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Sredneasiatskaia Ovtcharka is a breed of dog that originates from Turkmenistan. It is to some extent used as a guard dog outside the former Soviet union.
It is believed that the ancient Central Asian dogs are the
ancestors of all breeds. This is debatable, but it is almost
certain that the Tibetan Mastiff is a descendant of the
Central Asian Shepherd Dog and not its ancestor, as often
thought. There is a strong possibility that these dogs are the
direct descendants of the legendary Armenian Gampr and the
Sage Kooche dogs of Afghanistan, to which they are undeniably
related. Regardless of their heritage, the Volkodavs of
Central Asia are a wonderful reminder of what a natural dog
looks like.
The common misconception is that the Central Asian Ovcharka
is over 4000 years old, when in fact it is a fairly recent
Russian creation. The breeds that served as its foundation are
much older and truly ancient, but the modern CAO was actually
formed in the 20th century. Prior to 1935, the breed was known
as the Turkish Shepherd, but this was due to the confusion of
some Russian, as well as western authors who failed to
differentiate between Turkmenistan and Turkey.
Since these dogs don't exist in a single country, but are
found all over eastern Europe and Asia, the breed has
officially been known as the Central Asian Shepherd Dog and
shown under that name since 1938. Alongside the Kavkaz Dog and
the Youzhak, the Central Asian Ovcharka is part of the famous
Troika, a trio of recognized Russian sheepdogs.
The Central Asian Shepherd Dog is a name used to describe
quite a few different breeds, actually. It should be noted
that using the word "Alabai" to describe the C.A.O.
is incorrect, since the breed known as Alabai is only found in
Turkmenistan and is quite different than its other Asian
cousins. Although it's popular to use the word
"ovtcharka" these days, we need to keep in mind that
it is a Russian word, whereas most of these breeds are
indegenous to non-Russian regions of the former USSR. These
dogs come in many different types of varying sizes, coats,
colours and temperaments, depending on their primary use and
region of origin.
The Russian dogs differ from dogs found in Turkmenistan,
both of these types being very different from those of
Afghanistan and Pakistan, which in turn aren't the same as the
dogs of Iran, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan
and so on. But, until these countries develop strict standards
for their dogs and get recognized as separate breeds, the name
Central Asian Shepherd Dog is being used for all of them. Some
consider even the Sage Koochee and the Sarmatian Mastiff to be
nothing more than types of the Central Asian Ovcharka, but
this notion is understandably disputed by the fanciers of
those breeds.
Only the aforementioned Alabai of Turkmenistan is somewhat
standardized and on its way to possible separate recognition,
while these other countries aren't showing any interest in
doing that, due to their general disregard for the Western
ways. Their dogs are bred for work, not for show and that's
the way it has been done for thousands of years.
It can be argued that the modern breed known as the Central
Asian Shepherd is a result of crossing all of the working
livestock guardian dogs indegenous to the countries of this
vast region, even if they don't truly belong to the same
breed, but are in fact relatives coming from different
backgrounds, only superficially similar to one another.
Establishing a single and uniformed type of the C.A.O. has
been a futile endeavor of breeders since the 1950's, simply
because the differences between some of the breed variants are
so great, that matings between them will never result in a
single breed type.
While the most respected and valued bloodlines are said to
come from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, it should be noted that
only a small number of truly pure dogs is found even in those
countries, so having a Turkmen or Uzbek heritage listed in a
dog's pedigree doesn't necessarily mean that the dog is truly
an Alabai or a Sarkangik. Another noteworthy detail is
something that has been a source of frustration for breeders
of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog for a number of years and
that is finding out that the dogs they've acquired in some of
these Asian countries are actually either poor specimens or
unpure examples, due to the common eastern practice of hiding
the best dogs when the foreigners are around and selling them
specimens of no real value to the natives.
These dogs with questionable backgrounds are often
presented in the West as "aboriginal" and are
regularly introduced into the existing Show bloodlines, while
in effect creating even more diversity within the Central
Asian Ovtcharka breed.
Some of the common traits of all Central Asian Shepherd Dog
types are their overall appearance and the working qualities
they posess. In their native territories, Central Asian
Volkodavs are primarily used in fighting tournaments and for
guarding livestock. Only the dogs that are proven fighting
champions are used for breeding, but this ancient practice
isn't as shallow or "morally despicable" as some
might think. In fact, working dogs are tested this way to
ensure that only those specimens posessing the necessary
drive, tenacity and strength needed to confront and kill a
wolf pass their genes on to the next generation.
Unfortunately, some overly zealous "sport"
enthusiasts have been known to periodically cross European
fighting breeds into their Central Asian Ovcharkas, giving
birth to an even wider variety within this magnificient breed.
Depending on the bloodlines and regional preferences,
appearance will differ only slightly, but the temperament and
aggression levels can be significantly varied. The so-called
"Aboriginal" dogs are quite different than the Show
type, just as the Russian military lines are much more
aggressive than those Central Asian Ovtcharkas that are bred
to be family companions.
Although there are a few different head-types and
body-sizes to be found, they are all closely related, their
differences being a result of selective breeding over the
centuries, done for specific working duties in their
respective regions. And that is exactly what Central Asian
Shepherd Dogs are - they're working dogs. Whether their job is
livestock herding, flock guarding, hunting, animal-baiting,
fighting or protecting property, the dogs under this name are
the main progenitors of all working breeds, either directly,
as is the case with the Alaunt, or through their Greek and
Roman descendants, which were introduced to the West by
traders and used to create many modern European dogs.
Massive, powerful and dog-aggressive, this breed is best
suited for experienced individuals willing to work on the
dog's broad socialization skills from an early age. The
Central Asians make excellent watchdogs, as well as companions
for people living on farms, but this breed is definetely not a
good choice for an apartment pet. Not as protective and
unfriendly towards strangers as the Caucasian Ovtcharka, the
Central Asian Shepherd Dog is a more relaxed and easy-going
breed. Like its Caucasian cousin, this is a thinking dog, a
very calculated and intuitive worker that rarely acts without
carefully examining the situation first. Usually with docked
tails and cropped ears, the Central Asian Shepherd Dogs come
in a variety of coat types, ranging anywhere from being as
short as 1 inch to those that are over 6 inches in
length.
Coming in all colours, most dogs are either white-based
with darker markings or lightly coloured with white markings
of varying sizes. Black-n-tan, tricolour, brindle and even
uniform black dogs can be found in certain regions, but aren't
as valued by the breed's purists. Many Central Asian
Ovtcharkas have been crossed with Caucasians, affecting both
the appearance and the personality of the breed. Unlike the
Caucasian Dog, the pure Central Asians don't have high set
ears and aren't as heavily built. The body is well-boned and
muscular, with strong legs and powerful neck. The head is
wide, with a moderately broad muzzle and strong jaws.
The skin pigment is dark and the nose, lips and eyerims
must be black, although poorly pigmented examples are becoming
more common. This is an easy-moving breed, valued for its
agility and speed, but when relaxed and not working, most
Central Asian Volkodavs aren't very active. Because there
isn't a single standard that fits all of the breed types
listed under the Central Asian Shepherd Dog name, the height
and weight vary considerably. Although dogs that are 25 inches
in height exist, most are taller, some variants reaching up to
30 and even 35 inches at the withers.
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