Tatra Shepherd Dog - Diet | Profile | Traits | Care

Tatra Shepherd Dog breed is calm, intelligent, docile, balanced, and attentive, however at a similar time very cautious. It was initially supposed for herding flocks of sheep from predators and cattle’s robbers, nonetheless, this can be very versatile.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Profile

Considered amiable and delicate, this working breed is uncommon in that he has a talent for each herding and guarding.

This won’t sound all that particular however it’s, as a result of most working dog breeds are specialized as one or the opposite (nobody expects a Border Collie to protect or a German Shepherd to herd).

The Polish Tatra is an old breed with roots going back to the 14th century. Raised in an area of Southern Poland, Podhale, the breed was notable for utilizing his size and body to nudge the sheep within the right course, moderately than nipping at their heels.

Then, at night, the Polish Tatra protectively patrols the pack utilizing a loud bark to warn predators that he’s ready to do what it takes to maintain the flock secure.

Indeed, the multi-tasking Polish Tatra has many sides to his character, together with being a loyal and dependable family dog – offered, after all, that he will get loads of train.

Tatra Shepherd Dog History

The Tatra Shepherd Dog has lived within the Polish mountains for hundreds of years, however, no actual date for the start of the breed was ever recorded.

There is the same thriller around what breeds have been blended to type the Polish Tatra Sheepdog. While nobody is for certain, many dog breeders say that the Polish Tatra Sheepdog got here from the Mastiff breed.

The breed was very popular amongst mountain staff for a number of centuries, and as much as in the present day. It was so popular as a result of, as its name implies, it was an implausible sheepdog.

This success at herding sheep was primarily because of their high intelligence. When predators have been across the sheep, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog would collect up the sheep and stand by them as a substitute for attempting to assault the predator, which would depart the sheep open for different assaults.

This demonstrates their intelligence. Their white coat additionally made them simply distinguishable from a bear or wolves, which was very useful for staff.

Also, house owners may shave the dogs and use their coats to provide wool. Herding sheep was not the one job the breed may carry out. They have been typically used as personal guards and incessantly guarded factories and different personal property.

After the World Wars, the breed was getting ready to extinction. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale, (FCI), wouldn’t permit this to occur, although, and by the 1960s they began breeding the sheepdog more and more.

Centuries ago, as their popularity as wonderful sheepdogs unfold, the breed spread slowly throughout Europe, however in 1980, an American Foreign Service Officer loved the breed a lot that he had three of them shipped to America, and by 1981 the breed additionally spread to Canada.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Appearance

The Tatra Shepherd Dog is an imposing, sturdy, and balanced dog. It has to be sturdy and decided each for preventing predators and guarding.

Its plentiful, dense, and insulating coat offers wonderful safety in opposition to an unhealthy climate. The basic impression of the Tatra Shepherd Dog suggests energy, stamina, and a sure aloofness.

Despite its mountainous origins, the breed thrives in all areas and situations. Sex dimorphism is clearly seen, females being distinctly smaller and less highly effective than males.

As you’ll count on from a working dog able to herding and guarding, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog is well-built and well-muscled, with a long thick coat as safety in opposition to the weather.

Apart from his size, essentially the most putting factor in regards to the Tatra’s look is that magnificent white coat. Snow white and shaggy, with a black nostril and lips, he’s really eye-catching for all of the right causes.

A big dog, standing round effectively over half a meter to the shoulders, has an oblong body and durable head with a correct muzzle.

He additionally has a straight tail, which he carries high when in a cheerful temper. Every line of this spectacular dog suggests energy and energy, which belies his light and affectionate nature.

Rectangular in form, the size of the body of males being a bit shorter than that of bitches.

Compact and harmoniously constructed. He is an enormous dog, however not so extreme as to look heavy and cumbersome.

On head, muzzle, front a part of forelegs and on the hind legs from the hock downward, the hair is brief and dense. The neck and the body are coated with long, thick, straight, or barely wavy hair, arduous to the contact. Undercoat profuse. On the neck a wealthy ruff; the thighs are coated with profuse, longhair; on the tail hair additionally profuse, forming a flag.

Correct coat texture is of utmost significance. The outer coat is moderately harsh, shiny, and considerably oily, offering good safety in opposition to moisture and dust. It doesn’t need any elaborate grooming, other than brushing and occasional combing.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Training/Behaviour

With acceptable education it’s obedient, the course has to be constant and sort, as any hardness by coaching it simply spoils.

Increasingly, due to its engaging look, it additionally turns into a companion dog at a similar time filling the function of a dependable guard of home or farmstead.

Under all circumstances, it’s loyal and utterly devoted to its house owners and members of its family.

To the strangers, it’s behaving suspiciously. It will get effective with pets and youngsters too, however, you have to be cautious that their game can’t be too wild.

It ought to have ample alternative to maneuver, the very best is the dog will be on its own fenced backyard, if it isn’t possible, there are necessary hearty walks within the countryside.

It is appropriate subsequently significantly for house owners of sporty extraordinarily time busy who can indulge it. It can be used as a guard dog, rescue, and avalanche, even within the service of the military and police.

It will be all year round within the outside kennel, but it surely can’t be shut completely. Urgently this breed wants a permanent or not less than as frequent and extended contact with people. It is the happiest within the family circle.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Body

Its body has to be sturdy, compact, and lift the reliable impression of energy and agility. The body is rectangular, height at withers, the male is 65-70 cm and 60-65 cm is feminine.

The head is dry, in movement and at relaxation is carried at medium height. Skull needs to be considered from the above barely sprung front furrow is shallow, frontal slope needs to be steep.

The muzzle has to be sturdy and step by step tapers in direction of the nostril. The bridge of the nostril is a broad, black nostril, medium-sized, with extensive open nostrils.

Desirable are dry lips with darkish pigmented edge tightly becoming to the jaws and teeth, they need to be sturdy, evenly spaced jaws. Desirable is scissor chew, pincer can be permissible.

Eyes are medium-sized, barely sloping, sturdy, their iris needs to be darkish brown. The edges of the eyelids are darkish.

The earlobes are in outer eye corners level or above. They’re medium size, moderately thick, triangular, and densely feathered vanguard flippantly touching cheeks and movable.

The neck is of medium size, muscular, closely furred, the coat on it varieties a “collar”. Line of neck rises above the higher line of the body, the body is long, thick cock clearly marked and extensive, back straight, the correct width, shoulders extensive, firmly connected to the back, this needs to be barely sloping.

Tail is just not too high and in repose, carried under the topline of the body, when indignant over it, however not curled over the croup and loin. When hanging down, reaching the hock and the tip will be angled barely upwards.

The chest needs to be deep, ribs are angled moderately flat. The stomach needs to be barely tucked. The forelegs need to be muscular, sturdy bone, however not too arduous, straight, and vertical to the substrate.

Pasterns are barely slanted, paws compact, with tightly knit toes, oval formed, pretty massive, the legs are coated with thick, stiff, and darkish pigmented padded and robust, blunt and darkish colored claws. The hindquarters and fetlocks need to be vertical to the ground.

Hair on the top, together with a muzzle, front of forelegs, and hind legs from the hock down are brief and dense.

Neck and body are coated with long, thick, straight, or barely wavy hair, arduous to the contact, undercoat have to be wealthy. Coloration is uniformly white and small cream-colored patches are undesirable. The coat requires regular care.

Any faults from the foregoing factors need to be thought-about a fault and assessed the degree of expression.

The defects are deep furrow, lack of pigmentation of the nostril, eye rims and lips, brilliant eyes, entropion, ears set too high, folded backward or cropped, neck carried low, overbuilt, tail always carried above the top line of the body, persistence dewclaws, sparse feathering interdigital areas, lack of “collars”, “tags” on front and “trousers” on the hind legs.

To damaging, defects belong aggression or fearfulness, gradually cease pointed muzzle, a massive variety of lacking teeth, overshot or undershot jaw, ectropion, hair curly or silky, lack of undercoat, patchy discoloration or nervousness.

Sizes

Height at withers;

Males: 65-70 cms
Bitches: 60-65 cms

Tatra Shepherd Dog Temperament

The Tatra Shepherd Dog is extraordinarily intelligent, alert, and makes a wonderful watchdog. Very even-tempered, quiet and courageous, pleasant to home animals and youngsters, and considerably aloof and distrustful of strangers.

A whole lot of in the present day’s Polish Tatra Sheepdog’s behaviors and qualities will be traced back to its use of guarding. They are territorial, loyal, and protective of their house owners, and are superb watchdogs because of this.

A paragon amongst working dogs: how would a Polish Tatra match into family life? Very effectively, because it occurs. When raised effectively, the Tatra makes for a very good family dog, as he takes the identical level of care over youngsters as he does over the sheep he’s tasked to guard.

His character is usually described as even-tempered, with him being sluggish to anger and infrequently biting, until he’s completely pressed to take action.

Of course, any dog has to be supervised when within the presence of youngsters, but it surely’s useful that the dog has a dependable temperament.

However, Tatra’s intuition to protect can present by when he encounters strangers. He’s more likely to bark heartily at people he doesn’t recognize in an effort to warn them off. Whilst he’s usually agreed to be a tolerant dog, be ready for noise when uncovered to strangers or unfamiliar animals.

Were it not for the Tatra’s need for house and train, he may rightfully declare a spot in front of far more hearths than he at present does. But as a dog used to be energetic all day, it’s a rare family that may present enough train to fulfill the wants of this huge dog.

Exercise and Activity Levels

Being outside within the open air is within the Polish Tatra’s blood. It is important that he will get loads of train – ideally of the sluggish sustained type the place he walks for hours at a time.

He additionally loves being outside, so these contemplating a Tatra need to have prepared entry to a big backyard that’s securely fenced.

When indoors, the Tatra shall be on alert and guard. This means he’s liable to bark when he hears neighbors shifting about, which alongside his massive size, makes him poorly suited to condo life.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Grooming

One of Tatra’s most distinguishing options is that long thick snowy coat. This is a double-layered coat, completely tailored to behave as a protection in opposition to extremes of climate.

Indeed, his coat is so thick and splendid that in previous instances combings of it have been carded collectively and spun to create upholstery material and fantastic woolen clothes.

Bear in thoughts that this coat is designed for outside life. So, the excellent news is that it’s largely self-cleaning; he hardly ever wants bathing, and by no means wants professional grooming. But, the unhealthy information is that when housed indoors, the Tatra sheds closely, and also you’ll quickly end up ankle-deep in drifts of shed white hair. Your solely choice to restrict that is to brush him every day and seize the shed hair on the comb.

Trainability

What makes for a very good autonomous sheepdog able to make swift decisions on the go, doesn’t make for good obedience coaching. Tatra’s trait of pondering for himself means he’s more likely to make his personal thoughts up than take heed to a coach’s directions.

This could make the Tatra wilful at instances, and he’s thought-about a troublesome dog to coach. However, this doesn’t imply that owners shouldn’t attempt – simply that they need to encourage the dog with acceptable reward-based coaching strategies and to persist within the face of frustration.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Suitability

After hundreds of years of operating round sheep, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog has a very good quantity of energy and wishes a decently massive fenced yard to run round in.

It is just not a very good condo dog due to its size and quantity of energy. They usually are not very energetic inside, however are very energetic outdoors.

This is why fixed walks are beneficial. During late spring and early winter, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog sheds its undercoat profusely, however, for the remainder of the year, it stays clear, because of its self-cleaning coat.

Also, this breed doesn’t drool. The Polish Tatra Sheepdog could be very intelligent, unbiased, and wishes a powerful hand to train.

Health

The Polish Tatra Sheepdog is usually a really wholesome dog with only a few health dangers. The average life expectancy for this breed is often 10–12 years old.

As with most massive breed dogs, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog can sometimes get hip dysplasia, Gastric Torsion, Epilepsy, Allergic Dermatitis.

Tatra Shepherd Dog – Diet | Profile | Traits | Care | Behavior