Pastor of the Carpathians - Discover the nobility and versatility of the fascinating race
Shepherd dogs are distributed throughout Europe and this is the case of the shepherd of the Carpatos, to which It is also known as Romanian Pastor of the Carpats and that is originally from the lands that Romania make up today.
- Weight: 35 to 50 kilos
- Hair type: smooth and hard. Medium length
- Character: balanced and docile
- Health: Very solid
- Life expectancy: 12 to 14 years
Origins
We already have records of the existence of the shepherd of the Carpats in the fifteenth century, although it is assumed that these dogs or some very similar have been in the region for longer.
In fact, it is said that the shepherd dogs in the Carpatos Montes can come from Mountain Boyeros, which in turn would descend from domesticated dogs nine millennia ago in Mesopotamia, just when goats and sheep became farm animals.
For centuries it has been used as a guard dog and as a pastor dog, although the truth is that because of its size it is more the first than the second. He is considered one of the best breeds of shepherd dogs, and today is still used.
The first contemporary and scientific news dates from the nineteenth century, when we see that the race appears in the magazine Veterinary Science Magazine, Year XV, No. 2.
We must wait more than a hundred years, specifically to 1998, so that the Race Club is based, which worked hard until in 2005 the provisional approval by the International Cinological Federation is achieved.
In 2015, its standard was reviewed and the final version that is currently in force was published.
Main characteristics
We are facing a large dog that belongs to the mastiff family. Thus, females measure 59 to 67 cm to the cross, while males range from 65 to 73.
Its weight has a very wide range of 35 to 50 kilos, which depends a lot on the size of the specimen and its sex, since It is one of the dog breeds with the most marked sexual dimorphism.
The males are much larger than the females, these are better shepherd dogs as they are lighter, but the truth is that both sexes are agile despite their robustness and size.
The head is quite large and the fine snout, so that it resembles that of the wolf. The nose is wide, brown eyes and triangular ears, always glued to the cheeks.
By living in such a cold area, with intense and abundant snowfall, The mantle is bilay. The exterior is rough and a little longer than the inside, short, dense and very soft.
There is not much variety in the tones of the mantle that are admitted, as dogs must be carbon sand, being able to have little expanded white marks along the body.
Charter character
This shepherd of the Carpats seems to have two personalities. One when he has to defend his flock and another with his owners, similar to that of other shepherd dogs.
If you are with the animals you keep it is a fierce dog that stands out for defending them at all costs. He knows what his job is and does, but that does not mean that it is an aggressive dog.
In fact, he never attacks without any reason, since he will only do it if he or the flock are in danger.
They can be territorial
With their family they change completely, and are faithful and affectionate. This is common to shepherd dogs, since they have developed a very special bond with man throughout several millennia.
They are calm if there is no flock to take care of, although sometimes they protect their family in excess, always without distrust unless they detect a danger very close.
His behavior with children and other animals is good, but with the condition that he has space when moving. You can live on a floor, although of course it is not your favorite habitat and will be happier in the field.
Sometimes they become territorial, what comes from their work with herds, but this can be solved with training and a good education.
To do this, we must socialize it from puppy, with a job that must be aimed at getting used to receiving unexpected visits. The idea is that you understand that you don't always have to be alert.
Here, the positive reinforcement will be our ally, which we can combine with sports such as agility, which will teach the dog to obey orders while burning energy and has fun with us.
Care
The shepherd of the Carpats is not a very demanding dog with the care. On the contrary, we are facing an animal of the most rustic that will ask us very little.
With the hair we will not have problems, because it is enough to brush it once a week If you live with us inside the house, always thinking that you do not leave everything full of hair. This frequency will have to increase it when it moves.
Yes, it will require us something else regarding the outputs. As a pastor dog that is, he has the habit of exercising and we will have to take very long walks with him, in addition to practicing some sport.
Said otherwise, It is an animal that will ask us time to go out, otherwise both their mental health and physics will end up being.
It is not a good dog to leave it only all day or have it in a booth in the garden. It requires attention, so if we are not going to give it, we will have to opt for another race.
Feeding
In his "natural habitat" the shepherd of the carpats feeds on almost anything, such as bread with milk or the water left over when cheeses are manufactured.
He puts few pastes in this aspect, but when he is with us, we set aside that diet and provide him with a higher quality, which can be wet without any problem.
We usually opt for dry feed because it is more comfortable for us and here we will find many options, always opting for brands that are sold in specialized centers.
The idea is that Our dog feeds on a quality feed, with a high amount of protein of great availability, of those that are assimilated because they come from meats suitable for human consumption, and not from by -products.
Besides, You should have no grains, carefully choosing when the shepherd of the Carpats is a puppy, since it is a large breed dog that will need a high amount of nutrients to grow with health.
As always, if we have doubts we can rely on the veterinarian, although the truth is that choosing a brand that they are considered as premium we will not be wrong when feeding our dog.
HEALTH OF THE CARPATOS PASTOR
When dogs are used for centuries for work, their health is usually iron. This is because only the most suitable have been reproduced, since the care shone by their absence.
In this way, it is one of the few races that do not have their own diseases or those that are prone by genetics, something that looks very little right now.
Yes indeed, You can suffer those diseases that have to do with their size, as in all big dogs are the Hip dysplasia, patellar dislocation and stomach torsion.
Dysplasia is frequent in large dogs and is diagnosed by radiographs, where you see how the femur head fits into the hip. Depending on the deviation, the symptoms will be milder or serious, preventing the animal from walking normally.
It can also suffer from patellar dislocation, which occurs when the bone of this joint moves. There are varying degrees and if it is serious, it is necessary to operate, although sometimes it is cured with medication and rest.
Beware of stomach torsion
For the end we leave the dreaded stomach torsion, an acute and very dangerous problem. It occurs when the stomach is expanded by the accumulation of gases, food or liquids. In this case, the ligaments do not hold it and rotate on its axis.
One of the consequences is that blood veins and vessels are compressed, so the blood does not reach the organs and they stop working.
If the dog does not receive treatment immediately, he dies and hence its gravity, more when the causes are not well known.
It is believed that a way to avoid it is not to let the dog be binge of food, especially before exercising and also later.
Thus, what we can do is distribute the ration in three shots and try not to stress the animal while eating.
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