One of the most standardized early breeds, the Sarplaninec (pronounced shar-pla-nee-natz) has bred true to type for centuries. This dog of Macedonia, a protector of sheep in the Illyrian mountain pastures, has been described by one author as “the pearl in the snow” for the devotion it shows to its flock in the most icy of winter conditions.

It’s believed to have descended from early molossian dogs of Greece, but it wasn’t until 1930 that it was recognized as a distinct breed. FCI acceptance came in 1939, but it took until 1975 for the first dogs to reach America.

This is an immensely powerful breed with big teeth that it doesn’t hesitate to use when challenged. “Ball of fury” doesn’t begin to describe a Sarplaninec defending its own.

Image of Sarplaninec uploaded by Dobermannp at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2800582