The Bukovina Sheepdog is a dog breed that originally comes from Bucovina, a Carpathic region in the North-East part of Romania. Also know by the names of Bucovina Sheepdog or Bucovina Shepherd, these dogs are locally called Dulau or Capau and are used for guarding herds.
As general appearance, the dogs belonging to this breed are large sized (just like the other Romanian shepherd dogs: Mioritic, Carpatin), have a well proportioned body, with a massive head, wide chest and big paws. The ears are relatively long, stay folded over and the fur is also long.
The Bukovina Sheepdogs coat is formed out of two layers, a thick and shorter one underneath and a thick, hard and straight layer on top. The length of the hair differs depending on the part of the body (longer on the head and tail and moderate on the rest of the body) and the colors are various (sand-charcoal, black, brindled), but will always come in patches on a usually white background. Though not common, there are also cases of uniform shades for the coat (white or black).
As this is a mountain dog, its coat also adapted to the living conditions, so it is abundant in order to keep the dog warm at all times. Since the fur has certain characteristics, maintenance is not easy these dogs need daily brushing and washing only when necessary, mostly if kept in an apartment; in their original environment, washing is not needed, since they stay outside the house.
With a life span of 10 to 15 years, the Bukovina Sheepdog weighs around 31-41 kilograms and has a height of 68-78 centimeters (males) or 64-72 centimeters (females).
These dogs are large sized and have been raised in the mountains. They have strong bodies and are used to making a lot of effort. They are generally healthy animals, very resistant to harsh conditions and cold weather. Because of their dense coat, they might have an issue with warmer weather, so they may feel uncomfortable in places where the temperatures are too high (such as cities or places with a warm climate).
Taking into account its origins and what it was bred for, the well developed protective instincts that the Bukovina Sheepdog has are not a surprise these dogs are courageous, strong and make great guard dogs. They are very intelligent, devoted, with a calm and balanced personality. They love children and do well around them.
These are easy to train dogs, as long as the training begins at an early age, and the owner makes sure to let them know who the pack leader is (they also has a strong leadership instinct that needs to be controlled). These dogs are obedient and loving; they will adore their owner and all the family members and will become unhappy if neglected.
Since it is large in size, this breed does very well in open spaces and is not recommended as an apartment pet, because it will not adapt as well it prefers houses with large back yards, in order to be able to move around as it wants. As to what exercise is concerned, long daily walks are just what this dog needs; also, do not forget about games it simply loves to play.
All in all, the Bukovina Sheepdog is that large loving friend your whole family has been waiting for protective, devoted, affectionate, caring, patient with children and playful, it will make the perfect pet.
