Hello. My name is Karina and my husband is Max. We are the humans behind Od Dinare.
Max and I met our first Tornjak in 2022, but my journey with the breed actually started long before that. As a veterinary technician for 15 years, I was exposed to many breeds but I always knew I had a fondness for livestock guardians. Their strong presence paired with their calm demeanor just felt like the “right” dog for me. I first discovered Tornjaks on an internet search when I came across a photo of Chet Mackiewicz and his infamous “White Dragon”. I remember thinking, “I will have one of those someday!”.
That little moment ultimately set us on a journey toward bringing our first Tornjak home.
First came Scylla
After three years of planning, researching and waiting for the right time, we finally picked up Scylla from Dulles International Airport at just 10 weeks old.
Opening her kennel felt like a magical moment. It was the end of a long wait and the beginning of something entirely new for us. Of course she was adorable, but getting to watch her learn and grow was what really sealed the deal. By the time her guardian instincts started showing at six months, we were both completely in love with the breed.
From one Tornjak to something more
Our experience with Scylla opened the door to a much deeper connection with Tornjaks. The following year we welcomed Dagon into our pack.
Since then, we've had the honor of meeting many more Tornjaks both nationally and abroad, and our love for the breed has only grown with every dog we meet.
We health tested Scylla and Dagon simply because it felt like the right thing to do and we wanted their results to contribute to the growing body of health information available for the breed.
Originally, we had no plans to breed, but as we became more involved with Tornjaks and the dog community, our perspective began to change.
Why we decided to breed
The more I learned, the more I became aware of the challenges facing our rare breed. Hip health in particular troubled me when considering the limited number of Tornjaks available for breeding in the United States.
At the same time, I was becoming increasingly involved with the breed beyond our own dogs. The Tornjak Club of North America was taking shape, we were earning titles in conformation and dog sports and I was building wonderful relationships with Tornjak lovers from around the world.
Somewhere along the way, all of those things came together and I began to wonder if breeding might be one more way I could contribute.
Our first litter
My background as a veterinary technician gave me a strong foundation in animal health, while years of researching the breed and learning from experienced Tornjak breeders gave me a growing understanding of what responsible breeding should look like.
By 2025, we felt ready to take that next step and welcomed our first litter.
We ultimately kept Merlin from that litter, making him the first puppy born at Od Dinare to become part of our own pack.
And here we are
Now, nearly 7 years since first discovering the breed, I couldn't be more impressed with our dogs.
Scylla, Dagon and Merlin are goofy, loving and always watchful — everything we hoped our Tornjak pack would be.
- Karina Rogers
Photography by Deborah Chandler Photography/Design