Lively, attentive, and easy to train, the Croatian Sheepdog's instinct to herd and guard the flock is strongly developed, but he can also be well used as a guard dog. The breed is used fro herding the flocks and is rarely seen outside its native Yugoslavia. If these dogs need help protecting the sheep, the Karst Shepherd or Sarplaninac are there to lend a paw.
Size
16-20 inches at shoulders.
Coat
The hair is relatively soft, wavy or even curly. Must never be wooly. The undercoat must be dense. The facial part of the head is invariably covered with short hair. The outer side of the ears is covered with short hair and with longer hair on the inner side. The backside of the forelegs is fringed with long hair down to the pastern. The hind legs have culottes (fringes) which go down to the hock.
Color
The basic color is black with a few white markings below the throat, the chest and under the chest.
The tail's hair is dense and bushy. At rest, it is carried low or level with the back; when the dog is alert, it is carried above the back line. The puppies may be born without tails or they are docked.
Photo courtesy of www.inventasoft.hr/kossp/tanja