Croatian Sheepdog

Characteristics of Croatian Sheepdog

Brief information

• Smart, independent;
• Human-oriented;
• Unpretentious.

Origin story

This is a native herding breed, which is rarely found outside of Croatia. But in the country itself, Croatian shepherd dogs are quite common. The earliest document, dated to 1374 and found in the monastery archives, says that such dogs guarded herds as early as the 7th century and looked the same as their modern descendants: about 45 cm at the withers, with black curly hair of medium length on the body and short – on the head and legs.

The systematic selection of these shepherd dogs was first taken up by veterinary professor Stepan Romich from the city of Dzhakova in 1935. And in 1969, the Croatian Shepherd Dog was recognized as a breed. IFF.

Description

Well built dog of medium size and rectangular format. The length of the body should exceed the height at the withers by about 10%. The paws are of medium length, the feet are medium-sized, the muzzle is fox, the ears are triangular, erect, small. Males and females do not differ significantly in size.

Color – only black, slight white spots on the chest, belly, toes are allowed. The hair on the head and legs is short, hard, on the body – softer, medium length, curly. On the paws – feathers, a saber-shaped tail (in many kennels puppies have their tails docked).

Character

Unpretentiousness, quick wit and focus on the owner – these qualities in dogs that were kept to herd herds and protect homes have been brought up for centuries. Nowadays, Croatian Sheep Dogs serve on farms, in the police, and they are also kept as pets. Easily trained, these animals quickly learn to carry out guard duty both in a private house and in an organization, since their genes contain distrust of strangers. But one must understand that for energetic shepherds, cramped enclosures, and even more so a chain, are unacceptable.

Croatian Sheepdog Care

The breed is distinguished by enviable health and vitality. Under good conditions, the dog does not cause much trouble to the owner. Wool, despite the curls, is not inclined to get confused and form tangles, the claws, with sufficient walking, grind off themselves, ears and the eyes are easy to examine, they need to be treated only when necessary.

Also, if necessary, combing curly hair and bathe pets.

Conditions of detention

Croatian Shepherds are originally country dwellers. An aviary with a house, a spacious booth, a place in an outbuilding – all this is perfect, the main thing is that the dog can freely come to the place and leave it. The dog will also like it in the apartment on the couch, the main thing is to strictly maintain the walking regime and add physical activity – for example, agility classes. And do not forget that your pet, although curly, is not a sheep at all, but a working dog.

They love to play, and care must be taken that the animal has balls, rubber squeakers, and other dog joys. During feeding, you can stab your pet’s ears on the back of the head with an ordinary plastic “crab” so as not to get dirty.

Prices

There are no Croatian shepherd kennels in Russia yet, so it is difficult to find a puppy. This breed is considered rare. But there are good nurseries in Finland, Croatia, Slovenia. If you have a desire and about 1000 euros, it will not be difficult to choose a puppy for yourself.

Croatian Sheepdog – Video