Armant Dog Breed

The Armant is named for the city in Egypt from which the breed originated. In their homeland they are still used for both herding and guarding purposes. Holland and France have the most Armants outside of Egypt, however, they are not exactly common. Herding dogs are known for their high levels of intelligence and this combines with the fearless loyalty and devotion of a guarding breed. The combination makes for a companion that closely bonds with his/her owner, family. They typically get along well with other pets but should be socialized early with people due to their strong protective instincts. They will enjoy living indoors with you, however, they are better suited to country living with large indoor and outdoor spaces to patrol. Lack of purpose and loneliness are quick paths to uncontrollable Armants.

PROS

• Calm indoor companion
• Good with children
• Protective guardian
• Herding abilities
• Low maintenance grooming
• Affectionate, loyal, desires your attention
• Exercise buddy
• Very smart
• Gets along with other pets

CONS

• Aggressive towards strangers if not socialized extremely well
• Needs daily outdoor activity
• Needs to spend a lot of time with the owner/family
• May be difficult to train
• May become destructive if not mentally stimulated with a job or training
• Not hypoallergenic

The Armant is a medium sized, muscular canine capable of both herding and guarding duties. At first glance, they appear a bit scraggly, with medium to long, rough, wavy coats but this just lends to their rough-and-tumble working attitudes (plus it protects them from bad weather and predators). Most often, they are black, grey, black and tan, or grey and yellow with small, dark eyes. There is not a widely accepted standard or breeding program so they may have erect or drop ears-- the tail may vary in shape, too, but is usually long.

1. Intelligence- Members of this breed are very intelligent herding dogs which means they need a firm, consistent owner. Boredom and loneliness can easily lead to destructive or nuisance behavior. If you have the time to devote to them, they will desire to please you and training gains will come quickly.

2. Kids, Pets, Strangers- While they may be aggressive or suspicious toward strangers, this behavior can be enhanced or curbed depending on whether you want to strengthen or lessen their natural guard dog tendencies. Early socialization is necessary for them to get along with other pets. They will fearlessly devote their lives to their owners and families and will seek to be with them constantly.

3. Exercise- Although Armants are said to be calm with their families, they are still working dogs that need daily outdoor exercise. If you cannot give them a job (herding, patrolling a yard, etc) they will not be fully happy. Since they thrive being with their owners they are good exercise buddies.

Due to a lack of standardized breeding programs for the Armant, not much is known about their potential health issues. They are reported to live 12-15 years with 13 years being the average lifespan. The conditions that are most often associated with the breed are:

• osteochondritis dessicans- a degenerative joint disease that involves cracking of the cartilage
• hip dysplasia- a malformation of the hip socket

Both can result in debilitating pain, swelling and loss of ability to move. If you are lucky enough to come across an Armant, be sure to attend all routine veterinary visits. This will help prevent and detect some health problems.