# Zerdava Also known as: Mekverne, Gate Dog - **Group:** Spitz & Primitive (FCI group 5) - **Size:** Medium - **Origin:** Turkey - **Temperament:** Devoted, Watchful, Hardy, Versatile, Wary of Strangers 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. ## 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. It 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. The 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. Puppies are often almost black at birth, with plain white areas that gain ticking later. The nose is brown and the eyes are yellow-brown. ## Temperament 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. Puppies 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 and exercise 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. Early, 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. ## Ratings (1 to 5) - Energy: 4 - Exercise needs: 4 - Grooming: 2 - Shedding: 3 - Trainability: 3 - Barking: 3 - Good with children: 3 - Good with other dogs: 3 Page: https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/zerdava Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zerdava ยท https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6003137 Photo: Annwfwn (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zerdava_dog.jpg Profile written by an AI model from the sources above.