The Origins of The Portuguese Sheepdog
In 2002, David went to Europe and brought back two Portuguese Sheepdog puppies. Tewgal and Bagulho* were the first Portuguese Sheepdogs imported to North America. In 2011, FunFun became the first chocolate Portuguese Sheepdog to arrive in Canada. The application for the recognition of the breed in Canada was launched in September 2003 and the Canadian Kennel Club included the Portuguese Sheepdog in its Miscellenaous Class a year later. The Portuguese Sheepdog is currently a listed breed in the CKC Herding group.
The Por Tewgal Team
Tewgal was Best-in-Show Puppy in October 2003. It took 4 years for the CKC to approve her FCI documents. Finally, in 2007, she received her CKC papers. The same year, Tewgal participated in seven shows winning her class. The CKC eventually cancelled her results arguing that the Miscellaneous Class could no longer be judged. This decision was made despite the fact that her entries had been approved and all the judges were CKC-approved. Consult Tewgal's pedigree here.
FunFun was born on October 13, 2010. Like Tewgal, FunFun comes from France and her Dad is originally from Portugal. Both Tewgal and FunFun boast rare coat colours. FunFun's full name is Fortugal de la Brenne Sauvage. She is following in the steps of her Auntie, Tewgal, who unfortunately could not have puppies. This site is a tribute to the "furry kids" who share his life.
The "Alpha"
David is an independent scholar based in Victoria. He has taught animal protection at the university level. After introducing the Portuguese Sheepdog to Canada, David resigned his CKC membership due to the organization's support for cosmetic surgery. Since 2007, David has been in a dispute with the CKC over its handling of the Portuguese Sheepdog. Having had the breed recognized, David feels a personal responsiblity to defend the interests of the Aires and he is now aiming at protecting the breed in Canada. David has also published on the issue of non-therapeutic procedures. His latest article appeared in the Journal of Critical Animal Studies.
*Bagulho is from Portugal and at two months of age, he travelled to France to join Tewgal. In September 2002, both flew in the same crate from Paris to Vancouver via Frankfurt. Tewgal and Bagulho spent their first two years in Canada on the Sunshine Coast. Bagulho was the first Portuguese Sheepdog registered in Canada. In 2003, he took and passed his herding instinct test. In 2004, Bagulho moved to Vancouver where he still lives with David's brother. Bagulho is now enjoying his retirement. While no longer part of the Por Tewgal Project, Bagulho is still in touch with Tewgal and his original pack. Our boy remains a foundation of the Portuguese Sheepdog in Canada. As such, his photos are featured all through this site.