Home / Breeds / Bergamasco Shepherd Dog / Similar breeds
White Swiss Shepherd Dog heads the list for the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog, with the pair sharing the Working and guardian breeds family, the Herding group, and a large size class, and they overlap on herding work. Saint Miguel Cattle Dog follows in second place in the ranked list, with Rough Collie third.
Here is the set breed by breed, in the order the scoring produced, with the reasoning and the main contrast for each.
No breed in the records scores closer to the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog than the White Swiss Shepherd Dog. Family and group agree: the working and guardian breeds grouping, and the Herding group, cover both. Working roots match as well, both tied to herding work. Size nearly matches, both large: 21 to 26 inches against 21 to 24 inches. The differences are of degree rather than kind: a step in the figures here, a shade in the record there.
Go deeper: the White Swiss Shepherd Dog profile or breeds similar to the White Swiss Shepherd Dog.
A strong second place belongs to the Saint Miguel Cattle Dog. The two match at family level, among the working and guardian breeds, and in the Herding group. The records give both the same working background: herding work. Both stand in the large class, 19 to 24 inches next to 21 to 24 inches. The contrast is gentle, mostly a matter of slightly wider or narrower ranges.
Go deeper: the Saint Miguel Cattle Dog profile or breeds similar to the Saint Miguel Cattle Dog.
The Rough Collie rounds out the closest matches. The large class covers both, heights 22 to 26 inches and 21 to 24 inches. The contrast is gentle, mostly a matter of slightly wider or narrower ranges.
Go deeper: the Rough Collie profile or breeds similar to the Rough Collie.
The Smooth Collie rounds out the closest matches. On size they are hard to separate: both large, 22 to 26 inches and 21 to 24 inches. The differences are of degree rather than kind: a step in the figures here, a shade in the record there.
Go deeper: the Smooth Collie profile or breeds similar to the Smooth Collie.
Scoring keeps the Belgian Shepherd close to the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog as well. Both stand in the large class, 22 to 26 inches next to 21 to 24 inches. The contrast is gentle, mostly a matter of slightly wider or narrower ranges.
Go deeper: the Belgian Shepherd profile or breeds similar to the Belgian Shepherd.
The Basque Shepherd Dog belongs in this company on the strength of its record. Both are large dogs: 18 to 25 inches at the shoulder against 21 to 24 inches. The differences are of degree rather than kind: a step in the figures here, a shade in the record there.
Go deeper: the Basque Shepherd Dog profile or breeds similar to the Basque Shepherd Dog.
Another near match in the records is the Old English Sheepdog. On size they are hard to separate: both large, 22 to 24 inches and 21 to 24 inches. The differences are of degree rather than kind: a step in the figures here, a shade in the record there.
Go deeper: the Old English Sheepdog profile or breeds similar to the Old English Sheepdog.
The Dutch Shepherd rounds out the closest matches. Size nearly matches, both large: 22 to 25 inches against 21 to 24 inches. The contrast is gentle, mostly a matter of slightly wider or narrower ranges.
Go deeper: the Dutch Shepherd profile or breeds similar to the Dutch Shepherd.
| Breed | Size | Height | Weight | Lifespan | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergamasco Shepherd Dog | Large | 21 to 24 in | 57 to 84 lb | 13 to 15 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| White Swiss Shepherd Dog | Large | 21 to 26 in | 55 to 88 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Saint Miguel Cattle Dog | Large | 19 to 24 in | 55 to 90 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Rough Collie | Large | 22 to 26 in | 50 to 75 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Smooth Collie | Large | 22 to 26 in | 50 to 75 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Belgian Shepherd | Large | 22 to 26 in | 45 to 75 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Basque Shepherd Dog | Large | 18 to 25 in | 37 to 79 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Old English Sheepdog | Large | 22 to 24 in | 66 to 101 lb | 10 to 15 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
| Dutch Shepherd | Large | 22 to 25 in | 42 to 75 lb | 11 to 14 yrs | Working and guardian breeds |
By midpoint weight, this set runs from Basque Shepherd Dog at 37 to 79 pounds up to Old English Sheepdog at 66 to 101 pounds, the full weight spread across these closely ranked picks.
On the recorded traits the White Swiss Shepherd Dog scores highest: a shared family, the same group, a matching size class, shared working roots and a close lifespan. The Saint Miguel Cattle Dog is next in line.
Taller but lighter: the Rough Collie stands 22 to 26 inches against 21 to 24 inches, yet weighs 50 to 75 lb against the Bergamasco Shepherd Dog at 57 to 84 lb.
The Bergamasco Shepherd Dog itself tops the set for lifespan at 13 to 15 years; the closest match on years is the White Swiss Shepherd Dog at 12 to 14 years.