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Fierce Karakachan Dogs Catching On Fast
The very large livestock guardian dog breed known as the Karakachan is increasing in numbers across the U.S., according to breeder Carol Kloiber of Peru, Ind. This ancient Bulgarian breed has tripled its population in the past 6 yrs. But there are still only 120 purebreds in the U.S.
This growing popularity is d
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Fierce Karakachan Dogs Catching On Fast LIVESTOCK DOGS 33-5-25 The very large livestock guardian dog breed known as the Karakachan is increasing in numbers across the U.S., according to breeder Carol Kloiber of Peru, Ind. This ancient Bulgarian breed has tripled its population in the past 6 yrs. But there are still only 120 purebreds in the U.S.
This growing popularity is due to the fact that these loyal canines take their job very seriously. They voluntarily stay with the livestock and chase predators until they've either caught them or driven them too far away to return.
"Karakachans come in a variety of colors and most have dense, wavy coats. They have hips like a wolf, a low posture with an average height of only 24 in., and they're fast," Kloiber says. "In the U.S., they weigh between 100 and 150 lbs. and have massive, powerful heads, making them willing to take on wolves, bears, coyotes, big cats and even packs of domestic dogs if they threaten their herd."
It's believed that Karakachan ancestors go back as far as the third millennium B.C., making them one of Europe's oldest breeds. They were named by the Turks in recognition of the nomadic Karakachan people who are believed to have brought them to Bulgaria from Thessaly hundreds of years ago. Translated, the word means, "black runaway." Karakachans have also been called "Bulgarian Wolf-killers".
"At one time, Bulgarian cattle herders used 100 dogs or more to protect and move up to 10,000 animals at a time," says Kloiber. "Karakachans were often employed by the Bulgarian Army prior to World War II but during the Cold War, their numbers began to drop off sharply until they became endangered. Now there is a newly formed registry called the Karakachan Dog Association of America (www.karakachandog.com).
Kloiber says a 5-month-old dog usually sells for around $500.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Peach Valley Farm, Carol Kloiber, 4723 E 200 N, Peru, Ind. 46970 (ph 765 473-0186; peach53@hughes.net; www.karakachandog.com/).
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