The Carea Leonés is the traditional [[herding dog]] of the historical region of [[León (historical region)|León]] in north-western Spain. It was included in the {{lang|es|i=no|Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España}} – the national register of animal breeds – in 2016,{{r|boe|p=56905}} and a [[breed standard]] was published by the [[Junta de Castilla y León]] in 2018.{{r|bocyl}}
The Carea Leonés is the traditional [[herding dog]] of the historical region of [[León (historical region)|León]] in north-western Spain. It was included in the {{lang|es|i=no|Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España}} – the national register of animal breeds – in 2016,{{r|boe|p=56905}} and a [[breed standard]] was published by the [[Junta de Castilla y León]] in 2018.{{r|bocyl}}
In 2026 it was among the sixteen Spanish breeds considered by the [[Real Sociedad Canina de España]] to be [[endangered breed|vulnerable]].{{r|rsce3}}
== Characteristics ==
== Characteristics ==
<ref name=rsce2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240802173237/https://caninaleon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/PROPUESTA-DE-ESTANDAR-RACIAL.pdf Perro Leonés de Pastor] (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 14 August 2025.</ref>
<ref name=rsce2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240802173237/https://caninaleon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/PROPUESTA-DE-ESTANDAR-RACIAL.pdf Perro Leonés de Pastor] (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 14 August 2025.</ref>
<ref name=rsce3>[https://web.archive.org/web/20251112151747/https://www.rsce.es/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/RAZAS-VULNERABLES.pdf Razas españolas consideradas vulnerables (del 1 de mayo de 2025 al 30 de abril de 2026)] (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 12 November 2025.</ref>
</references>
</references>
Dog breed
| Carea Leonés | |
|---|---|
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| Other names | |
| Origin | Spain |
| Distribution | León |
| Notes | recognized in Spanish legislation[3] |
| Dog (domestic dog) | |
The Carea Leonés or Perro Leonés de Pastor is a traditional Spanish breed of herding dog from the historical region of León in north-western Spain. It was added to the Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España – the national register of animal breeds – in 2016, and a breed standard was published by the Junta de Castilla y León in 2018.
The Carea Leonés is the traditional herding dog of the historical region of León in north-western Spain. It was included in the Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España – the national register of animal breeds – in 2016,[3]: 56905 and a breed standard was published by the Junta de Castilla y León in 2018.[4]
In 2026 it was among the sixteen Spanish breeds considered by the Real Sociedad Canina de España to be vulnerable.[5]
The Carea Leonés is of medium size: bitches stand from 45 to 52 cm at the withers, dogs from 48 to 55 cm; body weights are usually in the ranges 15–25 kg and 16–27 kg respectively.[6]: 532 [7]: 5
The outer coat is of medium length and is either straight or slightly wavy; the under-coat is thick.[4] The coat may be either solid black or grey merle (black spots on a grey base, sometimes with white spots also); in either colouration, fawn markings above the eyes, on the face and on the insides of the legs may or may not be present.[4] The eyes are always dark in black-coated dogs, but paler in those with merle colouration; in these there may also be heterochromia, resulting in bluish-white areas in one or both eyes.[4]
- ^ David Hancock (2014). Dogs of the Shepherds: a Review of the Pastoral Breeds. Ramsbury, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 9781847978080.
- ^ a b c Perro Leonés de Pastor (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 14 August 2025.
- ^ a b Isabel García Tejerina (29 July 2016). Orden AAA/1357/2016, de 29 de julio, por la que se modifica el anexo I del Real Decreto 2129/2008, de 26 de diciembre, por el que se establece el Programa nacional de conservación, mejora y fomento de las razas ganaderas; el anexo del Real Decreto 558/2001, de 25 de mayo, por el que se regula el reconocimiento oficial de las organizaciones o asociaciones de criadores de perros de raza pura; y el anexo III del Real Decreto 841/2011, de 17 de junio, por el que se establecen las condiciones básicas de recogida, almacenamiento, distribución y comercialización de material genético de las especies bovina, ovina, caprina y porcina y de los équidos (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del Estado. 191 (9 August 2016): 56904–56907. Reference: BOE-A-2016-7639. European Legislation Identifier: permalink.
- ^ a b c d Milagros Marcos Ortega (16 October 2018). Orden AYG/1170/2018, de 16 de octubre, por la que se aprueba el estándar racial de la raza canina Perro Leonés de Pastor (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial de Castilla y León. 213 (5 November 2018): 42847.
- ^ Razas españolas consideradas vulnerables (del 1 de mayo de 2025 al 30 de abril de 2026) (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 12 November 2025.
- ^ Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN 9788449109461.
- ^ Perro Leonés de Pastor (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 14 August 2025.
