Istria on the Internet - Flora & Fauna - Fauna - Mixing dogs with politics (article)

Canis
Fauna

Mixing Dogs with Politics

[Reprinted from Foreign Press Bureau Daily Bulletin]

Anything and everything can be reduced to politics in today’s insane world, including even man’s best friend - the dog. However, the point in question is not about any ordinary dog, rather, its about indigenous Croatian breeds, who are considered to be true national treasures because of their proliferation and unique characteristics. While a total of eleven breeds had been numbered in a joint basket of national treasures when Croatia was a part of the former Yugoslavia, today that number totals three. In a resolution brought down by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI - the International Kennel Federation), Croatia’s sheep dog, its Dalmatian breed and the Croatian herding dog from the Posavina region have been recognised as Croatian breeds. Although recognition of the Istrian herding dog (short and long hair breeds) has been postponed until 2001.

Namely, conflict has arisen between Croatian and Slovenian dog breeding experts over who has the right to claim the Istrian herding dog as it own. Regardless of the fact that it is unquestionably a Croatian breed, arbitration on this debate has been handed over to a neutral international arbitrator. The Slovenes contend that it was unfair that they only inherited the ‘Kraski’ (pronounced krashki) sheep dog, and they reacted similarly when Yugoslavia’s mountain herding dog was proclaimed a Serbian breed. Along with this breed, other original Serbian breeds include the Yugoslav tri-colour herding dog and the Yugoslavian shepherd dog (the Sarplaninac - pronounced sharplaninatz) which is shared with Macedonia. The Bosnian Barak - long hair herding dog - is for the time being the only Bosnian breed that has been recognised, but which could possibly be joined in the future by the Bosnian-Herzgovinian Tornjak (tornyak), if it was to be breed in significant enough numbers.

In the last couple of years, Croatia’s young breeding branch has been winning significant and renowned European and world titles with its indigenous breeds. At the World Exhibition of Dogs held in Brussels in 1995, Croatia had 13 champions. The most recent opportunity that Croatian breeds will have to prove themselves will be at the International Exhibition of Dogs to be held in Zagreb, between March 12 and 14. However the greatest significance of Croatian breeds lies in the fact that their origins date back to more than 1,000 years ago, while the large number of recognised dog breeds in the world have evolved only in the last 40 years or so, through cross-breeding.

DRAZEN MATICIC, PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION FOR INDIGENOUS DOG BREEDS WITHIN THE CROATIAN KENNEL FEDERATION:

"Ever since the inception of the Croatian Kennel Federation, three Croatian indigenous breeds have been recognised and accepted unanimously into ranks of the FCI back in 1995, although both of our Istrian herding dogs are still on a waiting list, and they will remain there only because of one reason - The Slovenian Kennel Federation contends that both of these herding dogs are indigenous Slovenian breeds. Despite all our arguments and evidence to the contrary, the FCI has in a well known and unprecedented manoeuvre resolved to postpone their decision on this matter. The Slovenes are also demanding that they be recognised as indigenous breeders of the Posavski herding dog. Whereas in this case, healthy reason has outweighed Slovenian arguments and the FCI ruled in Croatia’s favour."

THE DALMATIAN DOG
Preserved by the English

One of the world’s most highly profiled breeds, well known by many because of the ‘101 Dalmatians’ story, is used by American fire fighters as its mascot, while in Germany they are considered to be one of the best scent hounds, who can track out earthquake victims. From illustrations discovered in the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and corresponding to those in mediaeval paintings, it may be surmised that the Dalmatian has been in existence for some two thousand years, before the birth of Christ (BC). While entertaining troupes from the middle ages where enchanted by these white dogs with black spots around the 12th century, and took them away from Dalmatia, touring with them across the width and length of Europe.

It was only later on in the 16th century that mariners from Dubrovnik spread the bred across to Italy, from where they were to reach Corsica, and then moved onto France and finally arrived in England, where their standard was finally created. The first Dalmatian-Standard was drawn up in the year 1882 by an Englishman named Vero Shaw. This standard was then incorporated in an official standard in 1890. Rather than laying claims to the Croatian breed, the English must be commended for ensuring that the breed was preserved from extinction, as well as being responsible for spreading it world wide. The price that has been paid for the proliferation of the attractiveness of this breed, is that it has led to the propagation of many unjustified claims that the ‘Dalmatian’ is either a Spanish, Italian, French, or even a Mexican breed. Regardless of the fact that Croatian breeding experts documented their claims with written historical proof, efforts to have it recognised as an indigenous Croatian breed had been aggravated by this state of affairs, at least up until 1993, when the FCI did finally recognise the Croatian roots of the Dalmatian dog, although they continue to deny Croatia standard patronage rights over the breed.

ISTRIAN HERDING DOG (SHORT HAIRED)
Companion to the Benedictines

This is a very ancient breed of dog, and is most certainly a decedent of the long legged Ancient Egyptian herding dog. In on the first Croatian books written in old glagolic script, "Hrvoje’s missal", their is an illustration drawn in miniature, and judging from it features it is the Istrian short-hair herding dog. It is a well known and well documented fact which can be confirmed in numerous historical records, that this herding dog was bred in many of the Benedictine monasteries in the Istria region. The Istrian herding dog has a number of features which are very similar to a Porcelain herding dog from France, who was also bred by Benedictine monks.

ISTRIAN HERDING DOG ( LONG HAIRED)
Cross-bred with an Italian bird dog

The Istrian short and long-hair herding dogs are related breeds, while the second only differs from the first in its coat being longer and its hairs having deeper roots, while it also has a sturdier constitution and physical build. There is written proof dating back to 1894 which explains how Italians had purchased these Istrian long-hair herding dogs to cross-breed and improve their own long-hair bird dog breeds (a sporting dog trained to hunt birds). It seems as though both strands of the Istrian herding dog were equally well liked by both the rich and the poor, fetching a price that was equivalent to the price of 400 kg of wheat. For the time being the Istrian herding dog is under FCI patronage, while Istria, rather than Croatia, is cited as its country of origin.

CROATIAN HERDING DOG FROM POSAVINA
Corner stone to the Hungarian wire-haired Viszla

Although Croatia’s herding dog from Posavina has similar origins to all other central-European herding dogs, it has developed further along through selection processes, getting its name from the Croatian region were it originates from. This breed developed and spread, although not along the Sava River, as the Slovenes had contended at one time. According to their theory, the Posavski herding dog is a Slovenian indigenous breed, originating around the mouth of the Sava River in Slovenia, although they were soon to drop this line of argument - the first written references to this breed of dog can be found in the archives of the Croatia’s Djakovo Archdiocese, dating from 1737. Since then they have been distinguished by their hunting skills, and highly developed instincts for marking out - pointing out game (a dog which smells out game and then points until the hunter is ready to fire). Hungarians have used this breed as the corner stone in their crossbreeding efforts with their own wire-haired Viszla.

THE TORNJAK
A product of careful Croatian breeding

As a descendant of the bronze dog, the Tornjak has been living in these parts of Europe since the times when they were owned by the Iliyrians and Celtics, having remained in mountainous regions until today. Shepherds used them as livestock guardian dogs for their mountainous flocks. This breed has yet to be internationally recognised because there are inadequate representative numbers of its breed. A very specific number of these Bosnian-Herzegovinian dogs were imported into Croatia and have been part of a very careful breeding process. Regardless of the fact that there are a large numbers of Croats breeding the Tornjaks today, the Croatian Kennel Federation has decided to give its support to the bid by Bosnia & Herzegovina (B&H) to have this breed internationally recognised as its indigenous breed.

CROATIAN SHEEP DOG
Organiser of the village garden

Having settled in the western regions of the Balkans more than 1,400 years ago, Croats brought along with them their own dogs - the Croatian sheep dog. First written records which make mention of this breed can be traced back to around 1719, penned by Djakovo’s Bishop, Petar Bakic. He mentions in his work that Croats brought these sheep dogs when they were in the process of moving from their old homeland and when they came to settle into their new one. He also mentions that this breed had changed very little when compared to detailed descriptions which date back to 1374. Today’s dog breeders have found this breed in tact and still serving its original purpose. Today’s breed can be considered a direct descendant of the Tresetni and Sojenicki (soyenichki) dog, originating from Asia, and whom the Hungarians unsuccessfully attempted to adopt.

Source:

Croatian Information Centre, Foreign Press Bureau Daily Bulletin: Press Cut 16.03.1999 - T. Turkalj, "Kad psi udu u politiku" (Mixing dogs with Politics), Obzor - Broj. 205, March 13, 1999, pp. 3-4.

Main Menu

This page compliments of Marisa Ciceran