Tornjak

The Tornjak was originated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest number of Tornjaks was found in the mountains of Vlasic which is within the center of the country. Researchers have discovered the first written documentation of the breed from the year 1067 A.D. This documentation showed the measurements for the Tornjak as well as personality traits. It has been suggested that the Slavs brought dogs similar to the Tornjak with them when they migrated into these regions. However, studies done on the breed have uncovered that he most likely descends from the Tibetan Mastiff. The Tornjak has been solely found within Bosnia and Herzegovina for the past thousand years and has the best documented history of all of the ancient breeds. Originally, the Tornjak was registered as Kanis Montanus or “mountain dog”. It was the locals who worked with these dogs on a daily basis that gave them the name Tornjak which translates to enclosure for sheep. In 1981, the Tornjak was registerable under the name Bosnian-Herzegovinian Sheepdog – Tornjak. He was registered as an autochthonous breed. An autochthonous breed is simply a native breed that originated from or adapted to a particular geographical region. A judge commission was formed to begin the process of getting the Tornjak recognized by the FCI. The judge commission was formed to produce a breed standard. In 1990 the breed standard was completed in a town called Travnik, located in central Bosnia. In 2006, the Federation Cynology Internationale accepted the Tornjak under provisional conditions. The breed was given the rights to participate in dogs shows in all countries with FCI sponsored shows. Since then, he has been fully accepted within the FCI and the United Kennel Club. Breed enthusiasts are now working towards getting him recognized through the American Kennel Club.