The Croatian Sheepdog is a weatherproof, adaptable breed. They are of low to medium height and the base color is always black, although there may be very small patches of white on its chest and/or toes. A characteristic is the short hairs on its somewhat fox-like head and legs. The remainder of the coat is longer and wavy or curly. The height at the withers in both sexes is between 16 and 21 inches and the length exceeds the height by approximately 10%. Nowadays, some dogs are even taller; that is probably due to better nutrition and an easier life – they grow to their full genetic potential. Traditionally the tail is docked very short but, if undocked, it is carried curled over the dog’s back.

The Croatian Sheepdog is an alert, agile, keen and intelligent dog with enormous energy and a strong need for human leadership. It is healthy, resistant to disease and inexpensive to keep. It possesses a well-developed herding instinct and is an excellent watchdog. An instinctive herder, it is wary of strangers. If socialized early, however, it responds well to obedience training. As a pet without early obedience training and exercise to occupy its athletic body and excellent mind, it can become very noisy, even destructive.