Ancestors of the Tatra Sheperd dog, (name which comes from the mountains of Tatras, separating Poland from the Czech Republic and Slovaquia), also called Polish Sheperd of Podhale (name which comes from Podhale, area of the mountains of Tatras.) come certainly from crossings of various huge dogs. The latter arrived to Europe by various ways; initially, thanks to the "commercial road" which was set up by the Phenicians, important tradesmen, exchanging dogs against all kinds of goods, masterpieces, drapery, tin, money etc...

Then they arrived with the invasions of the cruel tribes coming from Asia which settled in Balkans, in Hungary, Bulgaria, in the Caucasus, in the North Italy, and finally they were imported by the Roman empire which at the time of its conquests used dogs of "war" for their force, their courage, and their power. Some of the dogs were white, others were of two colors whose black prevailed, some remained in the countries all along the battles.

 

   

In the XVIth century, the tribes of Valachia moved with their flocks and herds.

The herds werre supervised by large dogs, they skirted Carpates, Tatras Polish and the valleys.

Tatras Mountains : Les Beskid

   

Some of them settled in the Tatras mountains, and the sheeps breedings began to be on the increase. The dogs were named Mountain Sheperds

In writings of 1851, M. Ludwik Zejszner reported, in the Tatras mountains, the presence of large white dogs, with long coat, their black sparkling eyes indicating their deep intelligence and audacity.

   
   

In 1878, the writings of the time describe the departure to the pasture, the life of the sheperds, and report the presence of impressive large white dogs beside them.

 
   

In the Vatican museum, some XVIth century paintings show sheperds with their flocks under the protection of large white dogs.

Pope John Paul II when he was a cardinal with a podhale baby.
   
As early as 1888, a museum devoted to the mountain life is created in Zakopane, still a small lost village at the time, in the moutains of Tatras. The existence of dogs, auxiliary of the shepherds is mentioned.

From the 3 to the 5 september 1937, the first exposure of Shepherds of the Moutains took place in the town of Zakopane. The exhibitors presented their dogs in their coloured costumes of festival.

Folk costumes

   

70 adult dogs and 30 puppies aged a few months were gathered at the exhibition, which allowed the visitors to be able to see the evolution of the dog during its growth.

This exposure aroused a great interest. The representatives of various dog organizations, the Ministry of Army, the police officials as well as the Mayor of the town were present.

   

All these personalities as well as the person in charge of the Association of the Friends of Guard dogs and the members, wanted to officialize the name of the dog. Several ideas were retained but it is the Sheperd of the Moutains who has been chosen. A first type was defined in 1938.

However this enthusiactic departure towards a first selection was unfortunately stopped by the Second World War.

Bovine Pasture


In spite of the difficult conditions, some of the shepherds managed to keep their dogs and thus maintained a small production.

   
It is after war that the lovers of the race gathered in order to make a census of the livestock.
In the spring of 1954, the association of the Zakopane Club organised a meeting where were presented more that a hundred of mountain sheperds.
   

More than 90% of the dogs presented were coming from the sheepfold and were presented by th sheperds.

In october 1954, the current Government Cabinet decided the creation of a national park in the Tatras Mounts.

Meeting in Zakopane
   

In 1956, the sheperds, their flocks and dogs had to expatriate themselves in the faraway Beskides. The way the transhumances were done changed, the big party for departures to the pasture became more and more rare, some sheperds did not use dogs anymore, and the reproduction decreased .

The Canine Association of the time convinced some friends of the race, that this dog was able to adapt himself to something else than the herd guarding. Some breeders, by their motivation and their tenacity, maintained the presence of a livestock.

Picture of Tatras Sheperd dog of 1960

     

The first standard recognized by the FCI was established in 1967 and the name of Sheperd of Tatra (Owczarek Podhalanski) was adopted. The standard has been revised in 1973, the name turns in Polish dog of Tatra and was modified again in 1988 when the appellation Owczarek Podhalanski comes back with in plus the name of Sheperd of Podhale (tatra). But this is only from 1970 that the Polish Book of Origins (PKR) register indeed the first dogs with pedigree. Still nowadays, numerous dogs are not registered and do not have pedigree as the sheperds do not see the significance of doing it.


The first Tatra Sheperd dogs arrived in France during the year 1984 with two polish importations : Luban and Basetla z Giczarowa belonging to Mr Nagyfalusy.
   
   
   
    The Podhale sheperd has always been used as a flocks protector
   

His white colour has a reason to be : He is :

White like the sheeps he guards, so that the latter are not afraid of him,
White so that the predators do not recognize him easily from a distance,

White so that the sheperd do not mix him up with a night predator.

   
The Podhale sheperd, as all our protection dogs is not only the guarantor of the breeding but also his first condition
Without protection dog, the flock is at any predator's mercy and the losses are huge for the sheperd
Several dogs are present in a flock, at the periphery and inside the flock itself
   

If we take a look at the dogs work, it seems that they trace an invisible barrier around the herd that nobody must cross.

If a predator or a human being approaches too close of this barrier, the periphery dogs rush, threatening, posting themselves between the flock and the newcomer.
If the intruder goes away, they calm down, if on the contrary the intruder does not take any notice of the warning, they react determinedly, very self-confidents.


Flock and Podhale sheperds

   
   

Podhale Male when protecting

The first duty of the Podhale sheperd is thus not get to be attacked, the second one to defend himself with courage and obstinacy. He is used for centuries to taking care of the men's herd, alone and without the help of those ones.
   
   

In order to accomplish this job, he must have :

> a sharp and constant attention
> a distance and a prudence concerning any object they do not know.
> He must be careful rather than foolhardy

> A lot of intelligence in order to appreciate the new situations with speed and exactitude.
Everything is observed with more or less suspicion and is more or less accepted after a long examination.
   

Let's not mix up this careful distance attitude with anxiety or fear, but let's be vigilant as the owner of the dog because one step too much, or an attempt of penetration in his territory can put back the Podhale Sheperd in his protection dog activity

Podhale Male when supervising

   

As the years passed by, he deserted the herds' company for various reasons and appeared, here in France and in other countries of the world as a companion dog

Flock leaving out the sheepfold with podhale babies

   

However the intrinsec character of its race is still present :
He does not slip out anything, even when he looks like dozing, he bears in mind the least modifications of its environnement.

 


Podhale Female in Poland supervising her offspring

 

   
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