Tornjak
A calm, long-coated mountain guardian from Bosnia and Croatia that is gentle with its family and watchful over its home.
At a glance
- Size
- Large
- Height at the withers
- Males 65–70 cm · Females 60–65 cm
- Weight
- Males 50–60 kg · Females 35–45 kg
- Life expectancy
- 11–13 years
- Exercise
- 60–90 min a day
- Grooming
- A few times a week
- Coat
- Double coat, long
- Colours
- Piebald, White, Black, Grey, Tricolour
- Bred for
- Guarding livestock, Guarding
- Country of origin
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- FCI
- Group 2, no. 355 · Pinschers, molossers & mountain dogs
Breeders on Kuldo
No breeders on Kuldo have this breed yet.
Living with the breed
| Affectionate with family | 4/5 – High |
|---|---|
| Good with children | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Good with other dogs | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Good with cats | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Open to strangers | 2/5 – Low |
| Energy | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Playfulness | 2/5 – Low |
| Needs mental stimulation | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Easy to train | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Prey drive | 2/5 – Low |
| Watchful and protective | 4/5 – High |
| Barking | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Shedding | 4/5 – High |
| Grooming effort | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Drooling | 1/5 – Very low |
| Good for first-time owners | 2/5 – Low |
| Suits apartment living | 1/5 – Very low |
| Adaptability | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Copes with being alone | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Copes with heat | 2/5 – Low |
| Copes with cold | 5/5 – Very high |
Kuldo's own guidance from the breed's typical traits. Every dog is an individual, so talk to the breeder.
Is it the right breed for you?
Great if you …
- live rurally or have a large secure garden
- want a calm guardian that is gentle at home
- enjoy cool-weather walks and hikes
Think twice if you …
- live in a small flat or hot climate
- dislike barking at night
- want a highly obedient sport dog
Care
Temperament
Calm, composed and affectionate with its family, often gentle with children it knows. Reserved with strangers and confident enough to act on its own judgement.
Exercise
Moderate daily walks and space to move around a large garden or farm are enough. It enjoys hiking at a steady pace more than fast running.
Grooming
The long, thick coat needs brushing a few times a week and more during the seasonal moult, when it sheds heavily.
Training
Learns readily with patient, consistent and positive handling, though it may weigh up whether a command is worth following. Early socialisation helps keep its guarding balanced.
Health
The breed is generally robust, though hip and elbow dysplasia can occur as in other large dogs. Ask the breeder for hip and elbow results on both parents.
Health tests breeders usually do
- Hips (HD)
- Elbows (ED)
Ask the breeder to show you the parents' results.
About the breed
The Tornjak is a shepherd's guardian from the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, where it protected flocks from wolves and bears. Its name comes from 'tor', the local word for a livestock pen. The breed had almost vanished by the twentieth century and was revived from dogs found in remote villages.
Compared with many flock guardians it is fairly easygoing and sociable within its own group, including other animals it grows up with. It is still a guardian, though, and will bark and stand its ground when something seems wrong. It is happiest with space, a cool climate and a job to watch over.
Did you know?
The breed's name comes from 'tor', a word for a sheep or cattle enclosure in the region where it was developed.