{"data":{"slug":"zerdava","name":"Zerdava","url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/zerdava","api_url":"https://techtools.cz/dog-atlas-api/v1/breeds/zerdava","also_known_as":["Mekverne","Gate Dog"],"kind":"breed","extinct":false,"group":{"key":"spitz","label":"Spitz \u0026 Primitive","fci_group":5,"fci_group_name":"Spitz and Primitive Types"},"size":"Medium","origin":"Turkey","countries":["Turkey"],"height_cm":null,"weight_kg":null,"life_expectancy_years":null,"temperament":["Devoted","Watchful","Hardy","Versatile","Wary of Strangers"],"exercise_level":"High","wikipedia_views_60d":2045,"summary":"The Zerdava is a marten-brown laika from the Black Sea coast of Turkey and Georgia, prized as a fearless boar hunter and a watchful guardian that bonds closely with its people.","photo":{"url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/photos/zerdava-02f110dcc7-1280.webp","small_url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/photos/zerdava-02f110dcc7-640.webp","width":566,"height":566,"author":"Annwfwn","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","license_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0","source_url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zerdava_dog.jpg"},"updated_at":"2026-10-15T14:50:23Z","ratings":{"energy":4,"exercise":4,"grooming":2,"shedding":3,"trainability":3,"barking":3,"kids":3,"other_dogs":3},"coat":"Double coat","colors":["Liver brown","Liver and white","Liver roan","Ticked","Piebald"],"fun_fact":"The name Zerdava comes from a Slavic word for mustelid, possibly a nod to the dog's marten-brown colour or to its habit of treeing martens.","sections":{"overview":"The Zerdava is an aboriginal laika-type spitz from the Black Sea region of Turkey and Georgia. It has long worked as a hunter and guard, and is especially valued for tackling wild boar that raid farmers' corn fields.\n\nIt is a hardy, devoted dog that needs experienced handling and plenty of work. Its numbers are small, and the Georgian population in particular is in serious danger.","history":"Little is written about where the Zerdava came from. The most likely story is that hunting laikas arrived from Russia along the trade routes of the Black Sea and Baltic ports, which carried the fur trade into Europe and Asia from the early Middle Ages.\n\nThe breed has been documented on the eastern Black Sea coast for at least a century, especially around Trabzon and Giresun in Turkey. Since 2016 the Turkish Armed Forces have trained Zerdavas for detection, rescue and other duties.","appearance":"The Zerdava is a compact, athletic spitz with upright triangular ears and a sickle-shaped tail that is often white at the tip. The double coat is solid liver brown or liver combined with white, in ticked, piebald or roan patterns, and the brown is described as marten-like.\n\nPuppies are often almost black at birth, with plain white areas that gain ticking later. The nose is brown and the eyes are yellow-brown.","personality":"Zerdavas are devoted to their own people and distrust strangers, which makes them excellent watchdogs, hence the nickname Gate Dog. They are brave and clever in the field and can work alone or in teams.\n\nPuppies need thorough socialisation to avoid becoming shy or sharp. Adult dogs often cope poorly with rehoming and may try to find their way back to their first owner.","care":"This is a working dog that needs a job, space and plenty of vigorous activity, ideally with scent work, tracking or hunting-style tasks. It does best with an active, experienced owner in a home with a secure fence, since it may roam or escape.\n\nEarly, ongoing socialisation is essential. The double coat needs only occasional brushing, with more during seasonal shedding.","health":"The Zerdava is known for sturdy health in harsh conditions with little care. Females typically come into season only once a year. In Georgia the population is critically small and inbred, so new bloodlines from Turkey are needed."},"recognition":{"fci_number":null,"fci_standard_url":null,"akc_url":null},"sources":{"wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zerdava","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6003137","wikipedia_revision":1345885394},"profile":{"written_by":"AI model (Claude Sonnet) from the sources above","written_at":"2026-10-15T13:59:38Z"}}}