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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.
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