Back to "Dogs of my own" Contents Back to Home                                                                          FANGO OF MINE         I decided to call him Fango while I was waiting for him, a few months before he came. This name always suited him well, and so I kept it. His official name is Cigo Certisa. Fango travelled by plane from Croatia, where he was born. I got him at the airport, in his cage, and we came home by train and then with my car. It was already late in the afternoon when we arrived to my house. I had left early in the morning to go to the airport, so when I came back home, first I looked after all my other dogs. I put Fango in his cage in the garden, while I opened both his cage's door and my house's one. Then I went to my other dogs, in the yard, the door between garden and yard was still closed, so the pup was quiet. But I was wondering what he would do, alone in the garden, in a place that he didn't know at all. When I was ready, I came back to my house to search the pup, wondering where he could be. But when I opened the door, Fango was just behind. He looked up at me, and when I met his gaze, I understood immediately that Fango was already mine. I called him with some French words, that he didn't know, and with my hand given to him. Fango came to put his head under my hand. He was so tender and so confident with me that it seemed that Fango always knew me, as he was born at home. The noises in the kitchen didn't make him react, so I thought that he was living inside his breeder's house before coming here. Fango was very quiet and confident. When I opened a door to stay at the entrance of a room, Fango hurried up to come and without me he visited the whole room alone. Fango is always like that, and I must be careful when we are somewhere, if I let his lead out of my hand, Fango leaves me to visit all around alone ... But he doesn't run away from the garden. His breeder knew him well, because he had tied up his cage-door with iron thread. And he bought him a little carpet to put in his cage : Fango likes very much his little comforts ... As a cat, he is fond of soft cushions with false fur, but also he likes heights - for example lying on a table or sleeping the whole night in a place for cats ...  As cats, Fango doesn't like to be dirty, and clean himself. And as cats, he thinks that he knows by himself what he has to do and he doesn't like to be given orders ... It appeared quickly that his breeder took care very well of him till it was time for him to come to me. First, as soon as Fango arrived, I was sure that he had been loved, and loved by human beings, because he was already really able to love and to give a lot of things from himself. Fango was used to walk on lead and he knew everything and people that can be met in a town. When he and my bitch Snasha took the exam for breeding, the judge said that they were well socialized - and he gave them easily "excellent" - so thanks to the breeders. If Fango has such a very nice character, for me that is the result of both good aptitudes of the dog and the work of the breeder who took care of him till he was 4 1/2 months - that is so easy to waste good aptitudes in a young being ... Fango surprised me from the beginning. For example, he made neither pee nor dropping inside the house at night, although he was only 4 1/2 months. The first evening, I took photos of him, easily because he didn't move ; and the following morning, when he saw me with my camera, he sat just in front of me, in good position and without moving till I had finished to take photos. Fango has always been an angel for me. From the beginning, he appeared as a thoughtful character. He had always been very quiet and when he arrived, he was able to stay alone (without me but also without any other animal) in a room during a long time and during the whole night. He didn't complain. Fango is rather a silent one. He barks when he thinks it is necessary, but not for nothing, and not by excitation. He is not emotional, not easily excitable, and doesn't move for nothing. He seems saving his energy to be ready if new situation appears ... For Fango is both quiet, not emotional, overall silent, and able to react quickly with a lot of energy but with precision. "Fango" word reminds me of a French word that means "spirited", and Fango is really so ...  when situation needs. When all is quiet all around, Fango appears rather as a lazy one ... When he arrived at home, a young Newfoundland bitch was still living with us, she died just before my bitch Snasha came. This bitch was thinking that she could annoy any little dog because she was so big ... And she used to do so with my old Mudi. But she tried only once with Fango. Fango began to groan, she continued to irritate him, so Fango didn't hesitate, he ran with energy to her face, she tried to flee but he caught her quickly, threw himself upon her neck, bit her, and then he returned quietly to his place to go on with what he was doing before : dozing peacefully ... I, but my other dogs too, we learned it quickly : he who attacks Fango takes risks ... I think that Fango would enjoy to make livestock obey ... Once, during a walk, we met some horses at a distance. Fango was very attracted by them, but unfortunately, they took not the slightest notice of him ... The standard dated 1969 in French writes that Croatian Sheepdog has good instinct for guarding cattle. In France, "guarding" means "protecting", that is to say fighting against wolves and bears, etc. We know that Croatian Sheepdogs are used to "herd", that is to say make the animals obey and do what the shepherd wants. So I was thinking there was a translation mistake. I searched in Internet all websites about Croatian Sheepdogs. Several websites give standard, in English or in Croatian, but they are not always identical from a website to another. So I consider only the one that is like the official standard, that is to say the one in French given by the FCI : and on this standard in French, we can read that the Yugoslavian Dog-Organization gave this French translation to the FCI. I was anxious to know what the standard in Croatian was writing about Croatian Sheepdog and livestock : the Croatian word used is translated by several words like "guard", "supervision", "vigilance, watchfulness" ; the Croatian words of the same grouping give also for the verb : "guard, take care of, protect, defend" and for the participant : "guard, watchman" - and one is used for the expression "guardian angel". There is a lot of things inside this Croatian word used in the standard, but nothing that means to make cattle obey and go where man wants. Of course, we can't deny that Croatian Sheepdog is a herding dog. So why such a word in the standard in Croatian ? For me, Croatian Sheepdog is not "only" a herding dog, but rather a "farm-dog", I want to say a dog who is able to do anything that is needed in his life near human beings and animals - herding could be a rather recent "specialization". My Croatian Sheepdogs show a strong instinct of both extermination of rats, mice and so on in the garden, and hunting bigger animals in fields and woods. We can think that poor people in the past had only one or a very few dogs to do anything, all works in the farm but hunting too. Extermination of rats etc is typical far-dog work ! Such dogs were very resourceful and knew by themselves how solve a lot of situations, and call human beings if necessary. So guarding, taking care of, being watchful, even defending, that was quite natural for any farm-dog. Poor shepherd had probable only one or a very few dogs to do anything that was needed, so make cattle obey and do what they wanted, but also take care and defend human beings, animals and property. A few dogs of Fango's calibre are efficient enough to protect livestock from wolves and stray dogs. For me, Croatian Sheepdog is not "only" a herding dog, and it is important to look at the standard which says "guarding livestock". A dog like Fango is perfectly able not only to call his owner if some danger appears to cattle, but also to fight wolves, stray dogs and even bears although he would risk his life. I can easily imagine Fango fighting against an isolated wolf and making him go away - more exactly, I would rather say that I couldn't imagine Fango refusing fighting and fleeing with just barking and calling help, even in front of a bear ... Fango seems lazy, but that hides a fiery temperament, an enormous strength, and a great perseverance, Fango wouldn't give up and wouldn't fail in his duty. Of course, he would lose the fight with a bear, but he could give a little time for the shepherd to come and defend his animals ; but in front of an isolated wolf, I think that he would be able to succeed to make the wolf give up his attack. But this doesn't mean at all that Fango is an aggressive one ! He is simply efficient in his work and in his duty. In the opposite, he is quite a lovely companion - angel and even guardian angel ! He glows both goodness and strength, he is so confident in his own strength that he can be not only perfectly quiet and peaceful, but also kind, benevolent. It often happens that people in the street tell him that he is a beautiful dog, or they don't say anything but just smile gently at him - of course he is generally considered as a crossbreed dog ! It cannot be denied that Fango has class - with a very pleasant coat and a pretty head expression. But that isn't for me the main reason that he receives so many compliments. I think that the chief cause is the benevolence which emanate from him ; Fango likes people in general, but also a lot of things and beings ; he gives easily to any one, and in front of unknown people in the street (not at home where he is a guarding dog !), he begins to give kindness and goodness - so Fango attracts easily people's liking, and they consider him pretty. Of course, Fango is a very loving dog to me, but also with my other animals. I do appreciate that he has friendly feelings towards my other dogs, even the males. He accepts very well the pups too. Fango has a very nice character that pleases me very much. But of course, like myself, he is not perfect, and it can happen that we disagree with each other ... But my angel Fango is such a loving dog that I can easily accept not to mention his few little mistakes ... He is so proud ... Come to that, I can already feel a gentle cuddle from Fango in gratitude ! 14/02/06 Isabelle Coquinot Back to "Dogs of my own" Contents Back to Home