Carpathian Shepherd Dog

The Carpathian Shepherd Dog (Ciobănesc Românesc Carpatin) is a breed of large sheep dogs that originated in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.

Alfred Edmund Brehm (1829-1885) in Brehms Tierleben (Animal's Life) wrote about these dogs. The first written data regarding the Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Dog was recorded in the Veterinary Science Magazine, year XV, No. 2.

In March 1998, a group of fans of the Carpathian Shepherd Dog founded the Carpathian Shepherd Dogs Club. The club was later renamed the National Club of Carpathian Shepherd Dog Breeders (CNCCRCRC), which is based in Bistriţa, Romania. The club observed that there many Carpathians in Rucăr, Argeş County that are considered ancestors of today's Carpathians.

In March 2003, at Bistriţa, an important conference of the factors involved in the Romanian breeds took place. On July 6, 2005 in Buenos Aires, the General Committee of FCI approved the provisional homologation of the Carpathian Shepherd Dog.

It is theorized (although not proven) that the various Carpathian Shepard dog breeds, as with other Livestock Guardian Dog breeds, are descendant from dogs that were developed somewhere around 9000 years ago in Mesopotamia following the domestication of sheep and goats in the same area.

The dog breed has a life expectancy of about 12-14 years. A very devoted, well-mannered, courageous dog, it has been said to battle bears in an attempt to protect flocks of sheep or his master from harm.