| Valdueza | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | Spain | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Notes | recognised in Spanish national legislation[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
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The ValduezaorPerro Montero Valdueza is a modern Spanish breed of large pack-hound. It results from selective breeding, principally of large rough-haired Podenco Andaluz dogs with lightweight examples of the Mastín Extremeño;[3] some Griffon Vendéen blood was later added.[3][4] Breeding began in the 1940s; in 2020 the Valdueza was officially recognised by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, and was added to the list of indigenous Spanish breeds.[2][3][5] It is not recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
Breeding of the Valdueza was begun in the 1940s by Alfonso Álvaréz de Toledo y Cabeza de Vaca, the eleventh Marquess of Valdueza, and was continued after his death by his son Alonso Álvarez de Toledo y Urquijo, the twelfth marquess.[6] The aim was always to create a breed of pack-hound suitable for hunting in mountainous terrain, particularly in the Montes de Toledo, the Sierras of Extremadura and the Sierra Morena.[6][7] To this end large rough-haired dogs of the Podenco Andaluz breed were cross-bred with lightweight examples of the Mastín Extremeño;[3] some Griffon Vendéen blood was later added by Alonso Álvarez de Toledo.[3][4]
In 2014 the Perro Montero Valdueza was listed among the 'Grupos Étnicos' of the Real Sociedad Canina de España, a preliminary step to full recognition as a breed.[3][8] In 2020 it was officially recognised by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, and was added to the list of recognised indigenous Spanish breeds.[2][3][5]
