Greek Shepherd Dog Breed - Facts and Info

APPEARANCE
This is a large dog breed with muscular, solid and very powerful body. The chest is wide and deep with arched ribs. The legs are pretty long and they can have almost every type of a tail. Some have none, some have very short and some have thick long fluffy tail.

The average height of the Greek Shepherd is between 60-75 cm, which is 23-29 inches, and weight between 32-50 kg, which is 70-110 pounds. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

The Greek Shepherd has beautiful long, wavy and dense double coat, which is protecting them from the mountanious climate where they were developed. They were never bred for any specific colors, and you can most commonly find them in black, grayish-brown, white and combination of those.

They have similar face to other Balkan sheepdogs with relaxing, but in the same time confident and serious expression in their oval brown eyes. The head is large and broad with strong muzzle and jaws and slightly loose lips. The ears are large, floppy and v shaped.


PERSONALITY
The Greek Shepherd is not a shepherd in a sense, that he would gather or direct the livestock, but he is an extraordinary sheep and goat guardian. Thanks to their independent, courageous and brave temperament and strong, muscular and agile body, they are perfect for this job. They are also hard working, not trusting towards other people or animals, decisive and proud.

They tend to be very loyal to its owners and family. With the right guidance and good early socialization, the Greek Shepherd is friendly and loving companion who will be always ready to protect its pack. But do not worry, they are not agressive unless they feel they or thier livestock or pack are in danger.

This is quite dominant breed, which means they are not the best choice for novice dog owners. They need firm, patient and consistent, but not harsh leader to become obedient. But it is very rewarding feeling to raise this dog and gain love and affection from such an independent breed.


INTERESTING FACT
There was a lot of superstitions surrounding the Greek Shepherd. Back in the times, people believed that they have magical healing powers and kids were told to take care of Greek Shepherds puppies, because later, the dog will give them its strength. Also, and this will probably sound pretty harsh, some owners would crop or completely remove the right ear of Greek Shepherds males, believing, that it will protect them from evil spirits.


HISTORY
Honestly, we do not know much about the Greek Shepherds history since there are no written records about them. One theory suggest, that they were developed by crossing the Balkan Mollosers with Turkish Akbash.

These dogs were further developed in Greek mountains, which makes them extremely tough. Thanks to their robust and muscular body, strong skeleton and intelligent and independent temperament they are able move all day even in bad weather or inaccessible areas with minimal food requierements.

Because the demand for livestock guardian breeds was declining over the centuries, the Greek Shepherds numbers declined as well. Today, the breed is very rare and it is believed that there is only something around 3000 purebred Greek Shepherds in Greece and not many others outside the Greece.


HEALTH AND GROOMING
If you want to have healthy and happy Greek Shepherd in your home, you should exercise their body and mind on daily basis. They are working dogs and just like all working dogs they want to be busy. They need daily longer walks or vigorous playtime. If you will not meet their exercise needs they will become bored and possibly desctructive and very very loud.

These dogs are very healthy with great lifespan around 12 years. There are no big health issues reported for this dog breed.

These dogs do not need much maintenance, but if you want to keep their coat in best condition, regular brushing is a must to prevent tangles. As you can probably guess, they do shed, so the brushing will minimize the shedding as well. You should bath them only when its really necessary. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clean them or clip them if needed.