UKC Guardian · FCI standard 278

Karst Shepherd Dog.

Shepherd and guard. FCI 278 utilization: a shepherd dog by excellence and a good guard; today more often used as a guard and defence dog, in recent times mostly a family dog, but essentially still a perfect shepherd dog. FCI classifies it molossian, mountain type, without working trial. Temperament (FCI and UKC): moderately sharp, courageous and valiant but not biting, very devoted to its master, an incorruptibly good guard, distrustful of strangers, a pleasant and obedient companion with a strong individuality. History: the Illyrian Shepherd of the Karst Massif (Slovenia), first written of in 1689, recognised by the FCI in 1939 and split from the Sarplaninac in 1968 (FCI and UKC agree). Breed club (Klub kraških ovčarjev Slovenije): by temperament and use a flock-guarding dog rather than a herding dog, with the job of defending the flock against wolves, stray dogs and thieves; it worked guard-and-shepherd service from the start of sheep keeping in Slovenia, then survived mainly as a yard guard and companion, and the club now tracks pedigree Karst Shepherds put back with flocks. Breeding area historically tied to sheep keeping with migratory grazing across the Slovenian Karst and Istria. Examples on the club page: a six-year-old male guarding about 180 sheep near Rijeka (Croatia) that has survived a wolf fight twice, and a female guarding about 50 sheep of a Slovenian native breed. Wikipedia: livestock guardian type originating in Slovenia, named for the Karst Plateau; the 1689 Valvasor mention of strong fearless dogs from the Pivka area; recognised by UKC in the Guardian Dog Group; needs early socialisation with livestock if it is to guard.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.

55–93LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 66.1 to 92.6 lb; breed bitches 55.1 to 81.6 lb.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 22.4 to 25.6 in · bitches 21.3 to 24.4 in

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 278, 2001

Spans UKC, FCI and the FCI tolerance. Center blank because the two ideals (22.5 and 22.4) differ. Wikipedia and mojpes.net print the same 54 to 60 cm; nothing widens the span.

Weight

dogs 66.1 to 92.6 lb · bitches 55.1 to 81.6 lb

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 278, 2001

FCI only. Wikipedia and mojpes.net print the same 25 to 37 kg.

Coat

FCI 278 and UKC: long, flat coat with abundant undercoat; short hair on head, front of ears and front of legs; stiff bushy mane and softer ruff; top coat at least 10 cm (4 in). Iron grey, darkest on the back, shading to light grey or sandy on belly and limbs, with dark streaking on the front of the legs and a dark mask spreading from the muzzle onto the skull; UKC disqualifies any other colour

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 278, 2001

Heat tolerance

2 of 5 · FCI 278: well-furnished, long, flat coat with abundant undercoat, top coat at least 10 cm, bushy mane and ruff, culottes. UKC: long and flat with abundant undercoat, topcoat at least 4 in

DerivedFCI Standard N° 278, 2001

Derived from the coat description (2 = heavy double / long). No source speaks to heat.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

mojpes.net: needs a lot of movement (potrebuje veliko gibanja); suited to a kennel run but also copes in a flat

Editorialmojpes.net

Single editorial source; no registry or club states an exercise band. exercise_need_min left blank.

Grooming

mojpes.net: undemanding; brushing once a week, several times a week during the coat change

Editorialmojpes.net

Single editorial source; no grooming_load score assigned (no RKC band).

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 278, 2001

FCI calls it a shepherd (herding word), but gives no stock, predator or work-style detail. The club's wolf and flock examples are its own field reports (two named dogs), not a survey.

Also used on

FCI 278: guard and defence dog; family dog. UKC: extremely good guard dog and a pleasant companion. Breed club: yard guard and companion since the decline of Slovenian sheep keeping; being returned to flock guarding by club projects. mojpes.net: use given as guard of small stock and of people's property, above all a devoted friend

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 278, 2001

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 2 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called: Kraski Ovcar, Kraški ovčar, Karst Shepherd, Illyrian Shepherd (Karst)

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