Sharplaninskaya Shepherd Dog. Description of the breed

There are many breeds of dogs known to help a person in his work. One of them is the Sharplanin sheepdog. This is a shepherd's sentry dog, the home of which is Macedonia.

Description of the breed

A medium-sized dog (the height at the withers does not exceed 61 cm), with a strong muscular trunk. She has a fairly deep chest, slightly bulging ribs, a wide back, which gradually decreases from withers to croup, and a developed skeleton. The massive head in the cranial part is more rounded, to the lobe of the nose narrows. Plainly drooping, triangular shaped ears planted high. Around the almond-shaped eyes is a black rim of glasses.

Sharplaninskaya shepherd can have a different color - white, black, gray or brown. A thick long coat forms beautiful stripes on the tail and hind limbs. The saber-like tail also has a suspension of long wool. On the head and the outside of the front paws, it is much shorter. The neck and chest are covered with a thick mane.

Characteristics

Like any shepherd's dog, the Sharplanin sheepdog was bred to protect cattle and restore order in the herd. Therefore, her character is particularly expressed distrust and aggression to outsiders. From these dogs excellent guards are obtained, which do not allow anyone else to touch either to themselves, or to protected property or cattle. Externally calm and balanced, they are prone to fighting, while showing complete fearlessness. As a family dog, Sharpplan sheepdog will not be the best option. Description of this breed characterizes it as not very tolerant petting and tenderness of a domestic animal. Poorly get along these dogs and with other pets in the house.

If you decide to have a pet, you should be prepared for the fact that you will have to devote a lot of time to studying with him. Education and training should start from the first days of the appearance of the puppy in the house, it will take a lot of time, patience and strength. It's good to have a large area that allows the pet to run around freely to keep it in good shape. It is undesirable to keep a Sharplan sheep-dog in an apartment setting. This can cause her all kinds of frustration.

History

The breed received its name in honor of the Shar-Planin mountains located in Macedonia. It was there that the Sharplanin sheepdog was bred about two millennia ago in order to protect sheep from predators. Then it spread first all over the territory of the former Yugoslavia and gradually began to gain popularity in other countries. Quite often today one can meet the Sharplanin sheepdog in the USA and Canada. However, it took a very long time before the breed was officially registered. It happened only in 1939. Many believe that the Caucasian ancestral dog was a distant ancestor of these dogs , as they have a lot in common.

Conditions of detention

The main thing that the representatives of this breed need most is long active walks. Engage in their walking is best prepared by physically trained people, as the animals are very energetic and strong. Suitable for a large dog aviary, where it can move freely. It is not recommended to keep Sharplan sheep-dogs in an apartment. In addition to the fact that these dogs require a lot of space, they tolerate loneliness quite badly.

Special care requires wool. It is very thick and warm, the outer cover is long, and the undercoat is very dense and short. Thanks to such a coat, the Sharplanin sheep-dog can carry its service in any inclement weather. Photos of these dogs, guarding the owner's property regardless of the weather conditions, can be found very often. Wool must be regularly combed with a special brush, especially during moult. Wash dogs should only be in extreme cases, with very severe contamination.

There were no any diseases peculiar to this breed. Under favorable conditions and good care Sharplaninskaya shepherd can live up to 14 years.