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Zlatibor Cattledog |
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He is not recognized by the F.C.I. |
Origin |
Serbia | |
Translation |
Francis Vandersteen | |
This breed is also known as |
Zlatiborac
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| This is a rare and little-known working dog from Serbia, descended directly from the Herzeg Shepherd, although over the years it has also been influenced by the Sarplaninac, Sylvan, Tornjak and German Shepherd Dog, as well as other working breeds from the region. Commonly called Era, the Zlatibor Cattledog is mainly used to drive and protect flocks of sheep, goats and cows in its native region, but it is also a good property guardian and farm watchdog. There is very little information on this dog, because the Zlatiborac is fairly unknown even in present-day Serbia, but also because breeders are not interested in standardizing and promoting the breed. It is above all a working dog, bred with very little attention to its appearance, but with a great deal of attention to its temperament, personality and working abilities. The Zlatiborski is a territorial, aloof breed, devoted to its master, but wary of strangers and hostile to other dogs. Not a very active dog, it moves rather slowly and doesn't get upset for no reason. However, when provoked, the Zlatibor Shepherd can be quite vicious and pushy, especially when defending its territory. Intelligent and calculated, he responds well to training and obedience, but is neither very demonstrative nor a natural pleasure to people. They are serious, reserved working dogs, appreciated for their independence and noble personality. Breed enthusiasts say that the Era is much closer to a Central Asian Ovcharka than to any Balkan dog, and generally dislike comparisons with the popular Sarplaninac. Robust and healthy, these are long-lived Molosses, reaching up to 16 years of age. The head is broad, with a powerful muzzle and equally powerful jaws. This is a well-boned mastiff, with strong legs, a broad chest and a straight back. Some specimens have one of their ears cropped, but the majority of dogs are unchanged. There are two varieties in the breed, separated by their coat types. The shorthaired and longhaired variants are densely undercoated and fully weather-resistant. They are available in a wide variety of colors, both solid and tinted. Fawn and yellow specimens are very rare and highly prized, but the majority of Working Era dogs are either white with darker patches, or brown, gray and black, usually with white markings. The average height is around 63.5 centimeters. |
English (United Kingdom)