Dog breed · Poland
The Tatra Shepherd Dog (Polish: Polski Owczarek Podhalański, lit. 'Polish Podhale Sheepdog') is a Polish breed of large flock guardian dog originating in the Tatra Mountains of the Podhale region of southern Poland. It was fully recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1963. It is one of five dog breeds originating in Poland, the others being the Polish Greyhound, the Polish Hound, the Polish Hunting Dog and the Polish Lowland Sheepdog.
Characteristics: The height at the withers is 65 to 70 centimetres (26 to 28 in) for males, 60 to 65 centimetres (24 to 26 in) for females.
They usually live for between ten and twelve years.
Characteristics: The height at the withers is 65 to 70 centimetres (26 to 28 in) for males, 60 to 65 centimetres (24 to 26 in) for females.
They usually live for between ten and twelve years.
History: Like other large white European flock guardian dogs such as the Kuvasz, the Pastore Maremmano and the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the Tatra Shepherd Dog is believed to derive from dogs brought from Asia by nomadic pastoralists.
The first show for these dogs was held in 1937. Because they were in isolated areas of the mountains, a small number of them survived the events of the Second World War. By 1954, when the first post-War show was organised, about 120 examples had been located; once the Związek Kynologiczny w Polsce, the Polish kennel club, was reconstituted after the War, shows were held in Kraków.
The breed was fully recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1963 or 1967. It is no longer found only its area of origin, but is distributed through much of Poland; some are in other countries.
