Villanuco de Las Encartaciones
Other names
OriginSpain
Traits
Height Males
30–40 cm[1]: 600 
Weight
4–8.5 kg[1]: 600 
Dog (domestic dog)

The Villanuco de Las Encartaciones (Basque: Enkarterriko Billanuko, Cantabrian: Villanucu) is a Spanish breed of small dog of ratter type. It originates in the comarca of Enkarterri (Spanish: Las Encartaciones) in the Basque Autonomous Community in northern Spain. It is one of five Basque breeds of dog, the others being the Basque Shepherd Dog, the Erbi Txakur, the Pachón Navarro and the Villano de Las Encartaciones,[2][3] and one of fourteen animal breeds native to the País Vasco.[4]

It is critically endangered: in 2009 there were fewer than fifty examples.[1]: 599 

History

The Villanuco originates in the comarca of Enkarterri/Las Encartaciones in Bizkaia, in the Basque Autonomous Community in northern Spain. It is one of five Basque breeds of dog, the others being the Basque Shepherd Dog or Euskal Artzain Txakurra, the Erbi Txakur, the Pachón de Vitoria and the Villano de Las Encartaciones or Enkarterriko Billano.[2][3] Of these, all but the Pachón de Vitoria are indigenous to the Basque Autonomous Community, and were recognised as traditional Basque breeds by government decree in 2001.[1]: 599 [5] It was among the fourteen indigenous animal breeds included in the rural development plan for the País Vasco for 2007–2013.[4]

The Villanuco is critically endangered: in 2009 the total number for the breed was reported to be below fifty. Almost all are in the comarca of Enkarterri/Las Encartaciones – in Artzentales, Balmaseda, Güeñes, Karrantza, Sopuerta and Trucios-Turtzioz.[1]: 599 

Characteristics

The Villanuco is one of several ratting breeds in Spain. It shows some similarity to the Ca Rater Mallorquí of Mallorca and to the Gos Rater Valencià,[1]: 600  but is phenotypically less similar to them than they are to each other.[6]

It is a small breed: dogs stand 30–40 cm at the withers, bitches a little less. The skin is fine and close-fitting, and the coat is short, little more than 1 cm long. It is most often black and white or black and tan, less frequently black and cinnamon, white and cinnamon, or tri-coloured; the nose is usually black, but may also be chocolate-coloured. The ears are usually upright.[1]: 600 

Use

The Villanuco was traditionally used for ratting. It is a good watchdog, alert to the presence of strangers or intruders, and may be kept for that reason or as a companion dog.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (eds.) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN 9788449109461.
  2. ^ a b c Mariano Gómez Fernández (2002). Las razas de ganado autóctonas vascas en el pastoreo vaso (in Spanish). Annals del Centre d'Estudis Comarcals del Ripollès. 2002: 279–290.
  3. ^ a b Mariano Gómez, I. Amezaga (2003). Conservation of livestock genetic resources in Euskadi (Basque Country). Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales 33: 41–55. ISSN 1014-2339.
  4. ^ a b [s.n.] (11 January 2010). Programa de Desarrollo Rural del País Vasco 2007–2013 (in Spanish). Eusko Jaurlaritza/Gobierno Vasco. Nekazaritza, Arrantza eta Elikagai Saila/Departamento de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Accessed July 2020.
  5. ^ Juan José Ibarretxe Markuartu (26 December 2001). N°-429: Decreto 373/2001, de 26 de diciembre, sobre razas animales autóctonas vascas y entidades dedicadas a su fomento (in Basque and Spanish). Euskal Herriko Agintaritzaren Aldizkaria/Boletín Oficial del País Vasco 14: 1080–1087.
  6. ^ L. L. Payeras Capella, M. J. Cárcel Rubio, Mariano Gómez Fernández (2002). Estudio faneróptico de tres agrupaciones raciales de perros ratoneros (in Spanish). V Congreso de SERGA – III Congreso Ibérico sobre Recursos Genéticos Animales. El Arca 1 (5): 82.
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