Caucasian Shepherd Dog

The Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Russian: Кавказская овчарка, romanized: Kavkazskaya ovčarka, is a Russian breed of large livestock guardian dog from the Caucasus Mountains. It is commonly bred in the mountainous regions of Transcaucasia, especially in Azerbaijan and Georgia.[2][3]

Caucasian Shepherd
Other names
  • Caucasian Mountain Dog
  • Caucasian Ovcharka
  • Georgian: კავკასიური ნაგაზი
  • Azerbaijani: Qafqaz Çoban iti
OriginSoviet Union
Traits
Weight Male 50-80 kg[1]
Female 40-70 kg[1]
Height Male minimum 68 cm, preferred 72–75[1]
Female minimum 64 cm, preferred 67–70[1]
Coat Straight, coarse, stand-off coat with well developed undercoat.[1]
Colour Any solid colour, piebald or spotted colour, except liver, blue, and solid black.[1]
Life span 10-12 years [2]
Kennel club standards
FCI standard
Dog (domestic dog)

History

The Caucasus Mountains are home to many of the oldest living molossoid dogs, such as the Azerbaijani Volkodav, Azerbaijani Shepherd Dog and Georgian Shepherd Dog.[2][3][4] During the twentieth century the Soviet breeders selected some of these varieties among Caucasian dogs and created the Caucasian Shepherd Dog breed.[5] The modern show class Caucasian Shepherd is a hybrid of established Caucasian types, fundamentally based on the Georgian Shepherd Dog, which is the largest and most muscularly built dog with attractive long hair.[6]

Since ancient times Caucasian mountain dogs have served shepherds in the Caucasus mountains as livestock guardian dogs, defending sheep from predators, mainly wolves, jackals and bears. Caucasian Shepherd Dogs served as guard dogs, bear hunting dogs and today they work as prison guard dogs in Russia.[7]

The breed was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1984, under the patronage of Russia.[8]

Characteristics

The Caucasian Shepherd Dog is a strongly-boned, muscular, but handsome and even-tempered molossoid dog. Plain dogs have a shorter coat and appear taller as they are less strongly built. Alpine types have a heavier coat and are more muscular.

The Caucasian Ovcharka is a large dog. Minimum weight and height for bitches is 64 centimetres (25 in)/45 kilograms (99 lb), with a preferred height range of 67–70 centimetres (26–28 in);[1] for dogs the minimum is 68 centimetres (27 in)/50 kilograms (110 lb), with a preferred height of 72–75 centimetres (28–30 in).[1]

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References
  1. FCI-Standard N° 328: Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Kavkazskaïa Ovtcharka). Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed July 2020.
  2. "Caucasian Shepherd Dog". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  3. "Caucasian shepherd in Azerbaijan". Gurd Basar. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  4. Qualities of Georgian Shepherd – First ever Georgian dog breed. Georgian Journal. Access 12 March 2019
  5. "Breed history". Caucasian Ovcharka Working Dog Club of America. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  6. "Caucasian Shepherd, the Russian Bear Dog". russiandog.net. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  7. "Caucasian shepherd dogs bred for hunting Russian bears go on sale in Northern Ireland for first time". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  8. FCI breeds nomenclature: Kavkazskaïa Ovtcharka (328). Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed July 2020.
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