Living with
Nine Tornjaks
This story is one of many in our "Living with Guardians" series. The series asks Tornjak owners to share their experience with the breed. For those who have never met a Tornjak, hopefully these stories can provide further insight on this ancient breed.
Please introduce yourself and your dog(s).
Laura and Chet Mackiewicz. Our Tornjak family includes; Vin, Lipa, Lucy, Zu, Bila, Gabby, Nessie, Beau, Libar, Dinara.
How long have you had Tornjaks?
10+ years
How did you first hear about the breed?
A conversation on a general Livestock Guardian Dog FB group.
Are your Tornjaks working as livestock guardians or are they pets? If working, please tell us about your guardian needs - What type of livestock? What types of predators?
Our used to be guardians of sheep when we had sheep, a few dairy goats and cattle. We are now phasing down to retirement and no longer have sheep so as ours age, they are transitioning to pets.
Had you met a Tornjak before you got one?
No
Where did yours come from - North America? Europe?
First Canada, then from Europe followed by retaining some of our own pups.
What sort of research did you do on the breed before deciding it was right for you?
General LGD Facebook group followed by any reading we could find.
What about the breed was as you expected? (Temperament, energy, grooming, etc)
General adaptability to be Livestock Guardians and family.
What about the breed was different than you expected? (Temperament, energy, grooming, etc)
The breed in general is a good fit since most will protect their livestock, their humans and be great loves, which is what we wanted. We do find individual differences with energy and how quickly or slowly they become good LGD’s. So expect individual differences, just like us humans.
What lifestyle do you feel would NOT be a good fit for a Tornjak?
City life with only a small yard.
Please feel free to share any other experiences you believe would be relevant to a new owner.
Becoming family with a rare and uncommon breed is an honor and comes with the extra responsibility of good care and keeping them safe. Good fencing that is checked for security is important. People should study both Tornjaks and general traits of Livestock Guardian breeds to better understand them. A first time dog owner should not get any dog of the LGD group due to the differences and strength of Tornjaks.