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Breed Characteristics
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Tornjak
| Other Names | Bosnian and Herzegovinian Shepherd Dog, Bosnian Shepherd Dog, Croatian Mountain Dog, Bosnian-Herzegovinian and Croatian Shepherd Dog, Hrvatski pas Planinac |
| Country of Origin | Bosnia/ Herzegovina/ Croatia |
| Weight | 77 - 110 lbs. (35 - 50 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | Males: 25 - 27 in. (65 - 70 cm) Females: 23 - 25 in. (60 - 65 cm) |
| Coat | As a rule, long coated with short hair on face and front part of legs. Top coat is long, hard textured (similar to goats) and straight. On the front part of shoulders and backside of rump it can be slightly wavy. Particularly well developed on the neck and also very rich and long below the tail, forming trousers. Feathering on the forearm and very rich feathering on the tail. Upper hair is especially long on the upper rump just before tail set. Firmly closed and not able to be opened in parting. |
| Colour | As a rule the Tornjak is parti-coloured with markings of various solid colours. Usually the dominant ground colour is white. There may be dogs with a black mantle and with white markings most often found around the neck, over the head and along the legs. There may also be almost-white dogs with only small markings. |
| Litter Size | 3 - 6 puppies |
| Life Span | 10 - 12 years |
| Origin & History | Tornjaks belong to the rare livestock protection breeds and share many characteristics with other Mountain dogs. The Tornjak is one of the very old breeds from ancient times, and it was mentioned in handwritten papers for the first time in the 9th century, in the documents of the Catholic Church. The breed was later mentioned in the 11th and 14th century. Description of Tornjak's from these documents are the very same as they are today, except for the name of the breed, which was Bosanski Ovčar, meaning Bosnian Shepherd Dog. It was also called the Hrvatski pas planinac, meaning Croatian mountain dog. The dogs in these documents were described entirely equal (in respect to their function and their appearance) as they are today: a protective guarding dog which keeps and watches all what their owners ask from them, but highly intelligent and selectively bred to be without excessive aggression. They are also pleasant against strangers that they meet outside of their domain. It is considered that the dogs of the Tornjak's type have existed in the area around and in Dinarides (Dinaric Alps), especially in the region around Vlašić (close to the city of Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina) as a central area of the region since the Roman times. The Romans used their dogs for war and as guardian dogs, as well as for fighting in the arena. Although the Tornjak is a very old breed, with the vanishing of nomadic sheep herding the Tornjak also gradually vanished. In the early 1970s, a group of local cynologists began to collect the remaining dogs which best corresponded to the old writings about the breed. The first written traces about the existence of Tornjak dogs date back to the 9th century. Descriptions about the Tornjak were found in the writings of Peter Horvat, bishop of Đakovo, Croatia, which date back to the year 1374, those descriptions were also found in the writings of Peter Lukić, Canon of the Đakovo diocese, which were written in 1752. The term 'Tornjak' evolved from the Bosnian/Croatian word "tor", which means an enclosed area where the sheep live in. To this day, these dogs are called Toraši (Torashi) in the surroundings of the city of Sinj and on the Kamešnica mountain, whereas the shepherds of the Dinara-mountains call them Dinarci. It is theorized (although not proven) that the Tornjak, as with other Livestock guardian dog breeds, are descended from the dogs that were developed somewhere around 9000 years ago in Mesopotamia following the domestication of sheep and goats in the same area. Tornjaks were first imported to the UK in 2013 with intentions of working towards UK Kennel Club Recognition. |
| Personality | The Tornjak is used for herding and protection of livestock; a farmyard guard dog. He has a stable temperament. He is friendly, calm, courageous, obedient, intelligent, full of dignity and self-confidence. When working he is fierce in guarding property entrusted to him, cannot be bribed and is suspicious of strangers. He will protect his owners, herd and property with his life. The Tornjak is friendly with people he knows. Devoted to his master and very composed in his presence, he is very affectionate toward people living in his immediate vicinity. Learns quickly and does not forget things easily, gladly performs tasks assigned to him. Strong and hardy, during the snowing winter nights, these dogs lie on the ground and often get covered by snow. He is easy to train. The objective in training this dog is to achieve pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader; lines are clearly defined. You and all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. That is the only way your relationship can be a success. |
Care Requirements
| Health | There are no known breed-specific health concerns. |
| Grooming | The Tornjak's thick, profuse coat is weather resistant and naturally attractive. It falls back into place after shaking, and it doesn't require much attention. With a thick undercoat and long topcoat, the Tornjak does shed quite a bit, and when they spend time inside the house, they should be brushed regularly. |
| Exercise | This breed of dog is best suited to a family with lots of space surrounding the home. It needs to be taken on a daily walk. |
| Other Considerations | The Tornjak is not recommended for apartment life. They need space and will do best with at least a large yard. Because its thick coat protects it so well, it can happily cope with living outdoors provided it has proper shelter. |
