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Official ICCF Breed Description
Brief Historical Overview
The Karst Shepherd Dog is an ancient herding and guardian breed originating from the Karst region of Slovenia. It is considered to descend from old Balkan and Illyrian shepherd dogs used to protect livestock and farms from predators and strangers. The breed developed under harsh climate, mountainous terrain, and constant guarding duties, which established its strength, endurance, and stable temperament. In the 20th century, efforts were made to standardize the type, helping preserve its working qualities and uniform exterior. Today, the Karst Shepherd Dog is valued as a guardian and family dog known for reliability and loyalty.
General Appearance
The Karst Shepherd Dog is a large, powerful, harmoniously built dog of strong type, with a confident posture and well-developed musculature. The body is slightly elongated, strong, with a deep chest and firm back. The head is massive yet proportionate, expressing calmness and confidence. The ears are pendant, medium in length, and fit closely. The tail is long, reaching the hock and slightly raised in movement. The coat is dense and thick, with a developed undercoat forming a collar and enhancing the silhouette. Movement is even, powerful, and steady. The overall impression is of a working type combined with balanced strength typical of a reliable mountain guardian breed.
Important Proportions
The Karst Shepherd Dog must show strong, balanced proportions reflecting its purpose as a dependable herding and guardian breed. The body length slightly exceeds the height at the withers, creating a slightly elongated outline. The chest is deep and well developed, ensuring lung capacity and respiratory strength. The head is massive and proportional; the muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull. The topline is straight and firm. The limbs are strong, muscular, with moderate angulation, allowing confident, powerful movement. The tail is long and reaches the hock. Proportions should emphasize strength, stability, and endurance.
Behaviour and Temperament
The Karst Shepherd Dog has a balanced, calm, and confident temperament, combining natural caution with strong loyalty to its owner. It is reliable, thoughtful, and endowed with pronounced guarding instincts, enabling confident reactions to threats. The breed is not prone to uncontrolled aggression — correct temperament includes self-control, confidence, and the ability to assess situations objectively. With family and familiar people, the dog is affectionate and devoted; toward strangers, it remains cautious. It requires firm, consistent leadership and early socialization. Cowardice, panic, unstable nerves, or unjustified aggression are unacceptable.
Head
The head of the Karst Shepherd Dog is large, massive, yet proportionate to the body, emphasizing strength, rationality, and confidence. The skull is broad and slightly convex, with a noticeable but not sharp stop. The muzzle is strong, straight, gradually tapering toward the nose while maintaining depth and volume. The nose is large and black with strong pigmentation. The lips are tight, dry, and well-fitting. The jaws are powerful, with a full set of strong teeth and a scissor bite. The cheekbones are defined but not coarse. The expression is calm, attentive, and confident. Looseness, weak muzzle, coarse lines, or poor pigmentation are faults.
Facial Region
The facial region is dry, clean, and well defined, reflecting the breed’s confident and calm nature. The muzzle is straight, strong, somewhat shorter than the skull, with good depth. The nasal bridge is straight, without curves or dips. The nose is black. The lips are tight, thin, and neatly outlined, without folds. The jaws are strong, broad at the base, enabling a powerful grip — important for a guardian breed. The cheeks are moderately defined and support the wedge-shaped outline. Facial lines are balanced and clean. Weak jaws, excessive coarseness, looseness, poor pigmentation, or incorrect muzzle proportions are faults.
Eyes
The eyes are medium-sized, almond-shaped, slightly slanted, giving a calm, confident, and attentive expression. The color ranges from dark brown to brown; lighter shades are undesirable. The eyelids are dry, close-fitting, and well pigmented. The expression must be thoughtful, calm, and steady, with no signs of fear or nervousness. The correct expression reflects confidence and alert observation. Round, overly large or protruding eyes, weak pigmentation of the eyelids, or a nervous expression are faults.
Ears
The ears are pendant, triangular, medium in length, set relatively high, and lie close to the head. The base is broad and the tips slightly rounded. In a relaxed state, the ears lie close; when alert, they lift slightly at the base, emphasizing attention. The coat on the ears is short and dense. Ears must not be too long, too low-set, wide, semi-erect, or erect. Incorrect ear shape disrupts the breed’s typical head silhouette.
Neck
The neck is strong, of medium length, well muscled, and smoothly transitions into the withers and body. The carriage is high but not exaggerated, highlighting the breed’s confident working outline. The skin is tight, without dewlap, lying close thanks to dense coat. The neck must be long and strong enough to ensure confident head carriage, guarding stability, and sharp directional changes. Weak, short, overly thick, coarse, or loose necks reduce harmony and functionality.
Body
The body is strong, slightly elongated, powerful, and harmoniously developed. The topline is straight and firm, with no sagging. The withers are high and well defined, smoothly transitioning into a broad, strong back of medium length. The loin is firm, slightly arched, muscular, and provides strength for rear propulsion. The chest is deep and wide, with long and moderately sprung ribs allowing for good capacity. The abdomen is tucked up, emphasizing a dry working type. The croup is broad, muscular, and slightly sloping. A narrow chest, weak back, excessive length, or looseness of body are faults.
Tail
The tail is long, strong, reaching at least the hock. Set relatively high, it hangs with a slight curve at the tip when relaxed. During movement, it rises but must not curl or lie over the back — only a gentle arc is allowed. The tail is covered in dense coat forming expressive but moderate feathering. Incorrect shape, kinked tails, excessively high or low set, short tails, or insufficient coat coverage are faults.
Exterior Description
Forequarters
The forequarters are strong, straight, well positioned, and provide stability and strength. The shoulder blades are long, well sloped, and close-fitting, forming a correct shoulder angle. The upper arm is muscular and approximately equal in length to the shoulder blade. The elbows are directed backward, close-fitting, and not turned outward or inward. The forearms are straight and strong with developed bone. The pasterns are short, slightly sloped, but firm. The feet are round, compact, with strong pads and nails. Faults include weak pasterns, narrow stance, insufficient bone, or incorrect alignment.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are powerful, well angulated, and muscular, providing strong propulsion and stability on uneven terrain. The thighs are long, broad, and muscular. The stifles are well defined with a moderate angle. The lower legs are strong, equal in length to the thighs, dry and firm. The hocks are low-set and stable. The metatarsals are vertical and short. The feet are compact with strong pads. Cow-hocked stance, weak joints, insufficient angulation, or straight hindquarters are faults.
Gait and Movement
The gait must be powerful, steady, and free. Movement is straight and parallel when viewed from the front and rear, without crossing, swinging, or excessive lift. The forequarters provide confident reach, while the hindquarters give strong propulsion transmitted through a firm back. The topline remains stable without sagging or stiffness. The trot is the main gait and must be smooth, elastic, and efficient, enabling prolonged work. Short stride, stiffness, ligament weakness, incorrect rhythm, or narrow movement are faults.
Coat
The coat of the Karst Shepherd Dog is dense, thick, and double-layered, providing protection against cold, moisture, and changing mountain conditions. The outer coat is long, straight, and slightly harsh, lying close and creating a distinct silhouette. The undercoat is very dense, soft, and thick, giving excellent insulation. On the neck, chest, and hindquarters the coat is more developed, forming a collar and light trousers. On the muzzle and forelegs, the coat is shorter but dense. Soft, curly coat, insufficient undercoat, or overly silky texture are faults.
Permitted Colours
The Karst Shepherd Dog is typically found in shades of grey — from light grey to dark grey — often with a black mask. Lighter and darker patches, as well as clear tonal transitions, are allowed. Small white markings on the chest or feet are acceptable but not desirable. Pigmentation of the nose, lips, and eyelids must be black or very dark. Pale, washed-out colours, spotting, or absence of a mask where required are faults. Albinism is not permitted.
Size
The Karst Shepherd Dog is a large, powerful breed whose size reflects strength and working guardian type. Height at the withers for males is typically 57–63 cm, for females 54–60 cm. Weight varies depending on sex, age, and structure, but the dog must remain strong, muscular, and functional without excessive heaviness or lightness. Balance between height, body width, and limb proportion is essential. Excessively tall, heavy, or overly light types are undesirable. Size must ensure strength, confidence, and endurance.
Faults
Faults in the Karst Shepherd Dog include any deviations affecting its working type, stable psyche, or harmonious exterior. These include weak bone, narrow or shallow chest, soft topline, loose body, poor musculature. Head faults include weak muzzle, excessive coarseness, light eyes, poor pigmentation, or incorrect ear set. Coat faults include excessive softness, curliness, lack of undercoat. Movement faults include short stride, stiffness, narrow movement, cow-hocked rear, insufficient angulation, or weak propulsion. Temperament faults include fearfulness, anxiety, excessive aggression, or instability.
Disqualification
Disqualifying faults include severe temperament, exterior, or pigmentation defects. Unprovoked aggression, pronounced fearfulness, panic reactions, or unstable nervous system are not allowed. Dogs with incorrect bite, missing numerous teeth, serious eyelid defects, lack of pigmentation on nose, lips, or eyelids are disqualified. Coat colours outside permitted greys, large white patches, absence of mask where required, absence of undercoat, curly or overly soft coat are disqualifying. Serious gait defects, limb deformities, or congenital anomalies also exclude a dog from breeding.
Important Notes
The Karst Shepherd Dog is a breed with strong guarding instinct, stable temperament, and working purpose. Breeding must preserve strength, mental stability, confidence, and correct coat quality. Excessive softness, decorative appearance, or loss of working qualities are unacceptable. Age, seasonal coat changes, and overall condition must be considered. Minor exterior faults are less important than temperament or nerve stability issues. Attention must be paid to preserving breed type, proportionality, and movement functionality. The breed must remain powerful, confident, independent, and reliable as a guardian dog.
Conclusion
The Karst Shepherd Dog is a strong, confident, and dependable guardian breed combining solid exterior, balanced temperament, and working functionality. It retains its ability to protect territory and property, acting confidently and thoughtfully in different conditions. The standard emphasizes correct proportions, strong body, confident movement, dense coat, and stable psyche. The breed must not lose its working character or become decorative. With proper care and breeding selection, the Karst Shepherd Dog remains a valuable, loyal, and effective guardian suitable for families and farm environments.
