On the Balkankinology forum appeared as something “refreshing”, under the nickname Kangal, somebody who put a lot of very interesting pictures of Sarplaninci and other guarding dogs of livestock with the sheep or in the natural environment. I have immediately thought that I finally found a person who could enrich my rubric “Sarplaninac and sheep”, which, indeed, happened. I wished to come into contact with this person and so I received the following answer:

“I am student in electrical engineering in Zagreb, I was born in Dalmatian, from parents originating from the town Livno and my heart is in Livno. Of my very youth I was interested in the sheep and dogs. Already as a 10 year old boy I went with the neighbour to herd the sheep and I passionately listened to the anecdotes regarding the wolves and the dogs. I have no problem to give you comments regarding certain pictures. Otherwise, it are pictures of the dogs from the fields in the surroundings of my village, I know almost all of them, there are Sarplaninci of pure breed, as well as Tornjak, but also mixtures of these two breeds. In the past people watched this matter more carefully but currently, after all the events, they are not so much paying attention anymore, so it is as it is. Some of these dogs have pedigrees, others, according to my opinion, the most interesting ones; do not have any (Siptar, his son, the grandchildren of Nero…). Siptar is in the front line, I am guarantee for his character, for the mechanics of his movements, for his constitution, but I am afraid that nobody will benefit from it, he is 8 years old and he did not yet mate with an appropriate female, except the one with which he got this son. I saw him for the first time this summer and I was very enthusiastic. He is tested for the wolf and in all the region people knows that he was an excellent fighter. In any case, these tests and the combats are the common happenings over there, people have such a mentality.
Personally, I hold Kangals and the Shepherds of Central Asia. I have two Shepherds of Central Asia and one Kangal, but soon I should have another female and a male of Shepherd and one Kangal female. I also have two Shepherds of Central Asia at my uncle, which I gave him, and so we collaborate together. In Zagreb, I am learning from the man who has already for 10 years Shepherds of Central Asia and who is for 30 years in the cynology, nowadays he has 20 dogs. At present we raise 2 litters and another two are on the way.


Very sincerely, my dream is to go back to Livno and to give my dogs the most natural environment and I hope it will be once like that.

I hope I did not write too much: put as many of my pictures as you wish, the promotion of the working dogs and of the main characteristics of the livestock guarding dogs is always in the interest of all the ones who love them.
Here some pictures of my dogs

Friendly greetings

Toni Ceko"

From the sea it is separated by the mountain Dinara. It is located in the longest plain of karsts, surrounded by high mountains, of which Golija and Cincar 2000m high are the most known to me. From its top you can see the Adriatic Sea. The plain of Livno is known by the great number of sunny days. Through the plain run several rivers of karsts and they make the Lake Busko Blato, which covers 50 km².
On the slope of the plain of Livno are preserved until today approximately 40 Illyrian cities, old Roman roads, old Christian basilicas and many grave monuments showing the historical importance of this area

Here are some pictures of Sarplaninci which keep the livestock along the river Sturba, next to the village Mali Guber and the comment of Toni:

“All the dogs are from the man of Livno, Mr Sike Burkic. For me, he is one of the best shepherds of our region, at least according to his knowledge on the livestock guarding dogs, and especially the Sarplaninci. He deals with the culture of the sheep since many years. He had before a Sarplaninac which he got from a friend of Sarplanina. It was the dog of the type of Ljus de Brod; he several times told me that it was his best dog. Unfortunately, jealous people killed it. On the pictures are the dogs raised in Livno, which originate from the dogs of Banja Luka and Sarajevo from 20 years ago.