- Coat is always black (like a raven) or black on more than 80% of the body, with white marks on the chest and the forequarters.
- The white marks on the forequarters must not exceed the metacarpal joint level on the front but could be extended almost to the elbow on the posterior part.
- Permissible: Other colours except black on the white
- The presence of white on the tip of the toes of the hind feet is not to be penalised.
- Preferred: When two dogs are of almost the same value, that with more black
- A coat with a reddish tinge, due to prolonged exposition to the sun during summer, should not be penalised
About the Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog
- Typical life span
- 10-14 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 45-63 kg
- Female
- 40-55 kg
- Height
- Male
- 70-78 cm
- Female
- 65-73 cm
- FCI status
- Provisional
- Origin
- Romania, Carpathian Mountains
- Also called
- Perro Pastor Cuervo Rumano
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog?
Large, powerful livestock guardian dog from the Carpathian Mountains, distinguished by its impressive size and entirely black coat. Known as 'Corb' (meaning 'Raven' in Romanian), this robust and courageous breed was developed for protecting sheep flocks from wolves, bears, and lynx, valued for its calm demeanor and devotion to its flock and family.
Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog history and origins
Ancient native breed from the Carpathian and Sub-Carpathian regions of Romania, used for centuries as guardian of livestock against large predators. Officially recognized by the FCI on provisional basis in 2019, valued for courage, loyalty and ability to deter wolves, bears and lynx
Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog appearance and size
Males typically weigh 45-63 kg and stand 70-78 cm at the shoulder; females 40-55 kg and 65-73 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Shepherd dog for sheep and cattle. Excellent guardian
- Behaviour and temperament
“Balanced, calm with a well developed guardian instinct, obedient and attached to his masters. It is diffident towards strangers. Very good guardian for livestock, courageous and capable to fight against predators (bear, wolf). His bark is loud, profound and can be heard from a great distance”
Quoted from FCI standard n°373. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog
What you get with the Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Shepherd dog for sheep and cattle. Excellent guardian”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Balanced, calm with a well developed guardian instinct, obedient and attached to his masters”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “on the back side of the forequarters, the hair forms fringes”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged preferred and permissible.
Coat
Head and the front part of the legs are covered with short hair.
On the body, hair is abundant, long (7-10 cm), flat, straight and rough.
Undercoat is shorter and dense.
At the neck region, hair is much longer forming a mane
on the back side of the forequarters, the hair forms fringes
on the backside of hindquarters, the hair is longer and forms culottes.
The tail is bushy, completely natural
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°373 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Untypical expression.
- Lack of sexual dimorphism.
- Round protruding eyes.
- Erect ears.
- Top line sagging or dipping.
- Hair too short (under 6 cm)
- Curly coat or bad coat texture.
- Yellow eyes with untypical expression.
- Different colour of eyes (heterochromatic).
- Cow hocked
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.