Croatian Sheepdog puppies

About the Croatian Sheepdog

The Croatian Sheepdog is a herding and droving dog from the Slavonian plains, used for centuries to move cattle and sheep across open country. It is a medium, light and quick dog of 13.2 to 20 kg standing 41 to 51 cm, black with a wavy medium coat and short hair on the face and legs, which gives it a distinctive foxy outline. Character is what you would expect of a stock dog: intense, alert, tightly bonded to one handler and quietly mischievous when unoccupied.

It settles well indoors and then wants to run hard outside, and it excels at herding, flyball, agility and obedience. Grooming is easy: an occasional bath, a comb through to pull dead hair and regular nail care. It is a strong jumper and a keen digger, so fencing matters. It suits an active owner with something for it to do. The mistake is buying a smart medium sized dog and giving it one lead walk a day.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Croatian Sheepdog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
• Inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, found on a patella evaluation

From Croatian Sheepdog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/croatian-sheepdog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Croatian Sheepdog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Croatian Sheepdog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 13.2 to 20 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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