The Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Armenian: Գամփռ, Գելխեղդ/Գայլխեղդ, Russian: кавказская овчарка, Georgian: კავკასიური ნაგაზი, Azerbaijani: Kavkaz Iti) is a breed of dog that is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Southern Russia

History

Located between the Black Sea on the West and the Caspian Sea on the East, the Caucasus mountain range represents a true melting pot of various cultures due to a number of nations calling it their home through the ages. Today these influences are still strong and a rich source of cultural wealth of the region, as well as numerous political conflicts. Encompassing the territories of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Daghestan, Ossetia, Chechnya and Ingushetia, the Caucasus mountains are also home to one of the oldest living Molosser breeds, Caucasian Mountain Dog. There is a great variety of types among the Caucasian dogs depending on their home region, but a single type has come to be favored in the show rings and literature, at the expense of other breed variants. The word "Ovcharka", often used to refer to the dog, translates as "Sheepdog / Shepherd Dog". The Caucasian Ovcharka is one of three recognized Russian sheepdogs, the other two being the bearded South-Russian Sheepdog and the controversial Central Asian Shepherd Dog. Although its first official Western Show-Ring appearance was in the 1930s in Germany, the Caucasian Mountain Dog has existed since ancient times and, like many Eastern Molossers. The Armenian Gamprs are seen as a variant of the Caucasian Mountain Dog but the Gampr comes in two distinct varieties, both of which are believed to be much older than the modern Caucasian and Central-Asian Sheepdogs. Some believe that the Caucasian Mountain Dog was a result of crossing the mountain Gampyrs with the spitz-type dogs in ancient times, but this theory, although not without merit, is not very popular.The main Russian bloodlines can be traced to Moscow, Ekaterinburg, Tambov, Orenburg, Magnitogorsk, Cheljabinsk, Novosibirsk, Donetsk, Lugansk, Ivanovo, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, and Saint Petersburg, even though there are many different Caucasian strains still found in the Caucasus mountains. In recent years, the term "aboriginal" is being used to describe older, non-show mountain bloodlines. Even though most dogs in the Caucasus are working hybrids between various types, there are still some distinguishing characteristics among regional variants. The Georgian dogs are divided into the large, longhaired and often multicoloured Mkinvartsveri Kazbek type and the slightly smaller wolf-grey Nagazi dogs of medium-length coat with longer muzzles, but there is also a separate breed known as Tushetian Nagazi or Georgian Caucasian Sheepdog in Georgia, which represents the original Georgian population of the breed, with the pure white dogs being the most valued.Daghestan dogs are tall, wide-headed and athletic, short-haired and multicoloured.Astrakhan type is found in the Kabardino-Balkarian region and is believed to be a cross between the Russian show type and the old Circassian and Kazbek dogs, but Balkarian Molossers are also rooted in the Sarmatian Mastiff.The Turkish Caucasus dogs are divided into four types, those being the Garban, the Akhaltsihnske type, the Circassian variant and the Kars Dog.The large, short-muzzled, shorthaired fawn, brown, red, with or without white markings and extremely vicious Garban (Gorban) was developed from the Kars and the Kangal, as well as other Turkish dogs being crossed with the Armenian and Kazbek types. The Akhaltsihnske type was created from Garban crosses with the Georgian Nagazi variant and possibly Turkish Akbash, resulting in longhaired, lightly built solid-coloured white, fawn and grey dogs. The Circassian variant is believed to be a result of crossing the Kangals with the Cherkes dogs introduced to Turkey after the Russian-Circassian wars.The Kars Dog is a variety closely associated with the Kars province of modern Turkey and is today seen as a separate breed. The Armenian Gamprs are smaller than the Georgian dogs and are shorter-necked and squarely built, and come in a variety of colors. The Volkodav variant also comes in two types, with the longhaired mountain and short-coated steppe dogs both being smaller than Georgian and Armenian types, always having black masks.A result of matings between the dogs of southern Kavkaz with the Sage Mazandarani and the Kars Dog of Turkey, the Iranian Sage Ghafghazi is a lean, powerful and richly coated Mastiff, used as a caravan protector of the Shahsavan nomads, who have been breeding it since the 17th century. These Iranian Caucasians come in a variety of colours, both solid and bicoloured.There is also a rare shorthaired Kavkaz Mastiff, known as the North-Caucasian Volkodav, which is on its way to receive a separate breed recognition. Even the legendary Alaunt, the breed considered to be the key progenitor of all Bulldog breeds, is also descended from this Caucasian stock of mountain dogs. As mentioned above, most working Caucasian dogs are hybrids between established types, as well as some lines of the Central Asian dogs, in effect making the Russian show type appear to be a superior-bred dog in the eyes of the West. There are two types, the working strain in the east and the show dogs in the west. The fighting strains of the Caucasian Ovcharka can contain blood of some European breeds, from Mastiffs to American Pit Bull Terriers and Bandogs, but these crosses are a minority in the breed. The Caucasian Molossers were used for centuries to protect properties, guard livestock, kill wolves, hunt bears and the green for many other duties, but today and especially in the West, they are employed as companion animals and watchdogs. Most prized as a property guardian, the Caucasian Ovcharka are good protectors. The Caucasian Mountain Dog is a low activity dog, seemingly lethargic when not working, but agile and convincing when it feels its family is threatened. Although certain strains are more vicious than others, all Caucasians are very territorial and dog-aggressive, needing early and careful broad socialization, as well as firm, but never forceful, handling. This breed can be a family dog, if well trained and socialized. 

Appearance and Size

Caucasian Mountain Dog are strongly-boned, muscular and even-tempered Molossers. The breed has two types: mountain and plain. Plain dogs have a shorter coat and appear taller as they are more lightly built. Mountain types have a heavier coat and are more muscularly built. The breed's weight range is 102–160 pounds (46–73 kg.) and the height range is 25–29 inches (64–78 cm.). Softness and vicious temperaments are considered serious faults for the breed. Generally healthy and long lived, hip dysplasia, obesity and occasional heart problems are known to occur. The ears of the Caucasian Ovcharka are traditionally cropped, although some modern dogs are unaltered. The preferred show-types are the long-coated grey dogs with some white markings. Black or black-and-tan dogs are not acceptable in the show ring. The minimum height is 24.5 inches with no upper limit. 

Personality

They are loyal to their duty in protecting their flock and family and will stand by and defend through any circumstance. They are an extremely aggressive animal and need very experienced owners. 

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Caucasian Shepherd Dog" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.