Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

Chaplanina, Champlain, Sarplaninac

The Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog can be used for a variety of functions. Even if he is very appreciated in the mountains as a protector and defender of the herds, he has magnificent qualities as a life companion and defender of families and their property. Many useful tasks can also be attributed to him thanks to his physical abilities and excellent character. His great loyalty and total devotion make him an excellent companion for both work and family. This big hairy doggie is the friend of all those who respect him and his family.

Height 54 to 62 cm
Weight 30 to 45 kg
Life expectancy 11 to 13 years

Quick Overview of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

Temperament

  • Courageous and reliable
  • Calm and balanced
  • Can't be intimidated
  • Gentle temperament

Appearance

  • Well-proportioned
  • Heavily built
  • Powerful and impressive
  • All possible colors

Health

  • Rarely ill
  • No particular pathology

Temperament of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

Courageous, reliable, calm, balanced and practically impossible to intimidate, this beautiful large dog is very gentle with his owners and devoted to all members of his family. Endowed with a natural instinct to protect his family and their property, he protects them towards and against everyone.

Intelligent, he is easy to educate but a good firm education is necessary very early on. His mistrust of strangers requires unfailing socialization from a very young age. He can be reactive and it is preferable not to irritate him unnecessarily.

Created for guard and defense, this huge, hairy specimen has retained his natural instinct for protection and knighthood in his soul. He is very attached and close to all the members of his household and protects them at all times. He is not aggressive but will stop at nothing to protect his own.

Breed Appearance

Yugoslav shepherd

Above-average size, the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog is very well proportioned. Strongly built, this robust dog has a stocky silhouette. Although he is not the largest of the mountain dogs, he is powerful and impressive for his size.

Height

Between 56 and 62 cm (22.05 to 24.41 inches) for the male
Between 54 and 58 cm (21.26 to 22.83 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 30 and 45 kg (66.14 to 99.21 pounds) for the male
Between 30 and 45 kg (66.14 to 99.21 pounds) for the female

Color

His coat is allowed in all possible colors but the most sought-after colors are dark grey and iron grey. The upper parts of his trunk, neck and head are generally darker in color than the coat.

Hair

However, his long hair on the body, neck, tail and back of the legs is shorter on the front of the legs, ears and head.

Morphology

His head is well proportioned to the rest of his body with a large skull and a slightly pronounced stop. His light or dark chestnut eyes are almond-shaped and have a very calm expression.

His ears, drooping flat on the cheeks, are medium length. His nose is black. His long tail raised in action falls back at rest and reaches the point of the hock.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 2, section 2 and is #41

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog puppy: between 800 € / $ 1 / £1 and 1000 € / $ 1 / £1
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder

Tips About this breed

He is compatible with all ages and types of owners. However, his large size still requires sufficient space for both physical and mental development. He needs to stretch regularly but contact with his family is essential.

Living in the city is acceptable if he has a large space where he can exercise as he pleases. Living in the mountains is of course great, but he must stay close to his family.

This magnificent specimen must benefit from a good early education. It should be firm but gentle and include socialisation to overcome his natural distrust of strangers. He can be very reactive and making him nervous is a very bad idea because he will show aggressiveness.

The owner should not tolerate these reactions from an early age to prevent them once the dog is adult.

Health of the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog

This large, hardy dog can withstand all temperatures. He is rarely ill and the breed is not affected by any particular pathology. The Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog also enjoys a good life expectancy.

GROOMING

His beautiful, dense coat must be brushed regularly. The thickness of his fleece requires a good energetic brushing but no other particular maintenance is necessary.

History of this breed

Even if his history is not totally official, his very ancient origins most certainly come from Asian dogs. Following the people who bred them, they migrated to Europe and settled in the mountainous regions of former Yugoslavia. The breed later succeeded in crossing the borders and spreading throughout Yugoslavia.

Used to guard sheep and protect them from bears and wolves, he became so widespread in the mountains of Charplanina that he was given the name of Yugoslav Chaplanina Sheepdog.

The FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) recognized the breed in 1939, first as the Illyrian Sheepdog and then under his official name in 1957.

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