Say What?
Pronounced bar-baah-dough daughter-SAY-dah, it translates from Portuguese as Bearded of the Third [Island]. The breed is newly recognized in Portugal and the USA and is unfamiliar to most.
Where are they from?
The breed originates from the Azores island of Terceira, located off the coast of Portugal.
What kind of dog are they?
As with all domestic canines, the Barbado evolved from a mixture of dogs brought to Terceira to manage livestock, specifically the wild cattle. Over time emerged a dog bred par excellence for herding cattle, doing so in “heeler” fashion, meaning they nip and bark at the cattle to get them to move.
Today’s breeders, however, recognize the Barbado as much more than just a cattle dog. Its intelligence, protective nature, stable temperament, and quirky-fun personality make it a wonderful companion for the active, dog-savvy owner.
What do they look like?
Barbado’s have a compact head, a “mustache and beard”, triangular-shaped ears that are set high on the head, and human-like eyes that give the dog a lively and intelligent look. Of note, until recently, BDT ears were docked, but that is no longer practiced.
The eyes are almond-shaped and outlined in black. Acceptable eye colors are brown or honey. Occasionally, some can have gray or blue, but this is not desirable.
Noses should be robust and black. Brown or marbled noses do occur but are considered faults in the show ring.
The breed has an abundant, low-shedding coat with a dense undercoat and a wavy, but never curly, soft outer coat. Colors include gray, black, fawn, yellow, and white, and can be found in numerous combinations of mixes and solids.
They are longer than they are tall, giving them a rolling gait when walking and a powerful rocking motion when running.
The tail is sweeping, hanging down when relaxed, curled, and high when alert. Tail docking to prevent injuries typical in cattle herding is not practiced as widely as it has been.
How big do they get?
The males typically average 55-65 pounds and are about 23 inches high at the shoulders, while the females are smaller, coming in around 40-50 pounds and averaging about 21 inches at the shoulder, basically, about the size of a standard Australian Shepherd.
What can they do?
Aside from herding, they are a versatile breed that can excel at agility, fly ball, coursing, Puller, Frisbee, obedience, show ring, hiking, therapy dog, riding companion, or nap buddy. They can do anything you can dream up.
They love water and will make the most of even a small puddle, so dock diving would be an acceptable sport as well.
The most important thing to remember is that they must DO SOMETHING. Whatever it is, know they need mental stimulation and physical exercise daily to be happy and STABLE.
Personality
The Barbado da Terceira bonds on a very deep level with their people and family. They seem to crave an abundance of physical contact or at least be as near to you as possible. Welcome, or unwelcome, the Barbado loves to jump up for full-body hugs.
Originally bred for herding the wild fighting cattle found on Terceira, these dogs are extremely assertive and tenacious. Unlike sheep, cattle fight back, and the Barbado must be confident and fearless. Proper training is important to help them curb their natural tendency to nip and bite at moving targets.
Their intelligence makes training fun and frustrating. They want to please you and enjoy learning new things. However, they can be willful and challenging sometimes appearing to take commands given “under advisement” before complying. Solid boundaries and consistently enforced rules are needed to keep your Barbado feeling secure and obedient.
Videos of Barbado da Terceira Dogs
Here are various videos, linked from YouTube, showing the BDT in action. You will notice the dogs in these videos have cropped ears and tails. Cropping of ears is no longer practiced. Some working farms do crop the tails for the safety and health of their dogs.