Por dez vacas com cria eu não troco meu cachorro: as relações entre humanos e cães nas atividades pastoris do pampa brasileiro

Abstract

This paper aims to contemplate the relationship between humans and dogs from livestock panorama, notably the family one, in the southern part of Rio Grande do Sul, focused in the city of Piratini. I analyze the use of herding dogs on cattle and sheep handling and the vision of the people about the aid provided by these animals. The dog appears as a rural worker and there is a whole set of expectations and understandings around the considered desirable for him. As an outcome, this text describes the consolidation of a common type of breed dog in the region, known as Ovelheiro Gaucho. I try to observe how a dog-breeding activity acquires a cultural activism character, from a view of the interlocutors about their tradition and cultural revival.