Bucovina Shepherd Dog Breed - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

Appearance
This is a giant dog breed, but in comparsion with other large mountain dogs, they tend to have lighter build. The average height should be between 64-78 cm which is 25-31 inches and weight is typically between 50-90 kg, which is 110-200 pounds. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

According to the official FCI breed standard, the Bucovina Shepherd has commanding, haughty and proud appearance. They have massive head, relatively small almond shaped eyes, compared to the big head, large nose, blunt muzzle, strong jaws, high set v shaped ears and very strong neck.

Their coat is long, dense and almost harsh to touch. This dense coat enables them to work in very cold mountain weather and any terrain. The coat on their head and front paws tends to be shorter, but around the neck the coat is longer forming a mane. They also have very furry tail. You can find Bucovina Shepherd in many colors, commonly in a clear white or white-beige with distinct patches of grey, black or black with red-fawn reflections.


Temperament
This dog breed is a great guardian but also family companion. They have stable, loyal, calm and gentle temperament and they enjoy being around kids. Thanks to that, they make great amazing family companions, but of course, you should never leave any dog with young child unsupervised. The Bucovina is totally loyal and devoted to its pack.

When they are working as protectors, and it does not matter if they are guarding the livestock or home, they are brave, courageous and they will not step back against any predator, including wolf or even a bear. During the night, they naturally patrol around the home or livestock.

Because of their guarding instincts, it is only natural, that the Bucovina Shepherd is quite suspicious and alert with strangers. But when you show them that it is your friend, they will accept the newcomer. You do not need to be worry, they should never be agressive without a reason, most often they will start their strong barking when they see incoming danger.

The Bucovina Shepherd is independent and lets say dominant breed, which are needed temperamental characteristics to become a great livestock protector. But because of that, they are not pushovers to train and they need firm and patinent trainer.


History
The Bucovina province in Romania is a well-known transhumance areas of the shepherds since immemorial times. And this North Eastern Romanian region in Carpathian Mountains is the place where this dog breed was developed.

This is a very old dog breed and it is impossible to track their history or ancestry due to the lack of available records. One theory suggest that they are ancestors of ancient Mastiffs that spread over the Europe during the Roman Empire era. Other people suggest, that they are descendants of Alaunts.


Health and grooming
This is highly energetic breed and they can walk all day without tiring. If you want to keep your dog happy and healthy, they need plenty of daily exercise. This is a perfect dog for active people, who will také their dog on daily long walks or hikes.

There is not enough studies about the dogs health and lifespan to make any definitive statements about it, but according to some owners they can suffer from skeletal and joint problems, which is very common with giant dog. Sometimes they can also suffer from bloating, ear and eye infections.
If you want to maintain the Bucovina Shepherd coat in top condition and to prevent matting, regular brushing several times a week is absolutely needed. They do shed a good deal of hair, so the brushing will help to minimize the shedding. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.