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Caucasian Ovtcharka Dog Breed Facts
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Breed: Caucasian Ovtcharka
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Also Called: Caucasian Sheepdog, Caucasian Shepherd, Caucasian Owcharka, Kavkaskaia Ovtcharka, Caucasian Mountain Dog, Sage Ghafghazi
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Height: The Caucasian Ovtcharka is about 24.5 inches tall and under.
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Weight: The Caucasian Ovtcharka weighs between 80 lbs. and under.
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Colors: The Caucasian Ovtcharka can be all colors EXCEPT solid black and solid brown, black ticking and combinations of black and brown.
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Physical Appearance: The Caucasian Ovtcharka has a powerful appearance with solid structure and strong musculature. The skin is thick but elastic.
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Temperament/Personality: The Caucasian Ovtcharka is naturally protective. Though their appearance may be fierce, in general they should be a calm and steady dog with even temperament. They should be well behaved with and accepting of all family members, but naturally wary of strangers. Good with children, but children should be supervised because the Caucasian is a large dog and may knock them down.
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Care: The Caucasian Ovtcharka will lose hair all the time in small quantities, most of them will ""blow coat"" at least once a year. When this happens large tufts of hair are everywhere! Get out the rakes and combs and go to work. With proper grooming, the mess can be minimized and save that fur! Clothing knit from Caucasian Ovtcharka fur is said to bring good luck and longevity to the wearer.
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Health Concerns/Problems:
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Training: The Caucasian Ovtcharka can be quite independent and stubborn during training, when compared to other breeds. It is important to socialize them at an early age to properly adapt to different people and situations. If you are planning to use your Caucasian for flock guardian work, it is important to start exposing them to the livestock as early as possible. With proper socialization and training, you should have few problems.
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Activity: The Caucasian Ovtcharka is a low activity level dog. Originally they were bred to lay around with the sheep all day and keep predators at bay. As most predators are nocturnal, you may find he will be much more active at night. If you are planning on keeping your dog outside, you must realize they are alarm barkers and will give warning to anything encroaching their territory. The slightest noise will disturb them and they will go from a lazy dog, to a quick and agile dog in seconds!
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Life Span: The Caucasian Ovtcharka lives an average life of 10-11 years.
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Litter Size:
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Country of Origin: The Caucasian Ovtcharka originated in the region of the former USSR.
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Brief History: The Caucasian Ovtcharka is a very old breed of Molosser origins. This large, generally rough coated dog has been considered by many to be a descendant of the Tibetan Mastiff, however, current archaeological evidence suggest otherwise. The most recent research suggests that the ancestors of all the working sheepdog breeds most likely originate from ancient dogs that lived in the forested hills of Iraq and Mesopotamia. Nomadic tribes settling in the remote regions of the Caucasus brought working dogs with them which evolved with little outside intervention into the hardy, intelligent Caucasian Ovtcharka. The breed takes its name both from the region of origin, in the Caucasus Mountains, and from the original purpose of the dogs. Ovtcharka, a Russian word, translates to Shepherd or Sheepdog. The Caucasian is actually a livestock guardian, bred for the role of bonding with the livestock and effectively fending off predators -- whether wolves, bears or thieves.
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Registries: ARBA, FCI, NKC, CKC, UKC
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