Beneath the Bergamasco Sheepdog’s one-of-a-kind coat is a large, muscular shepherd dog of ancient pedigree. But, since the coat is the breed’s hallmark, let’s take a close look. The Bergamasco has hair of three different textures that form naturally occurring loose mats, or “flocks” (strands of hair woven together, creating flat layers of felted hair), covering the body and legs. The flocks provide protection from the fierce cold and wild predators of the Italian Alps, the breed’s ancestral homeland.