Carea Leonés

Also called Leonese Sheepdog, Perro Carea Leonés, Perro de Aqueda, Perro de Pastor Leonés

Rare breedShort profile

From Province of León, north-west Spain.1

At a glance the quick version

Weight, male16 to 27 kg1

Weight, female15 to 25 kg1

Height, male48 to 55 cm1

Height, female45 to 52 cm1

Sizemedium

capable working sheepdog

hardy

striking merle coat

Coat and looks how to spot one

medium-length coat with dense undercoat

A medium-sized, agile sheepdog with a straight or slightly wavy coat of medium length over a thick undercoat. Merle dogs often have light or partly blue eyes, while black dogs have dark eyes.1

Coloursblackgrey merle (arlequinado)merle with whitetan markings on face and legs possible1

Daily activity how busy a day looks

High; a traditional herding dog bred to work sheep.1

The story where it all began

Shepherds in León have long used this dog to manage their flocks. It gained official status as a Spanish breed in 2016, and a written standard followed in 2018.1

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
The merle form is called 'arlequinado' (harlequin) in Spanish.1
2
Merle Careas can have odd eyes or eyes with bluish-white patches.1
3
It entered Spain's official catalogue of livestock breeds in 2016, with its written standard following two years later.1

Recognised by the official bits

Spanish government (Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España): Added to the official breed catalogue in 2016; breed standard published by the Junta de Castilla y León in 2018.1
Real Sociedad Canina de España (RSCE): Recognised; listed among the Spanish breeds the RSCE considers vulnerable.1
FCI: Not recognised.1

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Carea Leonés. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

Brushingevery week
Bathevery 8 weeks
Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year

Start a free diary

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Wikipedia: Carea Leonés en.wikipedia.orgused for all fields

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.