Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

Sharplanina Å arplaninac, Charplaninatz, Macedonian Sheepdog

Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

This is a dog bred for work among the rugged and challenging Macedonian mountains. It has immense strength and stamina. It is a choice dog of Yugoslavian farmers who consider it a faithful companion as well as a strong and reliable worker. Unless they are trained not to hunt these dogs will enjoy chasing and killing other animals. 

Key facts about the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

Life expectancy :

5

17

10

12

Temperament :

Calm Intelligent

Size :

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Origins and history

This dog has been bred for centuries by farmers of land in the Yugoslavian mountains. Some experts of the breed suggest that it arrived in Europe during ancient societal migrations from Asia. The breed is named after the Šarplaninac mountain range, and dogs of the breed are still widely used here for guarding and herding cattle and sheep.

FCI breed nomenclature

FCI Group

Group 2 - Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs

Section

Section 2 : Molossian type

Physical characteristics of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

  • Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog
    Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

    Adult size

    Female : Between 21 and 23 in

    Male : Between 22 and 24 in

    Weight

    Female : Between 66 and 88 lb

    Male : Between 77 and 99 lb

    Coat colour

    Type of coat

    Eye colour

    Brown

    Description

    The Sarplaninac is a well-built, muscular and sturdy dog. The ears are not set too high on the skull and hang close to the dogs cheeks. The tail is long and abundantly feathered. 

    Good to know

    The Šarplaninac is a quiet and unassuming dog when it is among its family. If not trained well, the dog’s wariness of strangers will become more challenging and may even cause the dog to adopt defensive aggression. The dog is banned in Denmark due to its size. 

    Temperament

    • 66%

      Affectionate

      The Šarplaninac is an affectionate, even-tempered and well-mannered dog. 

    • 33%

      Playful

      This dog is generally happy and playful. It enjoys playtime but will try to dominate playmates whenever it sees the chance to do so.   

    • 100%

      Calm

      This is a calm dog; one that is not quick to anger. 

    • 100%

      Intelligent

      The Šarplaninac is a quick learner. It is a very smart dog that prefers to make decisions by itself rather than obey the orders of its handler. 

    • 33%

      Hunter

      Although they are bred to herd, Šarplaninac Sheepdogs are instinctive hunters. They are also exceptionally territorial. 

    • 100%

      Fearful / wary of strangers

      The Šarplaninac tends to be painfully shy around strangers. It takes one of these dogs quite a while to trust people who aren’t already in their ‘circle’. 

    • 100%

      Independent

      This is a wilful dog that will test the boundaries of the household’s hierarchy whenever it can. Its independence cannot be stamped on. It must be harvested and used as a training aid. 

      Behaviour of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

      • 100%

        Tolerates solitude

        The Šarplaninac tolerates a degree of solitude.  

      • 100%

        Easy to train / obedience

        Training of this dog must be done right. Šarplaninacs will try to dominate proceedings. They are not the easiest of dogs to train. 

      • 33%

        Barking

        This is a dog that enjoys barking but it will be quiet when told to be. The bark is heavy and loud. 

      • 33%

        Tendency to run away

        A Šarplaninac will not respond to your recall command unless you have trained this dog exceedingly well.  

      • 66%

        Destructive

        If it is unhappy or stressed the Šarplaninac will be destructive.

      • 66%

        Greedy / Gluttony

        This dog is not known to be greedy. 

      • 100%

        Guard dog

        The Šarplaninac is an exceptionally alert and territorial dog. It makes an excellent watchdog. 

      • 66%

        First dog

        A Šarplaninac must be exercised well and trained cleverly in order to stay out of trouble. It is unlikely that a first-time owner would successfully manage such a dog. 

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        Lifestyle

        • 33%

          Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog in a flat

          Bred to roam vast swathes of open countryside this dog will not be happy to live in a flat or to only have access to a small walled garden. 

        • 33%

          Need for exercise / Sporty

          An energetic dog is the Šarplaninac. It is far better suited to country living than it is urban living. 

        • 33%

          Travelling / easy to transport

          Once trained, a Šarplaninac is comfortable travelling

          Compatibility

          • 100%

            Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog and cats

            This dog will tolerate a cat that it is familiar with but it may not be so tolerant of other cats. 

          • 66%

            Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog and dogs

            Due to its territorial nature, the Šarplaninac does not appreciate the company of other dogs

          • 100%

            Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog and children

            The Šarplaninac is careful and gentle around children but it can be boisterous and will try to assert its dominance. 

          • 100%

            Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog and the elderly

            Because of its sheer size and need for lots of exercise, the Šarplaninac may not be the perfect choice of dog for some of senior years.

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            Price

            You could pay anywhere between £1,100 - £1,500 for a Sarplaninac purebred puppy. It will cost £80 to £100 per month to care for this dog.

            Grooming

            Brush this dog every day of the week to prevent its coat from becoming tangled and matted. 

            Shedding

            The Šarplaninac sheds steadily throughout the year. 

            Nutrition of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

            It is always worthwhile to feed a Šarplaninac a high-quality and specially formulated dog food rather than human food. The Šarplaninac’s diet should consist of good amounts of protein and fat. 

            Health of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

            Life expectancy

            Having been successfully bred for centuries, the Šarplaninac is generally healthy and robust. It suffers only from ailments associated with large dogs. Its life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

            Strong / robust

            The Šarplaninac is strong and agile. It does not readily suffer with ailments. 

            Withstand heat

            The Šarplaninac tolerates hot weather reasonably well. 

            Withstand cold

            The double coat of the Šarplaninac keeps the dog warm in cold weather. 

            Tendency to put on weight

            Weight gain is seen of any dog that is not exercised as regularly as it should be and is fed too much human or substandard food. 

            Common illnesses

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            • haighrobin
              haighrobin
              We have Sarplaninac / hybrid fron Bosnia , she is 5 years old. We have had over 50 various dogs and she is the most intelligent by far .

              She has been with us for two years now direct from Bosnia.

              By the way your website needs attention. It shut me down before I had finished writing. So I cannot include a photo. Robin
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