Romanian Mioritic Shepherd: temperament, training and care

At a glance

Temperament

• Protective shepherd's guardian
• Gentle with family
• Barks at night to guard

Training tips

Teach a Quiet cue early: guarding barks are part of the breed.

Romanian Mioritic Shepherds can be independent thinkers. Find what your dog will really work for, keep sessions short and fun, and expect to repeat things more often than with an eager-to-please breed.

Start with a marker word, sit, come and leave it. For a puppy, see the puppy training guides.

Exercise and energy

A healthy adult Romanian Mioritic Shepherd typically needs around 60 to 90 minutes of activity a day. Mix walks with sniffing and short training games: mental work tires dogs as much as running does. Puppies need much shorter sessions while they grow.

See how much exercise a dog needs and our games and enrichment ideas.

Health to watch

Things the breed is known to be prone to. Ask your vet what to check for your dog.

• Hips and elbows. Prone to joint problems: keep them lean and ask the vet to check the joints each year.
• Hot weather. A thick coat holds heat: keep walks early and late in summer. See: Heatstroke.