Turkish Zerdava
The Zerdava is a devoted and versatile hunting breed, and closely related to the Georgian Hunting Dog or Mekverne. They are nicknamed the "Gate Dog" for their outstanding watchdog abilities.
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Turkish Zerdava Traits
General Appearance
The Zerdava is a spitz-type dog with a compact, athletic body.
Coat and Coloring
This breed has a dense double coat that is always solid liver brown or liver and white combinations (piebald, ticked, roan). Zerdava puppies are often nearly black at birth.
Distinctive Physical Traits
Zerdavas have triangular upright ears, a brown nose, and yellow-brown eyes. Their sickle-shaped curled tail is usually white-tipped.
Turkish Zerdava Temperament
The Zerdava is devoted to its humans but highly distrustful of strangers. These versatile hunters are capable of treeing small game, stalking large prey, and working in teams to corner bears and boar. They are especially prized for avoiding injury while hunting boar. Zerdava puppies need considerable socialization to avoid shyness or aggression. This breed is known for being extremely loyal to their first owner, and may struggle being rehomed.
Turkish Zerdava History
The Zerdava is an aboriginal laika-type hunting dog native to the Black Sea region of Turkey, particularly documented in the Trabzon and Giresun provinces of Turkey. The name Zerdava is Slavic for mustelid (marten family), possibly referring to its marten-brown coat color or its tree-hunting behavior when pursuing martens.
The most probable explanation for the breed's origin is that hunting laika dogs were acquired by trade from Russia, as Baltic and Black Sea ports were primary routes of the Russian fur trade into Europe and Asia through the early Middle Ages. The breed has been documented in the Eastern Black Sea region for at least a hundred years.
Since 2016, the Turkish Armed Forces has been training Zerdava for military uses including bomb and narcotic detection, search and rescue, and personnel detention.
Turkish Zerdava Care
Nutrition
The Zerdava is known for its excellent health in harsh conditions with minimal care. To meet their nutritional needs, feed a balanced diet appropriate for an active hunting and working dog. To manage their portions, measure their meals to avoid over-feeding and keep treats to no more than 10% of their daily calories.
Grooming
The Zerdava's double coat requires regular brushing, particularly during shedding seasons. To round out their grooming routine, clean ears and trim nails regularly, and develop an at-home dental care routine.
Exercise
As a hunting and working laika, Zerdavas need extensive daily exercise and mental stimulation. They thrive when doing hunting work, tracking, or other demanding physical tasks.
Training
This breed requires extensive early socialization with people and other animals. This hard-working breed has been successfully trained for military and search and rescue work.
Breed Group
Sporting
The sporting group breeds are incredibly diverse in personality and appearance, but can be characterized as very sturdy. They were developed to work closely with people and in general have a very responsive nature and high intelligence.
