Romanian Carpathian Shepherd: temperament, training and care

At a glance

Temperament

• Brave flock guardian
• Calm with family, wary of strangers
• Independent thinker

Training tips

Guardians decide for themselves: reward checking in with you, often.

Romanian Carpathian 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 Carpathian Shepherd typically needs around 60 to 90 minutes of activity a day. Walks alone rarely cover it: add sniffing games, training and play so their brain gets tired too. 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.