The original type of the breed has been maintained solely in such parts of new country Kosova where intense cattle breeding is still prevailing and where this dog still can play its original role of a guardian and protector of the cattle herds against predatory animals.[citation needed]
* Albanian: Qen i Sharrit or Qeni Ilir
Appearance:
The illyrian sheepdog is a large, muscular, strongly-built dog. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, and the front legs account for approximately 55% of the height. The head is large but proportional to the body, with dark eyes.
Size:
The illyrian sheepdog is a robust, well proportioned dog with plenty of bone, of a size that is well above the average and with a thick, long, rather coarse coat that emphasizes the short coupled appearance.
* Height in Male Dogs: 56-62cm (24 inch above)
* Height in Female Dogs: 54-60cm (22.5 inch above)
* Weight in Male Dogs: 35-45kg (77-99 lbs)
* Weight in Female Dogs: 30-40kg (66-88 lbs)
Although much larger and heavy dogs exist, the preferred size for illyrian sheepdog for male dogs is 75cm and female dogs 70cm.
Coat:
The coat is dense and medium in length; it can be rough or smooth. The coat is also about four inches (10 cm) long. The coat will benefit from occasional brushing. All illyrian sheepdog types are solid in colour: tan, iron grey, white or almost black. The colour need not be completely uniform, and most Sars have several different shades of the same colour fading into one another. There are no bicolours and no uniformly black-coated dogs among purebreds, but odd-coloured specimens do exist.
Colour:
Usually sable or gray with darker "overalls" on the head and back, the undercoat being paler. Almost all other colours are accepted, but the dogs must not have large white patches in their coat. There are several varieties of colors, by frequency of occurrence: Tiger Color with 30%, grey color with all the varieties 20%, Yellow color with black muzzle 20%, white color 20% and counter mask (muzzle).
Temperament:
The temperament of the breed is described as independent, reliable, protective but not snappy; incorruptible and devoted to its master. The breed is aloof with outsiders, and calm until a threat to the flock presents itself. The breed has a highly protective nature. In the absence of a flock of sheep, the Sharr will often treat its humans as sheep - herding them away from danger or undesirable areas. They are serene and majestic, gentle with children and smaller dogs. They are also highly intelligent and bred to work without human supervision while guarding the flocks in the high pastures. Young pups can kill small animals until trained not to hunt.
Working life:
The Sharr is a reserved and intuitive breed, stubborn and undemonstrative, but properly trained and handled with authority, it excels at a variety of tasks. Dog-aggression and wariness of strangers are common traits of the Šarplaninac, which is why early socialization is of utmost importance. Heavily-boned and muscular, the dog has a full top-coat, with an abundant dense undercoat, making it weatherproof and suited for an outside life.
The illyrian sheepdog or sharr dog has been known to fight or chase off a wolf, lynx and even Balkan bears.
The illyrian sheepdog is spreading through North American ranches as a sheep herding dog and a livestock guardian. Since 1975, successful exports have been carried out to the United States and Canada to control coyotes, and this is where its future security rests. It is now gaining recognition as a hard-working, able flock guard in those countries.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_SheepDog
P.S. Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/RrahimStruja for this video!
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