Šarplaninac

History

The origins of the Šarplaninac are not known. It was traditionally used to guard cattle or sheep. In the transhumant system of management, livestock was moved twice a year, to the high mountain pastures for the summer, and to the warmer plains for the winter. In the southern Balkans, very large numbers of sheep were moved in this way, accompanied by men and dogs. In Ottoman times, dogs of this type moved with the flocks of sheep, spending the summer in the area of the Šar Mountains and the winter in Thessaly – where they were known as 'Greek Shepherd Dogs'.

In 1939 it was recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale as a Yugoslav breed with the name 'Ilirski Ovčar' or 'Illyrian Shepherd Dog'; In 1957, following a request from the Yugoslav Federation of Cynology (Jugoslovenski Kinološki Savez), the Fédération Cynologique Internationale agreed to change the official international names of the breed to 'Jugoslovenski Ovcarski Pas – Sarplaninac' and 'Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog – Sharplanina'. In 1968 the Kraški Ovčar or Karst Shepherd Dog, which had previously been considered a sub-type, was recognised as a separate breed.

Breed numbers were much reduced by the conflicts associated with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Following these events, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognised North Macedonia and Serbia as the countries of origin.

The Šarplaninac is found mainly in the Šar Mountains, where it is thought to have originated and from which the name 'Šarplaninac' derives. It is also distributed in the areas of the Jablanica, Korab and Pelister mountains.

Characteristics

The Šarplaninac is a large and strongly built dog. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, and the front legs account for approximately 55% of the height. The head is large but proportional to the body, with dark eyes.

It is a robust, well-proportioned dog with plenty of bone, of a size that is well above the average and with a thick, long, rather coarse coat that emphasises the short-coupled appearance. Dogs weigh some , bitches about less. The average height at the withers is for dogs and for bitches.

It is always solid in colour: fawn, iron grey, white or almost black; usually sable or grey with darker "overalls" on the head and back, the undercoat being paler. The colour need not be completely uniform, and most Šarplaninac have several different shades of the same colour fading into one another.

The dogs may be expected to live for some .

Legislation

The Šarplaninac is on the list of banned dog breeds in Denmark. The Danish list includes 13 breeds and it is considered controversial, having received criticism from dog owners and several political parties because eight of the 13 breeds have no reports of any incident. Among the eight is Šarplaninac.

It is viewed on the one Macedonian denar coin.

Notes

References

References

1. Shukriu, Edi. (2008). "Prehistory and Antique History of Kosova". Thesis Kosova.
2. (13 March 2019). "Danish Legislation on Dogs".
3. [http://cphpost.dk/news/national/government-wont-change-criticised-list-of-illegal-dog-breeds.html Government won't change criticised list of illegal dog breeds] at cphpost.dk, 21 October 2013, Retrieved 14 September 2019 {{Webarchive. link. (23 November 2017)
4. (2018-04-14). "Sharplaninec - The Macedonian Shepherd Dog".
5. David Alderton (2010 [2008]). [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofdo0000alde/mode/1up ''Encyclopedia of Dogs'']. Bath: Parragon. {{isbn. 9781445408538.
6. Vladimir Dimitrijević, Slobodan J. Jovanović, Mila Savić, Ružica Trailović (2005). [http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0567-8315/2005/0567-83150506357D.pdf Genetic polymorphism of blood proteins in Yugoslav shepherd dog] {{Webarchive. link. (23 January 2023 . ''Acta Veterinaria (Beograd)''. '''55''' (5-6): 357-365.)
7. link. (18 November 2023 . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. {{isbn). 9780226115634.
8. Kim Dennis-Bryan (2020 [2012]). ''The Complete Dog Breed Book'', second edition. London: Dorling Kindersley. {{isbn. 9780241412732.
9. [https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/YUGOSLAVIAN-SHEPHERD-DOG-SHARPLANINA-41.html FCI breeds nomenclature: Jugoslovenski Ovcarski Pas – Sarplaninac (41)] {{Webarchive. link. (2 January 2023 . Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed January 2023.)
10. [https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/041g02-en.pdf FCI-Standard N° 41: Jugoslovenski Ovcarski Pas – Sarplaninac (Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog – Sharplanina)] {{Webarchive. link. (23 January 2023 . Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed June 2023.)
11. [http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/278g02-en.pdf FCI-Standard N° 278: Karst Shepherd Dog (Kraski Ovčar)] {{Webarchive. link. (25 October 2017 . Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed January 2023.)
12. link. (18 November 2023 . In: Hans Vermeulen, Martin Baldwin-Edwards, Riki van Boeschoten (editors). ''Migration in the Southern Balkans: From Ottoman Territory to Globalized Nation States''. IMISCOE Research Series. Cham: Springer. {{isbn). 9783319137193. {{doi. 10.1007/978-3-319-13719-3.
13. link. (18 November 2023 . New York: Barnes & Noble Books. {{isbn). 9780760722183.