Carpathian Shepherd Dog
- Origin
- Romania
- Type
- Livestock guardian
- Size
- Large
- Height
- 59–73 cm (23–29 in)
- Weight
- 32–45 kg (71–99 lb)
- Coat
- Double coat, shorter on the head and front of the legs, longer on the chest, back of the legs and tail
- Colors
- Wolf gray
- Status
- Recognised by the FCI
The Carpathian Shepherd Dog, in full the Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Dog, is a large livestock guardian dog from the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.
History
Romanian farmers long kept dogs to guard their livestock, each breeding to suit his own needs, and there was no common standard. In 1979 a dog show in Bucharest featured 18 dogs of the Carpatin type, the dogs that would become the Carpathian Shepherd Dog. The standard was revised several times afterward until the present version was settled.
In March 1998 a group of enthusiasts founded the Carpathian Shepherd Dogs Club, later renamed the National Club of Carpathian Shepherd Dog Breeders. The club noted that many dogs around Rucăr, in Argeș County, are regarded as ancestors of today’s Carpathians. A conference on the Romanian breeds was held in Bistrița in March 2003. The FCI gave the breed provisional approval in Buenos Aires on July 6, 2005, and recognized it fully in 2015.
Appearance
Males stand 65 to 73 cm and females 59 to 67 cm, and dogs weigh 32 to 45 kg. The coat is double and wolf gray in color. It is shorter on the head and the front of the legs, and longer on the chest, the back of the legs and the tail.
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