Small Međimurje Dog - Facts and Information

History
There is not much documentation and information about the Small Medimurje Dogs history, origin and ancestry, but it is generally accepted, that the breed evolved more than 100 years ago in northwestern Croatia, especially in the region of Medimurje, where the breed also got its name. It is important to say, that some Croatian books mention dogs similar to Small Medimurje Dog since the 16th century.
Traditionally, the Medi was used in Croatia as a vermin hunter and farm watchdog and it was quite populat not only among farmers, but also among millers.
Over the time, the breed gained a popularity as a good companion pet, especially due to its smaller size and friendly and playful nature.
For most of its history, the breed was virtually unknown outside Balkans, but lately it gained a lot of popularity in Finland and you can find some Medi breeders in this nordic country as well.
To this day, the Medi is officially recognized in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Finland.

Appearance
The Medimurje Dog looks like a small wolf-dog. It has similar appearance to Swedish Vallhund or to Welsh Corgi, but i would say it looks more country-like. It has the typical prolonged body, with the length being one third greater than the height. Speaking of height, the Medi typically stands between 28-33 cm, which is 11-13 inch and there are no extreme size differences between males and females.
In the past, the breed was mainly bred for its working characteristics, rather than for appearance, which is a reason, why the appearance of Medi is not completely unified and it can vary a bit. But in general, the Medi has a powerful body, tail that curves upwards, upright ears, wedge shaped head, almond shaped and dark colored eyes, straight back and wide chest.
The Medi has a pretty short, thick, coarse and straight coat. The hair on the head, ears and limbs are short and very soft, on contrary, the fur on the neck and below the tail is longer and denser.
Typical colors are black, various shades of brown, yellow and gray. The Medi can be in any of these colors or combinations of these colors, either bicolor or tricolor. Medi can also be brindle and they might have white spots on the body.

Temperament
Medi is a very intelligent, curious, cheerful, hearty and good-natured dog with a lively character and good social skills with dogs and even though it was used in the past as a vermin hunter, they can be trained to live with other household pets like cats or other dogs.
This is highly adaptable dog and it can happily live on farms, but also in apartments. Most Medimurje dogs in Finland live in apartments and they make wonderful loyal, playful and spirited companions. Medi can also make good active companion for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervise.
Since the Medi was used as a farm watchdog in the past, it should not be surprising that this is quite cautious and suspicious breed towards strangers. But they should never be agressive and once you show them that the stranger is your friend, they will accept it.
The Medi is definitely not a coach potatoe. They might be small, but they need daily proper exercise to stay healthy and happy. Daily longer walks, jogs, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions are must with this breed.
Thanks to its speed, intelligence and trainability, the Medi can also be a good fit for various dog sports, such as agility or flyball. This dog will always be ready for any kind of adventure and you should be prepared for it when considering the Medimurje dog as a pet.

Health and grooming
The grooming and overall maintenance of Medimurje dog is pretty easy. They do shed some deal of fur all year long and it is a good idea to brush their coat regularly to remove all the dead and loose hair and minimize the shedding. No other grooming is required and the Medi will keep its coat in good condition by itself.
There are no studies about the breeds health but it should be rather healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 or 14 years. Because of their long body, sometimes they might suffer from spine and bone problems, but it is nothing extremely common. Other typical doggy health issues can also occur, such as various eye problems, allergies or infections, but again, this is rather healthy dog breed.