Transhumance festival in Madrid

Each October in Madrid, sheep and their Livestock Guardian Dogs re-create the traditional transfer from the summer grazing grounds to winter shelter. Is this dog in the video a Spanish Mastiff?

The ancient transhumance event is now a tourist attraction that follows the original herding route through the city of Madrid.

Is anyone familiar with the specialized shoes the shepherds are wearing?

Click here: transhumance-festival-madrid-spain/ 

and

here: youtube.com/madrid sheep transhumance festival  The sheep appear at the 8:50 point.

About the family of Livestock Guardian Dogs...

“To this day flocks are guarded in the hills of Asia, Europe and Africa* by powerful, robust dogs that are neither clumsy nor pacific. Despite the distances that separate them these breeds have much in common, and the Kuvasz is a member of this extended sheepdog family.” 

Dr. Buzády Tibor. 2002. Dogs of Hungary. Translated by Bernard Adams. Budapest, Hungary: Nóra Kiadó.  P. 100.

*(and now also in North America, South America and Australia)

Click here to see the Kuvasz History Klips blog!