Breed name: Serbian defense dog
Original name of the breed: Srpski odbrambeni pas – SOP
Origin: Yugoslavia
Size: Large dog
Average life expectancy: 18-20 years
The Serbian defense dog is a breed that originated in the area of current Republic of Serbia, ex Yugoslavia. It is considered to be a dog with a great character, extremely faithful and attached to his family. An unsurpassed guardian, but also a great cuddler that will get along well with children. An intelligent and long-lived breed that can live up to 20 years.
ORIGIN
The Serbian defense dog, or SOP as it is abbreviated, was created as an attempt to revive the oldest domestic breed in Serbia – the Serbian mastiff. The founder and creator of the breed is Nenad Gavrilović from Romania (mountain and region in Bosnia and Herzegovina), who worked for ten years on the formation of the Serbian defense dog breed. During the decade, wolves, Neapolitan mastiffs, tortoises and the American Staffordshire Terrier were crossed. The breed officially exists since 1991. and is legally protected by Nenad Gavrilovic. Initially, these dogs were used primarily for guard purposes, and later in fights, which eventually stopped. Nowadays, they can be found as excellent pets in all countries of the former Yugoslavia, while in other parts of Europe and the world they are not seen often.
APPEARANCE
SOPs are a very large breed, very strong and powerful. Their head is wide, of medium size, their snout is elongated and strong with extremely sharp teeth. Their lips are fleshy, their eyes mostly dark and medium in size. Their ears are triangular in shape and drooping, the nasal mushroom is black and the back is straight and flat. Their legs are straight and strong with medium-sized paws. When it comes to colour, the most popular are monochromatic individuals, but they can also appear in black, yellow, gray, gray-black as well as all shades of tiger. They can also have white markings on the body, if they do not exceed 30% of the surface. The average weight of males ranges from 55 to 70 kg, and the height from 65 to 75 cm, females are of course lighter and lower with an average weight of 50 to 65 kg and a height of 60 to 70 cm.
CHARACTER
Very intelligent, lively, brave and very loyal to his family. Despite their larger size, they are great with children and will be protective of it. They are considered perfect guardians, whether they guard property or people, they are extremely distrustful of strangers. Due to his high level of intelligence, he will quickly understand what is required of him, so we can say that with a positive approach, and are quite easy to train. Also, they are considered great cuddlers, eager to hang out with their family, to whom they are extremely loyal.
HEALTH AND CARE
They are resistant to all climatic conditions, they can be kept in a house with access to the yard, or in a dog house within the yard or a fenced property. You should provide a large amount of both physical and mental activities. Longer walks are mandatory or running around the yard. Their thick hair requires brushing three to four times a week, and more often during the moulting season. Bathing up to four times a year, with regular checking and cleaning of ears and eyes to avoid infections.
There are no diseases to which they are genetically predisposed as a race, they are considered an extremely healthy breed that with proper care can live up to 20 years. However, regular veterinary check-ups are recommended, because this breed has an exceptional tolerance for pain, so it is possible that the symptoms of a disease are not noticed in time.
Statistics
- Energy level: High level
- Playfulness level: High level
- Attitude towards other dogs: Mostly friendly
- Relationship to other pets: Friendly
- Attitude towards strangers: Extremely distrustful
- Ease of training: Easy to train
- Protection: High level of protection
- Maintenance required: Easy to maintain
- Heat tolerance: High tolerance
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