Skip to main content

Croatian Native Breeds

Croatian Shepherd Dog

The Croatian Shepherd Dog is a breed with combined habits, which means it can be used for herding of livestock as well as a guard dog or companion dog. One hundred years of breeding the Croatian Shepherd Dog in the valley of east Slavonic, near house and yard, have formed a dog well adjusted to all conditions.
The Croatian Shepherd Dog is a medium sized dog with a spitz-type, rustic appearance and a head with a fox-like expression with a characteristic coat and colour. He gives the impression of a proud, agile, strong, compact but on no accounts coarse dog.
This breed was most probably developed over several centuries out of the descendants of the so-called “Pfahlbauhund” (Canis Familiaris Palustris) in the area of eastern Slavonic, which is a part of the Republic of Croatia. According to the hypothesis in the manuscript of Bishop Petar Bakic in the year 1719, which again refers to an earlier manuscript of the Bishop Petar of the year 1374, immigrants brought this breed into the homeland.
Prof. Stjepan Romic started the systematic breeding of the Croatian Shepherd Dog in the year 1935. The breed was first publicly presented at the first state dog show on 29th and 30th of October 1949 in Zagreb. Dr. Otto Rohr wrote the first breed standard in the year 1951. The standard was published by the FCI on 31st of January 1969.

Tornjak

The Tornjak is a large and powerful dog, well – proportioned and agile. The shape of the body is almost square. The bone is not light, but nevertheless not heavy nor coarse. He is strong, harmonious and well balanced when standing and moving. His coat is long and thick.
Of steady disposition, friendly, courageous, obedient, intelligent, full of dignity and self-confidence. Fierce in guarding property entrusted to him, cannot be bribed and is suspicious of strangers. Devoted to his master and very calm in his presence. Very affectionate towards persons living in his immediate vicinity. Learns quickly and keeps this in his memory for a long time, gladly performs tasks assigned to him. He is easy to train.
The almost extinct descendants of genetically homogeneous, native archaic types of shepherd dogs have been the foundation stock for the re-creation of the breed “Tornjak”. The dogs belonging to the original stock had been dispersed in mountain areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and their surrounding valleys. The major historical dates are the years 1067 and 1374. Written documents from these periods mention the Bosnian-HerzegovinianCroatian breed for the first time. The research about their historical and more recent existence and then a systematic salvation from extinction started simultaneously in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina around 1972 and continuous pure blood breeding began in 1978. Nowadays, the breed population consists of numerous, purebred dogs selected during a series of generations dispersed throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Dalmatian

Pleasant temperament, friendly, not shy or hesitant, free from nervousness and aggression. Lively kind, loyal, independent and easy to train. The Dalmatian likes water and outdoor activities. It has a marked hound instinct.
Dalmatian dog is hunting dog, companion dog, family dog, suitable to be trained for various purposes.
The origin of the Dalmatian dog can be recognized in paintings and in church chronicles from the 16th to the 18th century. Dalmatians can be found on the altar painting “Madonna with Jesus and Angels” in the church “Gospa od andjela” in the town Veli Losinj, island Losinj in Croatia dating back to 1600 – 1630 and also in a fresco in Zaostrog, Dalmatia, Croatia. It suggests that the Dalmatian originates from the eastern Mediterranean region, in particular the historic province Dalmatia.
The first descriptions of the Dalmatian were found in the diocese Djakovo, in the Croatia, namely in the church chronicles of the Bishop Petar Bakic from the year 1719 and the church chronicles of Andreas Keczkemety from the year 1737. The dog was named with the Latin name “Canis Dalmaticus” and the height of the dog described with 4-5 “Spithamus”. Thomas Pennant described this breed in his work “Synopsis of Quadrupeds” in the year 1771 as very independent, named it “Dalmatian” and wrote the origin of this breed to be Dalmatia. A work by Thomas Bewick, published in 1790, refers to this breed as “Dalmatian or Coach Dog”. The first unofficial Dalmatian Standard was written by an Englishman named Vero Shaw in the year 1882. After the formation of the Dalmatian Club in England in the year 1890 this standard was transferred to the first official breed standard. The FCI published the first Dalmatian standard on the 7th of April 1955 under the name of “Dalmatian Huntingdog”.

Istrian Short Haired Dog

A dog of noble appearance with a hound-like strong body, of medium size. Slender, elegant body without any coarseness, with harmonic movements and short, fine hair of snow-white colour with orange markings on the head and body. The difference between male and female has to be distinctive.
The breed is easy to train for hunting and is very popular with the huntsmen due to its excellent hunting abilities.
This hound is particularly suited for hunting in rough, stony areas (Karst-areas) but also in all other hunting areas.
The voice is strong and melodic.
Of lively temperament, gentle, docile, obedient, neither nervous nor aggressive. Devoted to his owner. Wary of strangers.

The breed descents from an old type of the “East Adriatic white hound with markings”. The earliest proof of this can be seen in the Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik, which originates from the time between 1327 and 1348. The Capital column of four dogs shows the old type of this hound. The Istrian Short Haired Hound can be found on a painting from the year 1474 “The bow of the three kings” in the cemetery chapel next to the village of Beram (Istrien). The altar painting from the year 1476 “The mother of Mercifulness” in the church of the holy Francis in Zadar, where in the left bottom corner an ancestor of today’s Istrian Hound is shown. He was shown then with a three-coloured coat. The description of this hound can be found in the manuscript of the Dakovoe Bishop Petar Bakic from the year 1719, where it says that the breeding of the Istrian Hound was already known before the 14th century. The first Standard for the Short-haired Istrian Hound was published by the FCI on the 2nd of April 1955.

Istrian Wire Haired Dog

A dog of noble appearance with a hound-like strong body, of medium size. Slender, elegant body without any coarseness, with harmonic movements and short, fine hair of snow-white colour with orange markings on the head and body. The difference between male and female has to be distinctive.
The breed is easy to train for hunting and is very popular with the huntsmen due to its excellent hunting abilities.
This hound is particularly suited for hunting in rough, stony areas (Karst-areas) but also in all other hunting areas.
The voice is strong and melodic.
Of lively temperament, gentle, docile, obedient, neither nervous nor aggressive. Devoted to his owner. Wary of strangers.

The breed descents from an old type of the “East Adriatic white hound with markings”. The earliest proof of this can be seen in the Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik, which originates from the time between 1327 and 1348. The Capital column of four dogs shows the old type of this hound. The Istrian Short Haired Hound can be found on a painting from the year 1474 “The bow of the three kings” in the cemetery chapel next to the village of Beram (Istrien). The altar painting from the year 1476 “The mother of Mercifulness” in the church of the holy Francis in Zadar, where in the left bottom corner an ancestor of today’s Istrian Hound is shown. He was shown then with a three-coloured coat. The description of this hound can be found in the manuscript of the Dakovoe Bishop Petar Bakic from the year 1719, where it says that the breeding of the Istrian Hound was already known before the 14th century. The first Standard for the Short-haired Istrian Hound was published by the FCI on the 2nd of April 1955.

Posavatz Hound

The breed is easy to train. This is a universal hound with a clear and melodic voice for hunting in all areas. Docile, neither nervous nor aggressive, reasonably lively temperament. Very devoted to the owner.
Strong hound-body, medium sized dog with balanced movements.
The characteristic red-wheaten colour comes in all shades.
The white markings are on head, neck, on the fore chest, the chest, the belly, the lower limbs and at the tip of the tail.
The difference between the genders has to be distinctive.
Posavatz, the scent hound from the Save Valley is an old hound breed, which descents from a type of the “Illyrischen Hound of Red Colour with markings”. In the cemetery chapel next to the village of Beram (Istrien) one can find in the fresco, dating from 1474, “The bow of the three Kings” a dark wheaten dog with dropped ears. This was the first portrayal of the Posavatz Hound. The next portrayal is the altar fresco “The motherhood of the Holy Virgin Mary” from the 16th century in the Mother of the Angels Church in Veli Losinj, where the ancestor of today’s Posavatz Hound is depicted. There is also a description of this hound in a manuscript from the year 1719 of the Dakovear Bishop Petar Bakic, where it says, that the breeding of these hounds was already well known in the 14th century. Franjo Bertic describes the Posavatz Hound in the year 1854. The FCI published the first Standard for the Posavatz Hound on April 8th 1955.

Small Međimurje Dog

According to word of mouth, it is being bred over a hundred years in northwestern Croatia, in Međimurje area mostly.
Found in rural yards as a guard dog and hunter for harmful rodents.
Because of these characteristics, the owners of mills on the Mura and Drava rivers, as well as nowadays stock breeders, were glad to have them.
Because of its size and character it is very suitable for breeding in the urban environment.