Research Article

Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland

Volume: 72 Number: 3 July 1, 2025

Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland

Abstract

This study aims to assess the skull morphological features of shepherd dog breeds raised in Poland, with an emphasis on native breeds such as the Tatra Sheepdog and Polish Lowland Sheepdog, by utilizing a detailed dataset to analyze and compare the structural traits of their skulls. To achieve this, a total of 32 dog skulls were modeled in 3D, and geometric morphometric analysis was performed to reveal skull shape variations. Among the shepherd samples used, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog exhibited the smallest average skull size. The Tatra Shepherd Dog displayed a skull size similar to that of other sheepdog breeds, although it was larger than that of the Polish Lowland Sheepdog. The results indicate that the Tatra Shepherd Dog possesses a more robust and elongated skull structure compared to the Polish Lowland Sheepdog. Both of these Polish shepherd breeds share similar skull morphology with other shepherd breeds, with the notable exception of collies. Collie breeds exhibit a markedly dolichocephalic skull morphology that sets them apart from the other samples in this study. The analysis revealed that neither Procrustes distance nor shape variation from PC1 had a statistically significant effect on skull size. To enhance our understanding of Poland's shepherd dog diversity, future studies should focus on expanding the dataset to include additional native Polish breeds and exploring a broader range of morphological features beyond the skull.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research received no grant from any funding agency/sector.

Ethical Statement

This study does not present any ethical concerns.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

April 10, 2025

Publication Date

July 1, 2025

Submission Date

January 21, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 20, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 72 Number: 3

APA
Pasicka, E., Janeczek, M., & Gündemir, O. (2025). Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, 72(3), 305-312. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1624722
AMA
1.Pasicka E, Janeczek M, Gündemir O. Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2025;72(3):305-312. doi:10.33988/auvfd.1624722
Chicago
Pasicka, Edyta, Maciej Janeczek, and Ozan Gündemir. 2025. “Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 72 (3): 305-12. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1624722.
EndNote
Pasicka E, Janeczek M, Gündemir O (July 1, 2025) Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 72 3 305–312.
IEEE
[1]E. Pasicka, M. Janeczek, and O. Gündemir, “Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland”, Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg, vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 305–312, July 2025, doi: 10.33988/auvfd.1624722.
ISNAD
Pasicka, Edyta - Janeczek, Maciej - Gündemir, Ozan. “Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 72/3 (July 1, 2025): 305-312. https://doi.org/10.33988/auvfd.1624722.
JAMA
1.Pasicka E, Janeczek M, Gündemir O. Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2025;72:305–312.
MLA
Pasicka, Edyta, et al. “Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland”. Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 72, no. 3, July 2025, pp. 305-12, doi:10.33988/auvfd.1624722.
Vancouver
1.Edyta Pasicka, Maciej Janeczek, Ozan Gündemir. Skull Morphology of Shepherd Dogs in Poland. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg. 2025 Jul. 1;72(3):305-12. doi:10.33988/auvfd.1624722