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Croatian Sheepdog
Puppies for Sale
Croatian Sheepdog
(Hrvatski Ovcar)
Photo Courtesy of Mawlch Kennel
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Description |
This breed is of lower medium height and the base color
is always black, although there may be very small patches of white on its chest
and/or toes. A characteristic is the short hairs on its somewhat fox-like
head and legs. The remainder of the coat is longer, wavy or curly.
The height at the withers in both sexes is between 16 to 21 inches and the
length exceeds the height by approximately 10%. Nowadays, some dogs are
even taller; that is probably due to better nutrition and an easier life - they
grow to their full genetic potential. Traditionally the tail is docked
very short but, if undocked, it is more or less curled over the dog’s back. |
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Temperament |
The Croatian Sheepdog is an alert, agile, keen and
intelligent dog with enormous energy and with a strong need for human
companionship. It is healthy, resistant to disease and not expensive to
keep. It possesses a well developed herding instinct and is an excellent
watchdog. An instinctive herder, it is wary of strangers. If
socialized early, however, it responds well to obedience training. As a
pet without early obedience training and exercise, to occupy its athletic body
and excellent mind, it can became very noisy, even destructive. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: 16-21 inches (40-53 cm.)
Weight: 29-43 pounds (13-20 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
Usually very healthy. |
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Living Conditions |
The Croatian Sheepdog will dog okay in an apartment as
long as they get enough exercise. It is a virtually weatherproof canine
and a comparably adaptable disposition. |
Exercise |
Needs a lot of exercise, which
includes a daily walk. It is a very good breed for
all dog sports. |
Life Expectancy |
About 13-14 years. |
Grooming |
This breed is easy to groom. An occasional
combing and brushing to remove dead hair is all it needs. This breed is an
average shedder. |
Origin |
This is a native Croatian breed and
descends from dogs which the Croats brought with them from their original native
land into the region they occupy today and which has been continually bred in
Croatia, mostly in the fertile plains of Slavonia, from those days onward.
According to written documents, the appearance of this breed has not changed
greatly from the 14th century to the present day. Probably because it
possesses an excellent hereditary instinct for working sheep and cattle,
selection on the basis of usability was being carried out spontaneously, which
has resulted also in the balance of its look. The earliest written
document about Croatian Sheepdogs, named “Canis pastoralis croaticus”, found
in the archives of diocese of Djakovo by "father of the breed" -
veterinarian Prof Dr Stjepan Romic - is from 1374. In this document, Petar,
Bishop of Djakovo, says "the dog is about 18 inches high, with medium long
black curly coat, the hair on the head is short, ears are pricked or
semi-pricked and it is very good for keeping flocks of all farm
animals." He also mentions that the Croats brought the dog with them
while migrating from their original native land to Croatia in the 7th
century. Romic also found in archive of Djakovo's diocese important
information from Years 1719, 1737, 1742 and 1752. In all of these documents the
description of the Croatian Sheepdog matches entirely its appearance today and
in all of them the dog is named Canis pastoralis croaticus or Croatian
Sheepdog. A systematic selection breeding program was started by the same
Prof Romic in 1935 with dogs in the territory of Djakovo. After 34 years
of work, breed was finally recognized by FCI in 1969. |
| Group |
Herding |
Recognition |
FCI, APRI, ACR |
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FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
NKC = National
Kennel Club
CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry
Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
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Photos Courtesy of kennel SLAVONSKI BROD |
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Croatian Sheepdog Pictures Page 1
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