4 Romanian Dog Breeds To Consider For Your Family
Romania is currently home to 4 unique dog breeds, each of these large, powerful dogs has been bred to guard livestock and is barely known outside of their home country.
These beautiful dogs are often owned by shepherds in rural settings, they tend to form a strong bond with one owner. They are also known to be good around children and fit in well with family life but they are suspicious of strangers.
Mioritic Shepherd Dog
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Description: The Mioritic Shepherd Dog is a large, robust dog that has a large head and a shaggy coat. The double-layered fur is usually white or grey and can also have grey or black patches.
Height: 63-73cm
Weight: 40-58kg
Personality: The Mioritic Shepherd Dog is a calm, friendly, and intelligent dog. While they like to be part of a family, the breed is known for being a one-person dog and will bond strongly to one owner. Mioritic Shepherd Dogs are devoted, brave, and good watchdogs.
Carpathian Shepherd Dog
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Description: The Carpathian Shepherd Dog is a big dog with a large, long body and a wide chest. They have a big head with drooping V-shaped ears and a wolf-like appearance. Their coat is sandy-coloured and they have a thick bushy tail.
Height: 58-71cm
Weight: 35-50kg
Personality: Carpathian Shepherd Dogs are active, intelligent and well-balanced dogs. They are natural guard dogs and are known to be obedient and devoted making them good watchdogs. Carpathian Shepherd Dogs are also brave and are often used for guarding and protecting in Romania.
Corb/Raven Shepherd Dog
Description: The Corb or Raven Shepherd Dog is a large breed with a black coat. These dogs are large with long bodies and big, strong heads. Their fur is thick and shaggy, the fur is mane-like around the neck and Corbs also have a bushy tail.
Height: 63-74cm
Weight: 50-60kg
Personality: Corb Shepherd Dogs, or Raven Shepherd Dogs, are powerful, courageous, and easy to train. They are excellent guard dogs and will defend livestock from wolves and bears. Corb Shepherds are friendly and affectionate with family but are unsure of strangers.
Bucovina Shepherd Dog
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Description: The Bucovina Shepherd Dog is a large-sized dog that stands proud with a big head and strong jaws. This dog has a long white coat with distinct black or grey patches and a bushy tail.
Height: 63-76cm
Weight: 68-80kg
Personality: The Bucovina Shepherd Dog was bred to protect flocks of sheep and has a courageous, protective nature. Bucovina Shepherd Dogs are excellent watchdogs as they are always alert and have a powerful bark that deters strangers. At home, this breed is calm, devoted, and balanced.
Romanian Rescue Dogs
While there are only four Romanian dog breeds, there are thousands of street dogs in the country. Romanian street dog breeds are usually mixed so you will see dogs of all sizes, looks, and characters.
The sheer number of street dogs is the reason Romanian dog rescue is a focus for many organisations. These organisations work to rescue strays and try to find them homes in an effort to get dogs off the street and slow down the breeding of the stray population through spaying and neutering.
The stray problem started in the ’80s when many people in Romania were forced to move to the cities. As space became an issue, many ended up abandoning their animals. Today, the problem is out of control with shelters being full and thousands of homeless, un-neutered dogs roaming the streets.
Romanian rescue dogs can be adopted internationally and many are brought over to the UK where they are fostered and adopted. These rescues are often mixed breed dogs that are loyal and loving. It can take a bit of time for a rescue dog to settle into their new home and many Romanian rescue dogs have emotional and behavioural issues due to their past experiences.
