Charplanina

The exact origin of the breed is unknown. This herding dog is considered a dog of very ancient descent since it would descend from the Molossus of Epirus, a dog of Antiquity. The morphological type of this ancient ancestor would have been preserved in the difficult to access mountainous regions of southern Yugoslavia. It could also descend from dogs of Asian origin which would be the ancestors of all mountain dogs. The Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina was and is still traditionally used as a protective dog for sheep flocks against wolves and bears. The characteristics, both physical and behavioral, of the breed are therefore firmly fixed by long and rigorous selection for work. It was notably renowned for its protective action against wolves and was selected for this purpose, with a particularly well-developed jaw and teeth. In 1939, the breed is registered by the International Canine Federation (FCI) under number 41 under the name Illyrinian Shepherd Dog. In 1957, following the request of the Yugoslavian Canine Federation, the General Assembly of the FCI replaced its name from Illyrinian Shepherd Dog to Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina. In France, the first registrations in the French Stud Book (LOF) of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina date from 1979. The number of registrations increased to more than 300 registrations per year from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. From then on, annual registrations declined and since the 2000s, a small hundred Yugoslavian Shepherds of Charplanina are registered each year. In 2012, the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina is the 29th most popular breed in Group 2 'Pinscher and Schnauzer type dogs - Molossoids - Mountain and Swiss Drover Dogs'.

The FCI standard describes the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina as calm, a good non-biting defender, devoted to its master. Calm and discreet, it is very attached to its family environment and is wary of strangers. Early socialization is necessary. No education is necessary to develop its protective aptitude, which it practices innately and particularly effectively, having been hard selected for this work. Education must be firm but without brutality, based on complicity rather than dominance. Training as a guard dog must be particularly carried out calmly, because an overeager master can make it nervous and more aggressive. The Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina is not recommended for city life: fundamentally selected to live in large spaces, its size, its coat and its character requires outdoor life. It is however a breed that is not very demanding in terms of physical exercise.

The Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog of Charplanina is a mountain dog of robust and powerful appearance without being heavy. The size ranges from 67 to 72 cm for the male and from 62 to 68 cm for the female. Strongly built, the body is well proportioned and fits in a rectangle. The abundant coat gives it a compact appearance. The tail, well covered with thick hair and forming fringes, reaches at least the tip of the hock. Powerful at its base, the sword-shaped tail tapers towards its end. The pace is long and supple, the preferred gait is the trot, with high strides and average lengths. The gallop is somewhat heavy, with long jumps covering good ground. The head, proportioned to the body, measures approximately 25 cm. The skull is slightly longer than the muzzle. The stop is slightly pronounced. Almond-shaped, the eyes are dark hazel or light colored. The drooping ears fall flat against the cheeks. They are in the shape of a 'V'. When pulled slightly tight, they reach to the inner angle of the eye. The cover coat is long (minimum 7 cm on the body) and somewhat rough. It measures 10 to 12 cm on the withers. The undercoat is short, finer than the cover coat, very thick and abundant. The head, ears and front parts of the limbs are covered with short hair. The coat should be unicolored except black. Many colors are accepted: from white to dark gray. However, the most sought-after colors are greenish gray (iron gray) and dark gray. Small white marks on the chest and on the toes are permitted, but undesirable.