergamascos available that were suitable for a structured breeding program. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated admirers of the breed, an organized breeding plan was established after the war. That program helped preserve the valuable genetics shepherds had selected over centuries.

A campaign was then launched to promote the breed and educate the public. Among the important figures involved were Marquis Paolo Cornaggia Medici, who had been interested in the breed since before the war and had already drafted a breed standard in 1950; Mr. Isaia Bramani of Bergamo, founder of the first recognized kennel, Brahama, in 1942; Mr. Pietro Rota, owner of Kennel Valle Imagna, established in 1945; and Baron Annibale Guidobono Cavalchini, founder of Kennel Valle Scrivia in 1949.

The breed’s numbers at that time show just how precarious the situation was. Only one litter was registered in the genealogical registry in 1947, two in 1948, three in 1949, one in 1951, and five in 1952.

Alpino di Valle Imagna

Alpino di Valle Imagna (LOI 50784) was one of the dogs entered in the first Italian beauty championships. Pietro Rota had obtained Alpino from a shepherd, and he became an important foundation dog and a key point of reference in the drafting of the official standard in January 1958.

Although highly influential, Alpino was not without faults. He was a heavy dog, weighing more than 40 kilograms, with straight shoulders, an overly open tibio-tarsal angle, and insufficient distinction between the two coat types: the harsher goat hair on the front of the body and the woollier coat on the back.

In 1949, the Society of Bergamasco Dog Lovers (Società Amatori del Cane da Pastore Bergamasco, or SAB) was founded. Its first president was Baron Annibale Guidobono Cavalchini. Thanks to the work of this early group of enthusiasts, the breed survived a very real threat of extinction.

Other important supporters soon joined them, including Professor Achille Alipandi, founder of Kennel Vercella in 1953; architect Sandro Carnelli and Mrs. Carla Mariana, founders of Kennel Lupercali in 1954; Mr. Mario Chignoli, founder of Kennel dell’Idro in 1959; Dr. Cantini of Bergamo, founder of Kennel Grigiastro in 1966; and Dr. Maria Andreoli of Kennel dell’Albera, also established in 1966.

The Bergamini herdsmen who travelled the Bergamo Valley in the Alps and Lombardy region began the stricter selection of their dogs for the ability to handle the difficult and almost inaccessible mountainous terrain, while performing the dangerous task of guiding cattle to grazing lands by working from the head to the tail of the herd. The Bergamascos kept the large herds of cattle together, guiding them through hazards and protecting them during the night from predators. 
As agricultural need changed, the Bergamasco became associated with guiding flocks of sheep in the same tending style as it did with cattle. Primarily though this breed was a cattle dog and not a “sheep” dog as commonly believed.

Canadian History

Heike Langloh of Stonedance Bergamascos in Ontario was the first Bergamasco breeder in Canada. She imported her first Bergamasco from the United States in the 1990s and later brought in additional Bergamascos from Europe. She had a strong interest in diversifying the breed and worked with several breeders in the United States and abroad to support the FCI standard in Canada. Her puppies are now found throughout Canada.

In the mid-2000s, Jeanine Dell’Orfano of Alp Angel Bergamascos bred the first Bergamasco litter in Nova Scotia and the Maritime provinces. Many of her puppies also live in Canada. She has since continued her breeding program in the United States while maintaining her home in Nova Scotia and traveling between the two.

Today, Bergamascos are scattered across several Canadian provinces, and the population is slowly growing. The BSAC hopes to be a place where Bergamasco enthusiasts in Canada can come together to learn, share experiences, and support the welfare of the breed while promoting responsible breeding and ownership.

The BSAC respects Bergamasco clubs around the world and hopes to work in cooperation with them to help preserve and protect this remarkable breed in health and integrity.

History and Origins