Sarplaninac height and weight are topics that never stop grabbing the attention of owners and dog lovers.
If you follow any Facebook groups, you’ve seen the questions: “How tall should my Sarplaninac puppy be at this age?” as if there’s some magic formula for growth.
Everyone wants the biggest dog, but few talk about the consequences. I see breeders so determined to stand out, pushing their Sarplaninacs to 85 cm, even if it means crossbreeding.
Their argument is always the same: “A Sarplaninac isn’t a fox with thin legs.” I find this funny and sad.
These breeders are amateurs for me – whether they know it or not, they’re causing real harm to this wonderful breed.
I have deep respect for owners whose dogs are their entire world, but we can’t sacrifice the breed standard for extreme size.
Height
The average height at the withers is 62 cm for males and 58 cm for females.
Males under 56 cm and bitches under 54 cm are not eligible for breeding.
Taller dogs come with the following requirements:
A Sarplaninac’s body length runs 8-10% longer than the height at the withers in males and 10-12% longer in females.
The head is proportioned to the body, with a total length of around 25 cm, which is roughly 40% of the height at the withers.
The chest girth has to exceed the height at the withers by at least 20%.
For the front legs, elbow height comes in at around 55% of the withers height.
The skull is slightly longer than the muzzle, at a 57:43% ratio, with a slightly convex topline and a straight nasal bone.
Now apply that math to an 85 cm Sarplaninac:
- chest girth: 102 cm
- body length: 93.5 cm
- front leg height: 47 cm
- head length: 34 cm
I haven’t had the chance to see such a “purebred” Sarplaninac in person.
In the following section, I’ll point out the flaws most of these dogs can’t hide, which put them in this category: not in line with the breed standard.
Weight
An adult Sarplaninac should weigh around 60% of its height at the withers.
The dog standing at 85 cm should weigh around 51 kg.
For the ideal height range of 68-73 cm, that puts the weight between 41-44 kg.
Sarplaninac Bux 80 cm
Let me introduce Bux, the dog from our kennel standing at 80 cm.
He went through serious training under my father, with a special diet and moderate physical activity as a puppy and young dog.
Bux draws attention everywhere he goes – and we mean everywhere. That’s why we’ve had to take extra security measures.
What’s interesting is his height and build.
He doesn’t have a slack lower jaw, as I like to call them, “pockets,” excess skin folds on the neck, a sunken back, or poor angulation in his front and hind legs.
These are traits you won’t find in Bux!
When he pulls you forward, it sets every blood cell in your body dancing.
Massive build, indescribable strength.
Sarplaninacs like him are rare today. That’s why I call Bux an “exception” when it comes to height – our other dogs usually fall between 70-73 cm.
Sarplaninac Amor 80 cm and Above
Amor came to us as a puppy from another kennel. My father saw his potential early on and we kept a close eye on him over the next year.
We came to some interesting conclusions.
There’s an unwritten rule when you first look at the Sarplaninac: you check two things – the head and the tail.
Those two features tell you right away whether the dog is the real deal or not.
Amor’s head showed clear signs he wasn’t a purebred Sarplaninac: loose skin on the lower jaw, round eye arches, large ears, excess “meat” on the muzzle, and an overly pronounced forehead.
He was a melancholic dog with little interest in his surroundings, and when he barked, there was rarely a clear reason for it.
Several serious flaws, all unacceptable for the breed – but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a great pet.
My father found him a new home, and we made sure Amor wouldn’t have any offspring.
The problem is that some breeders take dogs like this to shows, win awards, and breed a “champion” litter from them.
This way, real harm is done to the breed, and it gets harder and harder for people to see the difference between Sarplaninacs and Caucasian Shepherds.
Conclusion
Can a Sarplaninac reach 85 cm and still be purebred? Based on my experience – NO.
There’s no set upper height limit for Sarplaninacs, but the mathematical guidelines from the beginning of this article and the breed standard have to be respected.
These were put together by people far more knowledgeable than me, with a deep understanding of dog anatomy down to the finest details.
So when someone asks about our dogs’ height and weight, I tell them those numbers are just a small piece of the puzzle.
What matters more is the balance between the front and rear, the dog’s temperament, and more.
The word “purebred” should be used carefully, especially when talking about an 85 cm Sarplaninac.
I’m not saying such a dog doesn’t exist, but I haven’t seen one yet. The moment I do, I’ll share it here – as long as it checks out against both the math and the breed standard.
