Polish Tatra Sheepdog

The Polish Tatra Sheepdog, also called the Tatra Shepherd Dog, is a large flock guardian from the Tatra Mountains in the Podhale region of southern Poland. Its Polish name, Polski Owczarek Podhalański, means Polish Podhale Sheepdog. It is one of five dog breeds that come from Poland.

History

Like the other big white flock guardians of Europe, such as the Kuvasz, the Maremmano and the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the Tatra is believed to descend from dogs that nomadic herders brought from Asia.

The first show for the breed was held in 1937. A small number of dogs came through the Second World War, helped by the remoteness of the mountain areas where they lived. By 1954, when the first show after the war was organized, about 120 had been found. Once the Polish kennel club was re-established, shows were held in Kraków. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale gave the breed full recognition in the 1960s; sources give either 1963 or 1967. The American Kennel Club does not recognize it.

The Tatra is no longer confined to its home region. It is found across much of Poland, and some dogs live in other countries. The stud book remains open, so an unregistered dog judged typical of the breed can be added. About 300 puppies are born each year in around 50 litters. The Polish kennel club recorded 473 new registrations in 2011 and 383 in 2012, though not every dog of this type is registered.

Appearance

Males stand 65 to 70 cm at the withers and females 60 to 65 cm. Weight ranges from 35 to 60 kg.

Temperament

The Tatra’s traditional work was guarding flocks of sheep, deterring predators in the mountain country of Podhale. In Poland today it is most often kept as a guard dog or a companion.

Care and health

These dogs usually live for ten to twelve years.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.