Dog
Group:
Herding 
Caucasian Ovtcharka Champions
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Pronunciation:
(kaw-kay-zhuhn ov-char-ka)
Breed Description:
The Caucasian Ovtcharka breed of dog is assertive, strong-willed and courageous. These dogs may be ferocious and unmanageable unless socialized from an early age and well-trained. They are brave, alert, strong and hardy. They do not accept people they don’t know and they can be very defensive. This dog is not safe with children because it may intervene if play becomes too rough. It might harm another child to protect one. It may be aggressive toward other dogs. Definitely not a dog for everyone.
Height:
The Caucasian Ovtcharka breed of dog stands 25 to 28 inches tall.
Weight:
These dogs usually weigh 99 to 154 pounds.
Exercise:
These dogs need plenty of exercise. They do best with a yard of their own and a good fence to keep other dogs away from them. They do not do well living in an apartment. They can happily live outdoors most of the time, with proper shelter, because of their very thick, weather-resistant coat.
Life Expectancy:
The usual lifespan for the Caucasian Ovtcharka breed of dog is 10 to 11 years.
Grooming:
There are two coat types found in the breed — longhaired and short. Both types require regular brushing but the longhaired dogs will need to be brushed more frequently with attention paid to place where the coat may tangle. Ears need to be cleaned regularly to prevent ear infections.
Origin:
The Caucasian Ovtcharka breed of dog has been used to guard flocks and livestock in the Caucasus of Russia for centuries. They are believed to be the descendants of ancient mastiff breeds in the area. The dogs varied in type from place to place, however, without written records or kennel clubs. These dogs are quite popular in Russia and are frequently shown at dogs shows there and in other parts of the former Soviet Union. There are currently extensive breeding programs for the breed in Hungary, Poland and the Czech and Slovak Republics so the breed will not die out even though there is less demand for a sheep guardian now. The dogs were also used as border patrol dogs along the Berlin Wall in the 1960s. When the Wall came down in 1989 the 7000 patrol dogs were dispersed. Many of the dogs were spread to breeders in Germany. It is speculated that as the breed becomes more popular many of the most fierce protective qualities found in the breed will be eliminated. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
