Aromun Sheepdog - Banzov

The Aromun Sheepdog belongs to the ancient Moloss stock of Balkan mountain dogs. Closely related to the Pannonian Herder, Homolian Sheepdog, Bosnian Tornjak, Goran Shepherd Dog, Bulgarian Karakachan, Bukovina Sheepdog, as well as Romanian Carpatin and Mioritic breeds, this working dog is most commonly associated with the Aromun tribes of the Vlach population of Serbia and Macedonia, who have been its primary breeders for centuries, but Aromun Vlachs also inhabit Greece and the connection between their dogs with smaller Greek sheepdogs is still fairly strong. The Tzintzar Banzov was never standardized and is today extremely rare and largely forgotten. A serious and driven watchdog and alert livestock guardian, this old breed posesses a much sharper temperament than its closest cousins, the Homolian Sheepdog and the Bucovina Shepherd. In Serbia, crosses with the Sylvan were common and the resulting dogs would be given the name "Karavlach", but not many black Banzovs can be found today.

Intolerant of strangers and aggressive towards other dogs, the Banzov is not an ideal choice for urban environments, although the breed responds well to obedience training and makes a fine companion and watchdog. Fairly lupoid in head-type, leaner and shorter than most mountain dogs, the Aromunac is a very fast and agile Molosser. Although very rare, the Tzintzar Banzov is still being bred for its working qualities, resulting in a variety of appearances, from short-coated and longhaired dogs to the rarely encountered bearded specimens called "Baraks", with no variant being preferred over any other.

Regardless of type, the coat is dense and weatherproof, most valued in white, but common in all shades, both solid and particoloured. Average height is around 23 inches.