Breeds / Large
Tornjak puppies
Calm, watchful and strongly attached to their own household, the Tornjak is a Balkan livestock guardian that thinks for themselves and takes the guarding job seriously.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Bosnia And Herzegovina, Croatia
- Adult weight 28.1 to 49.9 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 62 to 110 lb
- Adult height 58 to 71 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming Moderate
- Coat type Medium double
- Shedding Heavy, brush often
- Typical lifespan 12 to 14 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Not recommended
About the Tornjak
The Tornjak is a livestock guardian from the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, where they lived out with sheep and cattle rather than in a house, seeing off wolves and bears. This is a large, heavy boned dog under a medium length double coat that carries a thick ruff and a feathered tail. The character matches the job: calm and unhurried at home, deeply attached to their own people, and independent enough to make their own decisions about a stranger at the gate.
Exercise needs are moderate rather than punishing, with long walks and a securely fenced garden doing most of the work. The coat is easy, wanting a weekly brush and rather more during the heavy seasonal shed. Training takes patience, because guardian breeds were bred to think for themselves, so reward based work and early, wide socialisation matter more than repetition. They score lowest on the scale for tolerance of other animals, which makes them a rural, single dog household choice rather than a dog park regular.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Tornjak 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 large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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 and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
- Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs
- Hypothyroidism, detected by a thyroid blood panel
Your Tornjak puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Tornjak.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 28.1 to 49.9 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 48 inch (48 x 30 x 32 in, 122 x 76 x 81 cm) for an adult of up to 49.9 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from Tornjak breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/tornjak/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Tomasz Waśko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.