What is a Karakachan?

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Karakachans According to Wikipedia, are a specific breed of dog originating from the regions of Bulgaria, and surrounding regions of Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and Greece.  The  origins of the Karakachan dog reach all the way back to 3 BC. The name Karakachan comes from Greek Nomadic Shepherds who - because of their very conservative breeding traditions  - have been able to maintain and perpetuate some of the oldest breeds of domesticated animals in Europe. The Karakachans, who lived in mountain regions of Bulgaria, used the Karakachan dogs as prized livestock guardians for their flocks. The Karakachans also were able to preserve Karakachan horses and Karakachan sheep as well as the Karakachan dog. 

The Karakachan dog should not be confused with the Bulgarian Shepherd dog, they have some of the same origins but are not the same breed. The Karakachan dog almost became extinct but survived with the extended efforts the Bulgarian shepherd people.  These dogs are special because they were "prized for their intelligence and fearless nature" and known as "the wolf killer."  Most people in the United States seek the Karakachan out to protect their own livestock from fox, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, and fishers. The Karakachan is territorial and will not hesitate to protect to the death; it is a fierce protector with the utmost dedication to what it is guarding against a bear, wolf, and defend it's owner in case of danger. Karakachan LGDs are not pets and thrive when they are allowed to do what they were born to do - guard livestock. The livestock is their territory and their job is to protect it.

Harvest Plantation has a imported a breeding pair of Bulgarian Karakachan LGDs that were flown directly from Bulgaria in 2021 after an exhaustive 9 month search for the perfect pairing. Official breed standards for the Karakachan are determined by the State Commission for Animal Breeds within the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Bulgaria, and are registered in the International Karakachan Database in Bulgaria or IKDA or MAKK. 

In the United States, the American Karakachan Dog Association (AKDA) is the Registrar, of which Harvest Plantation is a registered Breeder. In addition to our imports, we have amazing domestic Karakachans that have low AKDA registration numbers coming from early Karakachans brought to the United States from Bulgaria.

If you are interested in owning a Harvest Plantation Karakachan, please give us a call or fill out a contact us form. We would love to talk Karakachans with you, learn about what your specific needs are and how we can help. Check out our Available Puppies page for details on our upcoming litters. Occasionally there may be adult Karakachans that need new jobs, so please reach out if you are looking for an older dog.