Russian origin dog breed club

''RUSGUARD''

LKF/FCI

South Russian Ovtcharka

"Dogs are the main saviors of herds and people. A single sheepdog can subjugate a wolf. Physically they are not especially huge, only are unusually fierce; they have long legs, are lean and shaggy with very long jaws. They are almost all white, and eyes are blood shot. Sheepdogs are ferocious and strong yet extremely clever. They are able to encircle a herd, cut off a wolf’s road, to gather at once to one point. They are attuned to the voice of the owner and obey like well-behaved pupils, despite of their wildness, to a teacher. (Markov E.L., 1866).

South Russian sheep-dogs - representatives of a once uniform group of shepherd’s dogs have thick, long, knotting coat with lengthened hair on the muzzle, They are distributed in a huge territory from the Caspian sea up to the Atlantic. Hungarian Komondor and French Briard are close to SRS by origin, appearance and mentality. In L.P.Sabaneev's opinion, the encyclopedist of domestic Cynology, issuing in1878-1911 magazine "the Nature and hunting", the South Russian sheepdog is the only one among its group that has kept its thoroughbredness. By the end of XIX century the most settled, well-selected purebred group of 2000 dogs belonged to baron F.E. Falz-Feine, known as the founder of Askania-Nova reserve. He was able to combine economic activities with scientific research and nature protection.

In 1914-1921 the steppes around Black Sea were swept by the fronts of the Civil and World wars. Soldiers who needed sheep meat had to shoot incorruptible dogs that were protecting flocks in order to get the meat. Another terrible betrayal to this breed was Soviet National Committee decision on the curing of South Russian Sheepdog skins. This decision caused for a short time interval the elimination of about 40 thousand dogs. As a result even in Ascania in 1923 only some young dogs were kept. In the thirties an attempt at the restoration of the breed was made using the dogs that survived by miracle. Eventually the breed was recognized by FCI, but the Second World War burst forth and everything was repeated.

So why and for what did this amazing breed suffer? The answer is simple for anyone who is well familiar with South Russian Sheepdog: for fidelity to duty, for character that was steadily transmitted from generation to generation, for selflessness and love to the owner, as well as amazing guarding abilities and incorruptibility.

South Russian Sheepdogs are "very sharp, temperamental and mobile in both game and attack. For example while following a command it will not run through a puddle but will go around. In game it aspires only to victory, it can growl and even "to nibble". In fights with other dogs it feints with its shoulders and allows the other dog "to gorge on" the dense and long wool and when the opponent's mouth is fool with wool it attacks "to defeat". South Russian Shepherd's wool in the Black Sea steppes protected them at the year-round in an open environment not only from a frost, but also from heat, dust, rain, snow, and due to lamellar knots - from the wolves’ teeth. These dogs do not shed, their dry wool does not smell and does not "litter" the house, but every spring it is necessary to carefully brush out the undercoat.

For South Russian Shepherd owners and people who are buying puppies it is necessary to remember, that except for fearlessness, incorruptibility, infinite fidelity these dogs possess also qualities of a good psychologists (the general property of the majority of ancient shepherd's breeds).

Pain, even strong, will not stop the South Russian Sheepdog; on the contrary, it will cause a furious rage. This is necessary for owners, and trainers to take into account. To bring up a physically and mentally healthy South Russian Shepherd, painstaking care and skillful education are required.