Croatian Sheep Dog
Croatian Sheepdog
The breed Croatian sheepdog, also known as Hrvatski Ovcar, is a helpful, humble, and agile shepherd dog. They are incredibly self-reliant, trustworthy, and brave. This breed is one of the most loyal towards their owner, and they are the masters of a dog group as they are typical herding dogs.
Origin:
The Croatian sheepdog breed originated when the Croats brought this breed along with them during the period of migration. The oldest record that can be found of a Croatian sheepdog dates back to the late 1300s.
This breed was bred many centuries back from the Pfahlbauhund descendants in Slavonia, Croatia. A professor named Dr. Stjepan Romic bred and developed this breed of the Croatian shepherd dog in the year of 1935.
Size:
The Croatian sheepdog can stand tall to sixteen to twenty-one inches or forty to fifty-three cm if measured from the shoulder. They can generally weigh between twenty-nine to forty-three pounds or thirteen to twenty kilograms.
Coat:
The breed Croatian sheepdog generally has abundantly wavy, long, and curly black fur along with a face that is spitz-like. Croatian shepherd is a non-shedding to an average shedding breed of dog, and it is hypo-allergic; at a young age, they can shed their puppy fur.
Temperament:
The breed Croatian sheepdog is keen, agile, intelligent, and alert. They have an extreme requirement for human leadership and enormous energy. In their total lifespan, they generally remain healthy; they are very low-maintenance and disease resistant.
They can socialize with other human beings and pets quickly and respond well to exercises and obedience training. If you as an owner do not abstain your Croatian shepherd from training, if done so, they can turn very destructive, noisy, and detached.
Care:
The breed Croatian sheepdog generally requires a lot of physical activity and exercise. These activities might include a regular walk and exercises and little sessions of active playing. They will also need frequent trimming as they have very dense and thick fur coats, which might attract and become a breeding area for many bacteria and insects, which might later lead to severe skin infections.
They are pretty easy to groom and take care of. An occasional brushing and combing are highly preferred to remove loose and dead hair.
They tend to gain weight if overfed, so as an owner, you need to keep an eye on their daily food consumption and the portion of food they eat. The ideal routine for feeding a Croatian shepherd is twice daily on a measured basis. You can even ask for a food diet from a trusted vet, and they will help you give the exact measure of food according to your dog’s weight and height.
Health:
The Croatian sheepdog breed has an average lifespan of around thirteen to fourteen years. Generally, they lead a healthy life provided they are taken proper care of. They can get fall for a few diseases which you need to know as an owner; they are;
Bloating
Retained testicles (in males)
Knee issues like patella luxation
Whelping.