Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog

The shepherding was a main occupation since ancient times and up to the present, and the Romanian shepherds, in different areas, created different types of shepherd dogs, more or less spread in the country. The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog (Romanian: Ciobănesc Mioritic, French: Chien de berger roumain Mioritic) is an excellent watch dog for herds, farms, homes. He is a brave dog, but his attack is not "mad". He attacks his enemy by harassment, looking for the weak point - the result of centuries of fighting bears. Here we must mention that neither the Mioritic, and nor other dog breed in the world, can "attack the bear with equal chances" when speaking of a grown up, healthy bear of 200-300 kilos, not about a cub or an old and powerless individual. At a sheepfold the dogs are not supposed to kill anything or anybody, they are supposed to be vigilant, perceiving and brave to tackle with the predators, which they have to chase away as far as possible and make them give up ever again attack "their sheep". The name "Mioritic" came from "Mioriţa", a ballad about three shepherds considered to be representative for the Romanian people.


FCI-Standard N° 349 / 13.07.2005 / GB (Excerpt)
Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog

ORIGIN : Romania.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 06.07.2005.
UTILIZATION : Excellent herding dog, incorruptible guardian and marvellous companion.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog was selected from a natural breed of the Carpathian mountains, the principle reason being utility. This breed has many fanciers in Romania because of its vigorous appearance. The standard was drafted by the Romanian Cynological Association in 1981. The Technical Commission of the R.C.A. adapted and revised the Standard on 29.03.2002 to conform to the F.C.I model established in Jerusalem.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : A large dog but never heavy; vigorous and spectacular. The coat is long and well furnished on the head, all of the body and the limbs. Males are taller and stronger than females.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A calm and stable dog. A good herd dog, very courageous and efficient fighter against possible animals prey (bear, wolf, lynx). Wary of strangers. He likes children.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Harmonious, free, well coordinated, powerful and effortless. The trot is preferred. The gallop is sustained and balanced.
SKIN : Thick, tight fitting and well pigmented.
HAIR : The coat is abundant and the head and body, harsh texture, straight and minimum length of 10 cm. The undercoat is more dense and supple and of a lighter colour. On the limbs the coat is shorter. The tail is well furnished.
COLOUR :
Piebald : The ground colour must be white with well defined black or grey markings.
Solid colours : Solid white or solid grey.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Male : minimum 70 cm - ideal height 75 cm.
Female : minimum 65 cm - ideal height 70 cm.
Weight : In proportion to the size.