LFT’s Panda Bear at 2 Years of Age
LFT’s Panda Bear at 2 Years of Age
Our lovely female from LFT’s first litter of puppies, out of Wendy Gold Brilliance and Dużo Serca Kraina Zimy, now-mature at two years of age …
We thank all who have waited patiently with us for so many years as we have prepared to get our Polish Tatra breeding program up and running. It is with extreme gratitude that we announce our very first litter of beautiful Polish Tatra Sheepdog puppies born in late January of 2022. All of our puppies have been placed. If you would like to be added to our waiting list for a mature Polish Tatra sheepdog, in case one should ever become available, please click on the banner below at the bottom of this page.
We would like to share why we have selected our two special Tatras as foundation stock, imported from Poland, to launch our small breeding program. We have raised eight purebred Polish Tatra Sheepdogs and two Polish Tatra mixes over the last fourteen years, so we have accumulated a little working knowledge of the breed. Having raised many puppies over the last fifty years, including puppies preparing for guide dog work for the blind, I acquired a comfortable working knowledge of the working canine. Although I have enjoyed each of the breeds I have raised, I have selected the Polish Tatra Sheepdog as the only breed which we hope to reproduce, due to its exceptional nature, common sense and deep devotion which perfectly suit our farm and family.
We now have two outstanding representatives of the Polish Tatra Sheepdog: a Tatra male, Dużo Serca Kraina Zimy, imported from Poland, and a beautiful female, “Zosia” Wendy Gold Brilliance, also imported from Poland. Both are breed champions, having attained American Rare Breed Association “Champion of Beauty” titles. Polish Tatra Sheepdogs are unable, at this time, to be registered with AKC, but they are eligible for UKC and ARBA registration. We believe that Dużo and Zosia have a nice balance of beauty, conformation and function along with working ability and balanced psyche. They are the two dogs from which we unequivocally want progeny to replace our own working dogs on our farm in the future and through which we also hope to further the Polish Tatra Sheepdog breed in the United States. It is difficult to find Polish Tatra Sheepdogs that are representative of, and likely to improve, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog breed, even incrementally, in the United States. We believe Dużo and Zosia will offer the best promise towards this end.
Both Dużo and Zosia have exceptional coats, skin and ears. These traits help them to not only enjoy the cold weather but also to really flourish during winter and to make their daily care very manageable. Their good skin protects them from hot spots and ear infections during wet, humid and hot weather. Both have excellent teeth and ears. Their ears have sufficient hair covering to protect them well from the flies of summer. Their coats are easy to manage with only a daily brush, yet are substantially able to protect them from the elements during all four seasons. You will see three of their offspring from their first (and only) litter at the top of this page. Both dogs are Brucellosis negative. Dużo and Zosia are deeply devoted to each family member and love to be with us whenever possible.
Dużo is exceptionally hardy, has considerable natural instinct with the sheep, and has gorgeous movement. He is representative of the sturdy old type of Polish Tatra sheepdog—which is increasingly difficult to find. Dużo prefers to be outside during winter, and only inside for short periods. His substantial winter coat prepares him well for the great outdoors and his working mind prefers the challenge of watching over his farm, rather than the comforts of indoor life. This is a trait common to most of our male Tatras. Dużo will dutifully warn off intruders with a strong bark, remain at his post, and may need several introductions by a family member before he will welcome strangers into his fold, particularly when he is on his own property or with his sheep. Once he has accepted a friend of the family, he will become relaxed, fun and even silly, but his motto is “duty first”. Dużo is good with our poultry; several of our Tatras have not been.
In general, Tatras prefer winter over summer. The heat is difficult for them. Dużo enjoys working so much, however, that he will regularly challenge this breed characteristic in order to work alongside each of us in the heat whenever we are out on the farm. We call him “shovel ready” because he loves to be a working buddy to each of us and is always ready to join in with our activities and projects.
Zosia displays a welcome and easy-going nature. After a brief introduction, she will want to remain for petting and doting without limitation. She has an endearing personality, a high IQ and is as comfortable with the sheep as she is hanging out with us in the house. She is quick to learn and wants very much to please us. She is exceptionally good with our chickens when they free-range. Not every Tatra can handle poultry well, but Zosia is a natural. She has the temperament of a good therapy dog and a wonderful balance of dependence and independence on the farm. When she is indoors, she will even wake me if I have a (rare) nightmare, by gently nudging my arm until I wake up. She will then go back to sleep herself.
Our Tatra puppies will be required to be spayed or neutered at the age of 2 and not be bred. We want to make sure that our puppies will improve the breed as a whole before we allow others to pass along our genetic lines. We request and welcome feedback about each puppy from our future owners so that we can learn of any problems and strengths. With only a few breeders of the Polish Tatra Sheepdog in the United States, this feedback will be very important to us to improve our breeding program. Our primary goal in breeding is to replace the working Polish Tatra Sheepdogs on our farm and to improve this rare breed in the United States by importing and breeding some of the best available Tatra genetics we can find. We seek the most suitable homes for the growth and development of our puppies. Since no person and no animal can “have it all”, we have chosen in our breeding efforts to strive to preserve the traits of the working Tatra, first and foremost. We also hope to maximize health, temperament and solid structure to the greatest extent possible, without contributing to extinction of the breed.
If you would like to learn more about working Polish Tatra Sheepdogs and how to better set up your farm or home before acquiring a puppy, please click here. If you would like to be added to our 2024 backup waiting list, in case a slot for a puppy opens up, please fill out our form at the top of this page.
Thank you for your interest in our future litters. We look forward to hearing from you.
Should we ever have a mature Tatra available in the future and should you be interested, you may fill out the waiting list form here.
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