GENERAL APPEARANCE AND APTITUDES: Medium size dog, fairly long body. Exceptionnally intelligent and very lively, endowed with perceptible hardiness and prudence, very devoted to the shepherd and flock entrusted to him, avoids strangers and guards at night. He has monkey-like attitudes and looks, which is why in his native region, he is called "monkey dog".
He is used particularly in the Alentejo, for guarding and driving all the flocks and herds (sheep, goats, cattle, horses, pigs). He is preferred for the skilful way he has with keeping the flocks in the pastures and bringing back the runaways and strays.

HAIR: The colours are yellow, chestnut, grey, fawn and wolf grey, with shadings from light to ordinary and dark, and black, more or less marked with tan with or without mixed white hairs, but never with white patches, except a small patch on the chest; hair very long on the head, body and legs, including between the toes. Hair of medium thickness and of goat like texture; dense and evenly distributed all over the body; there is no undercoat or wool.

SKIN: The internal and external mucous membranes preferably pigmented; skin does not fit too tightly.

SIZE: Males 45 to 55 cm, bitches 42 to 52 cm.

WEIGHT: 12 to 18 kg.

GAIT: Light and flowing, predominantly the trot; the gallop when work demands it, energetic.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Nose pointed. Lips overlapping or pendulous. Stop poorly defined. Eyes light, small, not round or slanting. Ears folded. Body: hollow back or too sloping, underline too much tucked up. Croup : horizontal or too sloping. Tail : low set, short or rolled over on the back when in repose. Nails white. Coat soft or white patch on the chest.

ELIMINATING FAULTS: Head : narrow and long. Muzzle convex. Jaws bad fit. Skull flat, globular or narrow. Ears low set. Tail docked or naturally tailless. Hair : not long enough, curled and looped, white on the extremities of the legs or pied. Size : dwarfism.