Tornjak
A livestock guardian from the mountains of Bosnia and Croatia, recorded there for over a thousand years. It lives with the flock and works without instruction.
Photo by Canarian, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
The Tornjak is a livestock guardian from the mountains of Bosnia and Croatia, kept for centuries to protect flocks from wolves and bears. The name comes from tor, meaning a sheep pen.
It nearly disappeared in the twentieth century as traditional shepherding declined and was rebuilt from the 1970s by breeders searching remote mountain villages for surviving working dogs.
Temperament
Calm, confident and independent. Tornjaks are devoted to their families and stock, reserved with strangers, and notably steady rather than reactive for a guardian breed.
They are less aggressive than several of the other mountain guardians and they are still guardians: territorial, decisive and inclined to make their own judgements. They bark at night. They need space and a job.
Care and grooming
A long thick double coat that needs weekly brushing and daily attention during the heavy moults. It is largely self cleaning.
The breed is generally healthy, having been selected by work rather than by show. Hip dysplasia occurs. Twelve to fourteen years.
Living and exercise
Territory to patrol and secure fencing rather than exercise sessions.
They suit smallholdings with stock. The breed is rare outside the Balkans and acquiring one usually means importing.
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