The dog breed is named for the Šar Mountains. It is alternatively named the Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (1980), Albanian Mountain Dog, Greek Shepherd Dog and Šarplaninec The breed was initially standardised by the Yugoslavian Federation of Cynology (Jugoslovenski kinološki savez, JKS) and recognised as a Yugoslavian breed with two types by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 1939 under the designation Ilirski ovčar (Illyrian Shepherd Dog), FCI-Standard N° 41. Kraški ovčar and Šarplaninac were considered Type A and B of the breed. In 1957 the General Assembly of the F.C.I. accepted a motion proposed by the Yugoslavian Federation of Cynology to change the name of the breed to Jugoslovenski ovčarski pas Šarplaninac (Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog Sharplanina), and this is the official name of the breed. In 1968, type B was recognised as a separate breed under the designation Kraški ovčar (Karst Shepherd Dog), The breed was formerly known as Ilirski Ovčar (Cyrillic: Илирски овчар, Illyrian Shepherd Dog) before it was renamed in 1957.