History of the Colorado Mountain Dog
The Colorado Mountain Dog was started by Wendy Francisco in 2005. Prior to this time, Wendy and her husband had a small farm in Colorado. One evening, a mountain lion attacked and killed most of her goat herd. She began researching livestock guardian dogs but was discouraged by the high rates of genetic issues that were common in many purebred LGD's. As a music artist, she also had many visitors in her home, and was concerned about the protective instincts and potential aggression toward her guests. Eventually, she acquired a crossbred livestock guardian dog, Caspian, to help protect her, her chickens, and her horse ranch from the bear and mountain lion that were prevalent in the area. Caspian, a roughly 3/4 Great Pyrenees, 1/4 Anatolian, proved himself to be an exceptional guardian, and was friendly and accepting toward her guests.
After speaking with other farm-friends in the area, she realized there was a desperate need for a new type of LGD, with a disposition like Caspians. Although some lines of purebred dogs exhibited this trait, it was unpredictable within the breed as a whole. These farmers and ranchers wanted a dog that was bred to love all people, whether a family member, a grand-child, or the UPS man. Caspian was an exceptional example of what would later become the Colorado Mountain Dog breed.
Wendy found a female with similar characteristics, named Snow. Snow was a cross of Great Pyrenees and Hungarian Kuvasz. Wendy discovered that the offspring of Caspian and Snow produced a dog that was incredibly athletic, with strong guardian instincts, hybrid vigor and health, an exceptionally friendly temperament uncharacteristic of most LGD breeds, a leaner conformation, easy-to-maintain fur, and cleaner mouths (less drool).
Wendy sought out and purchased other females, which were placed on ranches around the state. Each family chosen had livestock and were also homeschool families with young children on the farm. After the dogs proved themselves as guardians and people-friendly dogs, they were bred back to Caspian. As the pups began to show similar physical features, Wendy partnered with a friend, Aimee Cabrera, who took possession of Snow and began working with Wendy to improve the breed and standardize the desired characteristics through careful, selective line breeding and some limited outcrossing, using the other females and resulting puppies placed around the state. They stayed in contact with buyers of the resulting offspring, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Within a few short years, offspring of the Caspian line were being requested all around the country. Wendy and Aimee decided to take the next step and expand the genetic line in order to prevent a “bottleneck” of undesirable recessive genetics within the lineage, while still line-breeding in order to ensure Caspian remained a heavy genetic influence within the breed.
By 2012, a small group of breeders had formed a network and shared a common passion for improving and promoting the breed. Volunteers within this group began to come forward and encourage official establishment of the breed. In 2015, the Colorado Mountain Dog name began the process to trademark the name, and the Colorado Mountain Dog Association®,
(The first and original registry) was officially formed.
It is with great excitement; we announce that the
Colorado Mountain Dog Association®
officially became Trademarked on December 4, 2018 !
Colorado Mountain Dog Association® ***Blessing Families and Farms***
Beautiful Baloo at the CMDA® Park Meet & Greet in 2021
owned by Brooke Cooper |
Sweet Selah! owned by Dawn Brower
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Cabrera family 18 pup litter from 2015!
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Wexter at Blessed Bit of Earth Farm
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Tirian loving on sweet Naomi Lipman
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