Albanian Sheepdog

This ancient Moloss is believed by some to be the direct descendant of Epirian and Alani dogs, but chances are it developed from numerous crossings between Greek, Yugoslavian and Albanian breeds. Oftentime mistakenly lumped under the Albanian Wolfhound name, the powerful Qen Stani isn't bred to a strict standard, but rather for work and resilience. Like most Balkan dogs, this hard worker is used for a number of duties, from herding and guarding sheep to being a village watchdog and fighting dog.

The Albanian Sheepdog is quite intelligent and responds well to obedience training, although it's rarely seen outside the rural environments where it requires minimal handling. Smaller and not nearly as aggressive as the other three Albanian Molossers, the Qen Ujk Zagar, the Qen Gjedhe and the Balioushi Sharplanina Dog, this rugged mountain dog is nonetheless very suspicious and cautious around strange people and dogs. The Albanian Qen Stani comes in a variety of types, from lupoid specimens to mastiffy examples, often with cropped ears and sometimes even docked tails.

The rich harsh coat comes in all shades, both solid and particoloured. Average height is around 24 inches.