Macedonian Sharplaninec

[Pelister]

No Pelister !!! In this world only Greeks could survived up to our days. They impress me with their unbroken continuity...just kidding.

Modern imposer Greeks inherited beside others even the motorcycles from 'their' famous ancestors:

haha :-)

Stop the Press

There has been a outcry in Greece at the suggestion that the image on this vase is a fake. The Greek government has even moved its military to the border region, and withdrawn its diplomats from the embassy as a protest against the assertion the image is a fake. The Greeks have been hurt by the suggestion, insisting the image is real and the 'chariot' is an authentic ancient Greek artefact, and add that they can prove it (if only anyone will listen!).

[makedonche]

Pellister

[George S.]

As far as sheep dogs are concerned they are very obedien't & just eat a small piece of bread.The dog knows to look after the sheep & doesn't need constant reminders & protects the sheep from predators.

[The LION will ROAR]

SARPLANINAC - ABORIGINAL TYPE

Sarplaninac are usually of wolf/iron-gray colour better known among shepherds under the name of "murdz". Being a moloss, which is a main characteristic in all varieties of colouring (you can see even a wolf-type heads also in all varieties, which is the result of mating with wolves and is happening even today), shepherds on Shara divide their dogs only by colour of the fur, such as (and I've already seen it ) "murdz" - wolf/iron-gray colour, "karabas" - lighter coloured dogs with black heads or deep dark masks on their muzles and foreheads, "merdzan" - snow white to ivory, "zlatan" - golden yellow, "medov" - brown, "sari" - brindle, "karaman" - black, etc...
And how did shepherds get different varieties of dogs? Well, it is not that hard to explain. In almost every village on Shara mountain there is just a few females (sometimes only one in the whole village) and a much bigger number of males. Reason for that is that males are usually larger and stronger (more aggressive too) than females, so shepherds rather retained males because it is easier for them to keep of and overpower predators.
According to the rules of shepherds, only one, chosen dog (strongest and bravest), will be pairing all bitches. These dogs are usually very dominant in every way, and their descendants will very much look like them and then, in a year or two, you will have a good number of dogs that are very similar, physically and psychologically and they will be bred in the near future. Some incest's could occur, so bloodline of their dominant ancestor would be even more established. Then you will have in one village (or bigger area) dogs of one type and in another village (where same practice is applied) you would have a somewhat different type (distinctions in colour,size, or even head shapes etc.). Keeping in mind that this method is used among people of Shara for centuries (and somewhere still is) there is your answer.
Dividing dogs on the base of colour is present at shepherds but it does not have any influence on dog selection, because only criteria on which they decide what dog is going to be with their flock is:- that dog has to be capable of defending the flock from predators. Still, even today, in most of aboriginal Sarplaninac litters you can find different coloured puppies in same litter. Centuries ago, those on one hand different types of dogs, were mated, because shepherds took their bitches for mating to a strongest and bravest males, based on a logic: - strong and fearless dogs will give us strong and fearless puppies - and all of that regardless of colour, so that fact is what gives us that multicolouration in litters. Puppies never had some special care, their life depended on their resilience. Due to the hard life and harsh climate, primal selection began with the first days of life of those puppies and first months are just one big test for them. While growing up,they are learning from older dogs the secrets of the job which they will do, but that is not necessary because it is simply written in their genes. In half plays-half fights, those young dogs are learning the art of fighting. When dogs are some wear between 9 and 12 months old, they are going trough the last toughest test. Shepherds then set traps in the mountain in order to catch a live wolf and when wolf is trapped, people chain him and bring him to the village to test the character of their dogs last time. Any dog who was afraid, or hesitates to take a determined attack on the wild beast is eliminated from his pack, and shepherds do that cruellest way possible - by death!
The character of Sarplaninac is, believed by many, something that divides him of all other livestock guardians. In autumn, when first snow starts to fall, dogs are coming back from the mountain pastures with their flocks to villages and that isn't period when dogs can rest for a while. The predators are always hungry, especially during winter when everything is covered with snow and there is not much other animals to feed on. But that is not the only thing, during the winter people organize numerous fight tournaments being a common tradition in South-East of Europe and Asia, in order to establish which dog is strongest. Watching those tournament fights, you can really see what is their true nature. The site of two Sarplaninac males that are fighting is very much reassembling a battle of two knights. When one of the dogs starts to show that he had enough, he will receive few more bites from the better dog in that match and fighting stops. Sure enough, there can be a lot of blood spilled, but that would rarely result with death of some dog, while their way of fighting with wolfs or bears is totally opposite. When Sarplaninac is fighting mountain beasts, he won't stop at any cause. Either he will kill the predator or either lose his life in trying to kill it. Still, when dogs are on the mountain with the flock, you will not see them chasing a wolf away from sheep's, because that is exactly what wolfs are wishing they would do. There is a very interesting tactic of one wolf pack. Usually wolfs will send one of them to arouse the dogs and to try to make the dogs chase it, while the rest are slaughtering sheep's behind their backs, but this does not work and wolfs are trying to avoid fights with Sarplaninacs. They will strike at the dogs only if their hunger is that strong that overwhelms their rational reasoning and then starts a battle for life or death for dogs and wolfs equally.
That almost unique Sarplaninac characteristic, that he can put up with all terrible bites of his opponent and not let a sound, even when Sarplaninac is losing parts of his body, is now being abused. How?
Due to the industrial advancement and recent war, population of wolfs on Sarplanina region is now largely reduced, so nowadays, it is sad but true, you can see Sarplaninacs in their homeland, fighting each other more often then it was a case before, but it does not end there. You can even see them fighting American Pitt Bull Terriers, Caucasian Ovcarkas, Central Asian Ovcarkas, and all kind of other breeds, in fighting rings all over Serbia & Montenegro. The only good thing (hardly that there can be any, but...) that comes from all of that, is that Sarplaninac can cope with almost every breed and frequently comes as a winner. But, if people proceed to put Sarplaninacs in fights, nobody knows how it would effect his nature in future.

[The LION will ROAR]

ANCIENT ORIGINS OF THE BREED



The Sarplaninac: (Pronounced Shar-Pla-Nee-Natz), is a breed of Antiquity, believed by many to be one of the oldest true Molossers in the World. The breed has taken its name after the Sharplanina mountain range from where it originated.


The Sarplanina mountain range is still the ancestral home of this breed and here the Sarplaninac is still used to protect flocks of sheep, goats and even cattle from mountain predators. Legends and folklore surround the breed and tell of its supernatural strength and bravery. Up here it is know as the "Planinski Duh" or "Mountain ghost".


a rare picture of Sarplaninac engaging a wolf. Renowned for his incorruptible courage, the Sarplaninac will not hesitate to lay down his own life in defense of family, flock or master. The Sarplaninac is a peerless flock guardian and family protector with an undiluted spirit and a noble heart.


These are the characteristics that have also made the Sarplaninac a valuable service dog with a number of K9 units within the countries than now comprise the Former Yugoslavia.


Today this area is geographically divided by three nations (Serbia, Macedonia & Albania) and unfortunately is still a volatile war prone region. The Sarplanina mountain range itself is only around 80km long and 12km wide and today runs along the southern borders of Serbia known as Kosovo and NW borders of Macedonia as well as a small section of the Albanian border. This mountain range has a highest peak of 2760 meters above sea level and is covered with snow from November to March. There are extreme climate variances from extremely cold below freezing winters to scorching hot summers so the dogs are very well adapted to handling extreme weather


During the summer months the Sarplanina mountain range can be described as a ‘Sea of Grass’, in fact it is the largest compact area covered in pastures on the European Continent.
The family of mastiff breeds are commonly referred to as Molossers, named after those dogs that were originally found in the geographic region that we refer to today as the Balkans. Prior to the Turkish conquest of the area, all of the shepherd dogs of the Balkans were believed to be subgroups of a primary type of large broad headed, pendulant eared, shepherd-dog known as a “Molossian Dog”, named after the fierce tribe that once inhabited the region and kept such dogs as flock guards in their fields and guard dogs for their homes.

ANCIENT ORIGINS OF THE BREED

Left: Molossi "Dog of Alchibaides " Right : a Modern Sarplaninac .

The Molossian Theory: The Mother of Alexander the Great was Olympia who was herself a Molossian Queen from the Epirus Kingdom. It is widely believed that the Sarplaninac is directly descended from these original ‘Molossian’ sheep dogs of ancient Epirus. Some scholars believe the Sarplaninac (or it’s direct ancestors) to be the palace dog of Alexander the Great. More over, this geographic area, now know on the Serbian side as Kosovo, was once the heart of the Serbian Empire and civilization which flourished in the middle ages during the time of the Nemanja Kings. It is believed by many that this dog was at the side of King Lazar in his great battles with the invading Turks.

Aristotle, who lived in 384-322 B.C, even wrote about these famous dogs of Epirus. In his "Historia Animalium" he tells us about, among several other dog breeds, the dog from Molossia in Epirus. Aristotle praises the Molossis dogs and tells us that they served as guardians of the herds, and distinguished themselves from all other dogs through there size and indomitable courage against wild animals.

The Roman chronicler Varro, writing in 37 BC in his "De Re Rustica", gives us a sort of breed standard for the Molossian dog:



They must be comely in face, of great size, with eyes either darkish or yellowish. Large symmetrical nostrils, lips black with the upper lip neither raised to high or drooping too low. Stubby jaws with large teeth covered by lips, large head and drooping ears. Thick shoulders and neck with thighs long and straight with large wide paws that spread when he walks. A deep bark and wide gape. The backbone neither projecting or swayed, thick coated and of leonine (lion like)appearance


The Assyrian Theory: Although many pieces of this puzzle are still missing, there is evidence that the origin of this large muscular, short-muzzled “type” of dog goes back even further to the Assyrians ( see wall relief below) and perhaps even before that to the region now known as Tibet.


The Tibetan Theory: suggests that the progenitor of all Mastiff dogs was the Tibetan Mastiff. It is believed that these dogs came with the nomadic Asiatic tribes that migrated into Asia Minor and Europe along the ancient “silk roads”.
This turn of the century Tibetan Mastiff does not look as much like today's Tibetan mastifs as he looks more like today’s Sarplaninac


All three of these theories have seem to have as many supporters as it has detractors. Based on the nomadic and migratory nature of ancient and prehistoric Europe, I personally believe that the truth is probably a mixtures of all three theories as I don't think that there theory are at all mutually exclusive.

What we do know is that there is a distinct resemblance between all of the great Molosser breeds such as the Tibet Mastiff, the Caucasian Ovtcharka, Sarplaninac, the Central Asian, and the Kangal dog. For me this only confirms the ancient and primary origins of breed. I could be said that the area now known as Kosovo seems to have been a crossing point for all of the major invasions and migrations from Asia into Europe. The white shepherd dogs Western Europe such as the Maremma and the Great Pyrenees are also clearly a part of this ancient family tree and these ancient breeds can be found scattered all over Europe and Eurasia.

[Makedonetz]

Very nice dogs wow id love to get one of these animals.

[George S.]

you propably get one from some breeders.

[Makedonetz]

george s

thay are nice dogs indeed! I'll have to research some and see f their are any kennels who breed them here in canada.

Id love to get a little tubby like this...



What would you name this guy?

[julie]

The y look like teddy bears and my sick stalker neighbour would feel threatened I want one

[Makedonetz]

julie they are a cutie arent they ;D

man they sure get big though! wonder how much food these dogs can eat! probaly eats Burek hehehe

Bet your stalker wont come around once one of these dogs scares the s*it out of them.

[The LION will ROAR]

george s

thay are nice dogs indeed! I'll have to research some and see f their are any kennels who breed them here in canada.

Id love to get a little tubby like this...



What would you name this guy?

Canada might be an ideal place for a sarplaninac with it's colder climate..
but these dogs would need a big area to roam around..
That's why I wouldn't get one living in Sydney...climate is just too hot for them...

Makedonetz you can name him maybe Sharre, Sharko, or Junior Makedonetz...lol

[Makedonetz]

Canada might be an ideal place for a sarplaninac with it's colder climate..
but these dogs would need a big area to roam around..
That's why I wouldn't get one living in Sydney...climate is just too hot for them...

Makedonetz you can name him maybe Sharre, Sharko, or Junior Makedonetz...lol

yeah indeed the snow we have here he would love it and stay warm lol

Sharko is a cool name

[The LION will ROAR]

Mite from Macedonia, Tattooed his favourite Dog.."A true lover of the Sharplaninec"

[Makedonetz]

Nice tatoo and nice looking dog!

[miticmk]

tnx i love them ...