factsataglance

ORIGIN
Tatra Mountain peaks of Carpathian mountains in the south of Poland

USE
Guard dog/herding dog of flocks of sheep or goats, companion and watchdog

SIZE
Females 60-65 cm (24-26 inches) Males 65-70 cm (26-28 inches)

WEIGHT
36-59 Kgs (80-130 lbs.)

COLOR
Pure white with no color markings. Black pigmented nose leather, lip and
eyelid edges. Dark foot pads.

COAT
Heavy, double coated. Top coat hard to touch, straight or slightly wavy.
Profuse, dense undercoat.

REGISTRY
Polish Kennel Club, FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale), UKC, the
PTWDA/ATR (Polish Tatra Working Dog Assn/American Tatra Registry)

POPULATION
Worldwide 1500 USA 200-300

HISTORY
The breed’s history follows that of similar dogs from Europe, all which can
trace their ancestry back to the white guardian dogs of the Eastern World.
This breed has been guarding sheep in the mountain meadows for centuries
but outside interest began to develop in the middle of the 19th century, when
mountain climbing became popular. World War II brought the breed to the
brink of extinction, however they refused to die. The Polish Kennel Club
worked to re-establish the Tatra Dogs following the war. By the 1960’s, the
Federation Cynologique International (FCI) reinstated the breed. The Polish
Tatra Sheepdog is one of the rarest dogs in North America.