Croatian Mountain Dog - Tornjak

Publisher: Tornjak club «Šibenik»
Impressum:
B5 format, 256 str.
Hurd cover, full-color
220 photos and ilustrations

"All you ever wanted to know about Tornjaks, and had no one to ask"

Try talking to any owner of Tornjak, or any other breed for that matter, and you will find that each owner is a true encyclopedia of knowledge about dogs, especially about his or her chosen breed. Lately I've been talking to many Tornjak owners I would meet at shows, and each of them knew a lot about the breed, and could tell me something I had not heard before. Each of them had his or her own "recipies" to make their dogs more beautiful, more obedient, more dignified, more proud…
All these owners of Tornjaks (and other dogs), however, have the same problem: weather for the lack of idea or ability, none of them had collected all that knowledge and all that experience, put it into some logical order, then onto paper so it could be passed on to other people. They say that the one who knows is not rich, unless he can pass the knowledge onto others.
With the birth of the world's first book about Tornjaks, its author Ljiljana Nakić-Petrina has earned eternal gratitude from all Tornjak owners and all the people that ever will become Tornjak owners. She has put into one place for all of us to use and enjoy the result of years of digging through archives searching for information about this beautiful breed, personal experience - her own and of many other Tornjak breeders, some of whom have been in the breed for a very long time. This first book about Tornjaks will certainly be the corner stone for other similar books, because the author, in her precision, has covered literally all the questions any Tornjak owner could ask. She has made easier the lives of those of us that already own Tornjaks, explaining to us exactly what treasure we have in our homes. She has put into chronological order many instructions, based on her own experience with her dogs, on how to act in certain situations so that we would be able to live with our Tornjaks in this human-canine world happily and without worrying. This book will "infect with the Tornjak virus" many of the people that have not yet made their decision about owning a Tornjak, because of the way it presents this breed (realistically, without advertising). After reading this book, many people will decide that the Tornjak is the ideal dog for them, whether as pet or guardian.
Speaking about the content of this book, it is enough to say that, technically speaking, this book contains all the elements a good book about dogs should contain: it speaks about history and origin of the breed, its temperament and character, health, prevention of diseases, illnesses that they are prone to, care and maintainance and about the breed standard. It is rich in practical advice, such as: what you should do when your female is in heat, how to act when the puppies arrive, how to prepare your dog for a show and many other useful tips each Tornjak owner will find very useful. Apart from the informative and technical assistance that is excellent, the most valuable aspect of this book is the fact that it wasn't written as a dry, cold manual. This book has a soul, because it is derived from personal experience, and - even if she has tried - the author could not conceal her emotions, fortunately for the reader, and they shine from each page of the book through her unique expression. The author of this book is inlove with Tornjaks, and I am grateful she has shared that love in the best possible way. For, until you have read this book, you are not fully aware of how truly special your dog is. Grace to the actual experience that has been put into words and sentences, you also have a very practical guide to the canine world, and all that it brings - chewed through mats and slippers, hairs all over the place, unpleasant diseases, whelping complications… and a noble, devoted friend who watches lovingly over your every move, and is ready to lay down his life for yours at any moment. All the unpleasentries that the live with these dogs bring, on the scale of love, are in the same proportion as a fly is to an elephant.
Breeders, owners and fanciers of Tornjaks have been given an exquisite book about the dogs they adore, and being that we are all mad about Tornjaks we have been given a book about ourselves, for Tornjaks are our lives.
Croatian cynology, and especially owners of Tornjaks, have gotten a book, which - after it has been read - reminds you of the paraphrased sentence of the genial Woody Allan, and I conclude:
All you ever wanted to know about Tornjaks, and had no one to ask, you can read in the first book about Tornjaks by Ljiljana Nakić-Petrina.

Jasminko Nikolić, Journalist