Official ICCF Breed Description
Brief historical background
The Romanian Shepherd Dog was formed in the Carpathian Mountains as a reliable herding and guarding dog, used by local shepherds to protect flocks from predators. The breed developed in a natural way, being selected for its working qualities: strength, courage and the ability to work in a harsh climate. Gradually, a large frame, dense bone and a stable character became fixed. In the 20th century, systematic breeding of the breed began, aimed at preserving its herding and guarding qualities. Today, the Romanian Shepherd Dog is recognized as a valuable working breed that retains its traditional type.
General appearance
The Romanian Shepherd Dog is a powerful, large, strongly built dog with pronounced sexual dimorphism and harmonious anatomy. The body is slightly elongated, the musculature is voluminous but not coarse. The bone is massive, the limbs are straight and stable. The posture is confident, the movements are free and efficient. The head is large, proportional to the body, with a broad muzzle and strong jaws. The coat is dense, long, with a well-developed undercoat providing protection from cold and moisture. The overall appearance emphasizes strength, balance and functionality.
Important proportions
The height at the withers exceeds the length of the body only slightly, maintaining a moderately elongated format. The depth of the chest is about half the height of the dog, which ensures stability and breathing capacity. The head is proportional to the size of the body, the length of the skull slightly exceeds the length of the muzzle. The neck is of medium length, strong, smoothly transitioning into the withers. The shoulders are moderately sloping, the angulation of the limbs is balanced for free movement. The tail is long, low set. All proportions are aimed at combining strength, endurance and functionality when working in the mountains.
Behavior and character
The Romanian Shepherd Dog is distinguished by a balanced, serious and independent temperament, formed by centuries of herding work. The breed shows pronounced guarding instincts, attentiveness and a high sense of responsibility for the entrusted territory or flock. It treats strangers warily, but without excessive aggression, reacting confidently and thoughtfully. It is attached to its owner, willingly cooperates, and has well-developed trainability and the ability to make independent decisions. In the family the dog is calm, tolerant, and demonstrates a stable character and a resilient psyche.
Head
The head of the Romanian Shepherd Dog is large, massive, but proportional to the overall format. The skull is broad, slightly convex, with a well-defined occipital protuberance. The transition from forehead to muzzle is moderately pronounced and smooth. The frontal part is quite long and expresses the strength and seriousness of the breed. The cheekbones are developed but not protruding. The muzzle is voluminous, slightly tapering towards the nose, but not pointed. The lips are tight, dry, well fitting. The jaws are powerful, fully developed, with a correct bite. The overall impression of the head is strength, confidence and balance.
Facial part
The muzzle is powerful, broad at the base, gradually tapering while maintaining a rectangular format. The profile is straight. The nose is large, pigmented, with well-opened nostrils. The lips fit tightly, do not form excessive folds, pigmentation is complete. The jaws are very strong, providing a firm grip; the teeth are large and even. The zygomatic arches are moderately expressed. The cheeks are dry, without coarseness. The chin is noticeable but not protruding. The overall appearance of the facial part emphasizes the working type of the breed – strength, confidence and stability.
Eyes
The eyes are of medium size, oval in shape, set moderately wide and slightly oblique, which gives the dog an expression of attentiveness and concentration. The iris is usually dark brown, harmonizing with the coat color. The expression is calm, confident, without signs of aggressiveness or cowardice. The eyelids are tight, well fitting, pigmentation is complete. The eyes should be bright and lively, reflecting the working character of the breed. Light, too round or protruding eyes, as well as signs of tearing or irritation, are unacceptable.
Ears
The ears are of medium length, triangular in shape, set high and wide. In a calm state they hang along the cheeks, fitting closely, the tips are slightly rounded. When alert, the dog raises the base of the ears, which enhances the attentive expression. They are covered with dense hair corresponding to the general type of coat. Too long, excessively short, too low-set or protruding ears are not allowed. The shape and set should emphasize the harmony of the head and the working character of the breed.
Neck
The neck is strong, muscular, of medium length, harmoniously transitioning into the withers. The set is high, but without excessive verticality. The upper line of the neck is slightly arched, which gives the breed a noble and confident appearance. The skin is tight, without a pronounced dewlap. The neck provides good mobility of the head and stability during work, especially in mountain terrain. The musculature is developed and dry, corresponding to the large format of the breed. A weak, thin or excessively short neck is considered a fault.
Body
The body of the Romanian Shepherd Dog is powerful, slightly elongated, with strong bone and marked musculature. The withers are high, well defined, smoothly transitioning into a straight and strong topline. The back is strong, broad, without sagging. The loin is short, muscular, slightly convex. The croup is broad, moderately sloping, providing strong drive. The chest is deep, well developed, reaching the level of the elbows; the ribs are moderately arched. The belly is tucked up, but without excessive dryness. The overall format of the body demonstrates the endurance and functionality of a working breed.
Tail
The tail is long, low set, in a calm state it hangs down with a slight curve at the end. When moving or excited, it rises to the level of the back, but does not curl and does not lie on the body. The tail is well covered with dense hair corresponding to the general type of coat. Its shape and set emphasize the balance and harmony of the exterior. A tail that is too short, high-set or curled is considered a fault. Tail amputation is not typical for the breed and is undesirable according to the ICCF standard.
Description of the exterior
Forelimbs
The forelimbs are straight, parallel, strong, with massive bone. The shoulder blades are long, moderately sloping, providing amplitude of movement. The upper arm is strong, well connected to the body, the angles of the joints are balanced. The forearms are powerful, vertical; the pasterns are strong, without softness or outward or inward turning. The feet are compact, round, with tight pads and pronounced, strong nails. Correct placement and structure of the limbs ensure stability, endurance and a confident stride of the Romanian Shepherd Dog.
Hindlimbs
The hindlimbs are powerful, with well-developed musculature and pronounced joint angulation. The thighs are long, broad, providing strong drive. The stifles are strong, moderately pronounced. The lower thighs are long, muscular, with good definition. The hock joints are low-set, strong, without signs of weakness or deviation. The rear pasterns are vertical and strong. The feet are slightly more elongated than the front ones, with tight pads. The correct structure of the hindlimbs ensures powerful drive, stability and the ability of the dog to work on difficult terrain.
Gait and movement
The movements of the Romanian Shepherd Dog are wide, free, stable and confident. At the trot the dog shows good coordination, powerful drive from the hindlimbs and correct reach of the forelimbs. The topline remains stable and strong. The stride is wide, elastic, with clear energy efficiency, which is important for long herding work. In movement the dog must maintain balance, straightness and confidence. Cow-hocks, narrow movement, shortened stride, excessive heaviness or restricted range of motion are unacceptable.
Coat
The coat is long, dense, of a somewhat harsh texture, with a well-developed dense undercoat providing protection from cold, moisture and wind. On the body the hair is longer and more voluminous, forming a characteristic dense cover. On the head and the front part of the limbs it is shorter. On the neck, chest and croup the coat often forms a more pronounced fringing. The undercoat is soft, dense, providing thermal insulation. The coat must correspond to the working purpose of the breed. Coat that is too soft, short or lacking undercoat is considered a fault.
Acceptable colors
For the Romanian Shepherd Dog, various natural herding colors are acceptable, reflecting the working origin of the breed. The most common are white, cream, grey, wolf-grey, fawn, as well as combinations of patches and zoned patterns. Shades from light to more saturated are allowed, but without excessive mottling. The color should be uniform or with natural distribution of patches. Pigmentation of the nose, eyelids and lips must be complete. Allopigmentary colors, merle pattern, bluish eyes or marked depigmentation are unacceptable.
Size
The Romanian Shepherd Dog belongs to large working breeds. The height of males usually ranges from 68 to 85 cm at the withers, females from 64 to 80 cm, while maintaining harmonious proportions. Weight varies depending on sex and format, but the dog must show strength and power without signs of obesity or excessive coarseness. Size must not impair functionality: very small or excessively large specimens are considered undesirable. The most important criterion remains the working type, preservation of strength and endurance.
Faults
Faults include any deviations from the breed type that affect functionality or exterior. Weak bone, insufficient musculature, loose body, flat chest. Incorrect head proportions: narrow skull, pointed muzzle, incomplete pigmentation. Light, round or protruding eyes, weak eyelids. Ears that are too large, low-set or protruding. Soft back, weak ligaments, insufficient angulation of the limbs. Incorrect coat – short, soft or without undercoat. Faults of character: shyness, aggression, instability.
Disqualification
Disqualifying faults include any serious deviations from type and norm that affect health or behavior. Complete depigmentation of the nose, lips or eyelids. Blue or odd-colored eyes, pronounced eyelid defects. Undershot bite, overshot bite, absence of several teeth beyond age-related allowances. Obvious limb deformities, gross movement disorders, marked lameness. Allopigmentary coat colors, merle, absence of undercoat. Tail anomalies, cryptorchidism in males. Unprovoked aggression, severe cowardice, unstable psyche.
Important notes
The Romanian Shepherd Dog is a working breed, and in evaluation special attention is paid to functionality, strength of bone, stability of psyche and ability for prolonged work. Minor cosmetic deviations are allowed if they do not affect working qualities. Full pigmentation and preservation of the natural coat type are important. Any deliberate alteration of the exterior, coat color or coat structure is prohibited. In assessment, age, sex, physical condition and keeping conditions are taken into account. A stable temperament, confidence and balance are encouraged.
Conclusion
The Romanian Shepherd Dog is a powerful working breed that has preserved the ancient herding and guarding type. To participate in shows and breeding within the ICCF system, the dog must have ICCF documents confirming its origin, exterior evaluation and absence of disqualifying faults. Primary attention is paid to constitutional strength, stable psyche, full pigmentation and working format. The dog must demonstrate typical breed features, good health and conformity to the ICCF standard. Only such dogs are allowed for breeding use and official evaluation.
