Mioritic / Romanian Mioritic, Mioritic Shepherd

Breed history:

 It is a very old Romanian breed, which was preserved along the years thanks to shepherds. It is widely spread in Sibiu and Brasov areas. It seems that the origins of this breed are even older; dogs similar to the Mioritic Shepherd were the ones who accompanied Celtic tribes during migrations. Also, dogs with characteristics of the Mioritic Shepherd were brought by Tartars to the North of the Black Sea and around the Caspian Sea, from there it spread to Moldavia. Nowadays, this dog is very popular in Romania and not only, due to its imposing look and courage and is considered by some the only dog that can survive when attacked by a bear.

Description:

 It is a large-sized, strong, robust dog, without being heavy, with a well-developed body, with a wide and not too long chest. The head is big, strong, massive, with the muzzle slightly shorter than the skull. The stop is not well pronounced, neither are the eyebrows. The eyes are medium-sized, slanting, brown or hazel but never too light or yellow. The ears are also medium-sized, set high, round ended and drooping. They are not cropped. The tail is placed high, carried low, reaching the hock at rest; when alert it is carried high, over the backline, slightly bent, but never rolled on the back. It is bushy, well-covered with hair is not trimmed. The fur is double-layered with a thick and soft inner layer. The outer layer is about 3.15-6.3 inch long (8-16 cm), thick, rough, resistant, slightly wavy, covering the whole body. The colours can be: pure white, pure grey, white with well-defined grey or black patches. It has a calm and intelligent expression.

Personality:

 It is an intelligent, jolly, active dog, well-balanced, calm, pretty flexible, friendly with almost everyone, especially children. It is very devoted to its master and his family and will accept the family friends and other animals. The Mioritic Shepherd is a one-master-dog. It is cautious with strangers. It likes to be part of a family, to play with children, it doesn't know fear and is very brave.

Grooming:

 It needs constant care. The brushing of the fur begins from an early age and it is done frequently (weekly), intensely especially during the shedding periods when it loses a lot of hair. This represents an inconvenient for those who wish to keep it indoors even though it is a good and peaceful companion. Excess hair between the footpads and in the ears must be removed.

Living conditions:

 It is resistant to weather changes. It doesn’t require an owner with too much experience in raising dogs. It has a medium level of activity, it doesn’t need consistent exercise.

Training:

 It is not hard to train because it is obedient and eager to please its master. A gentle and consistent training can be done.

Usefulness:

 It is a good watchdog for herds and houses. It is a good companion dog, enjoying playing with children.