The Tatra Shepherd Dog, pl, Polski Owczarek Podhalański, italic=no, is a Polish breed of large

flock guardian dog A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a dog type bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators. Livestock guardian dogs stay with the group of animals they protect as a full-time member of the flock or herd. Their ability to guard ...

originating in the

Tatra Mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak () or in Polish () - '' plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the h ...

of the

Podhale Podhale (literally "below the mountain pastures") is Poland's southernmost region, sometimes referred to as the "Polish Highlands". The Podhale is located in the foothills of the Tatra mountains , Tatra range of the Carpathian mountains. It is ...

region of southern Poland. It was fully recognised by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) ( English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspice ...

in 1963. It is one of five dog breeds originating in Poland, the others being the

Polish Greyhound The Polish Greyhound ( pl, chart polski, pronounced ) is a Polish sighthound breed. It is known as the Polish Greyhound, although it is not a direct relative of the Greyhound dog. History The first records for the existence of greyhounds in Po ...

, the

Polish Hound The Polish Hound, commonly known as Ogar Polski, is a breed of hunting dog indigenous to Poland. The Polish Hound has a keen sense of smell. This heightened sense combined with the endurance needed to hunt in harsh environments led to its use i ...

, the

Polish Hunting Dog Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

and the

Polish Lowland Sheepdog The Polish Lowland Sheepdog ( pl, Polski Owczarek Nizinny, also PON), is a medium-sized, shaggy-coated, sheep dog breed native to Poland. Description Appearance The PON is a muscular, thick-coated dog. The double coat can be of any color or ...

History

Like other large white European flock guardian dogs such as the

Kuvasz The Kuvasz is a traditional Hungarian breed of flock guardian dog. Mention of the breed can be found in old Hungarian texts. They have historically been royal guard dogs, or guarded livestock, but have been increasingly found in homes as pet ...

, the

Pastore Maremmano The Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog, ( it, ), also called Maremmano, the Maremma Sheepdog or Abruzzese Sheepdog, and Cane da Pastore Abruzzese or Pastore Abruzzese (''Abruzzese Sheepdog'' and ''Abruzzese Shepherd'', respectively) is an Italian ...

and the

Pyrenean Mountain Dog The Pyrenean Mountain Dog (french: Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées) is a breed of livestock guardian dog from France, where it is commonly called the Patou. The breed comes from the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains that separate France a ...

, the Tatra Shepherd Dog is believed to derive from dogs brought from Asia by

nomadic pastoralists Nomadic pastoralism is a form of pastoralism in which livestock are herded in order to seek for fresh pastures on which to graze. True nomads follow an irregular pattern of movement, in contrast with transhumance, where seasonal pastures are fix ...

. The first

show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** Sp ...

for these dogs was held in 1937. Because they were in isolated areas of the mountains, a small number of them survived the events of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. By 1954, when the first post-War show was organised, about 120 examples had been located; once the

Związek Kynologiczny w Polsce The Polish Kennel Club (), a member of the FCI, is an organization responsible for dog pedigree registration services in Poland. The organization also provides training services, judging for conformation show A dog show is an event where d ...

, the Polish kennel club, was reconstituted after the War, shows were held in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...

. The breed was fully recognised by the

in 1963 or 1967. It is no longer found only its area of origin, but is distributed through much of Poland; some are in other countries. The

stud-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeder ...

is open – unregistered dogs judged to be typical of the breed may be added to it. Approximately 300 puppies are born per year, in about 50 litters. Total annual new registrations with the kennel club were 473 in 2011 and 383 in 2012. Not all dogs of this type are registered in the stud-book. Currently, the AKC does not recognise the breed.

Characteristics

The height at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ...

is for males, for females. They usually live for between ten and twelve years.

Use

The Tatra Shepherd Dog was traditionally used as a

, to deter predators from attacking flocks of sheep in the mountainous terrain of the

region. In modern Poland it is most often kept either as a

guard dog A guard dog or watchdog (not to be confused with an attack dog) is a dog used to watch for and guard property against unwanted or unexpected human or animal intruders. The dog is discerning so that it does not annoy or attack the resident hum ...

or as a

companion animal A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intellig ...

References

{{Livestock guardians FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in Poland Livestock guardian dogs Rare dog breeds

History

Characteristics

Use

See also

References