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Description

Temperament

The Ovtcharka of meridianal Russia is a very large, robust dog. He adepts easily to diverse climatic conditions and temperatures.This breed needs an owner who knows how to display strong leadership. Someone who is firm, confident, and 100% consistent. If you do not show your authority over this flock guard, he may become very dominate with strange people and other dogs. This breed is not very demanding, but he does need a strong minded human to be his leader. Males are stronger and more massive than the females. They were bred to guard their property, therefore they are independent and will respond negatively to nervous activity. Strong, balanced and lively.  They have a dominant reaction: active way of defense.  As guardians they extend themselves to include their families, their home and as much land as they can scent fully call their own.  The possessive nature of this dog requires extensive property, a sizable family, and preferably other animals that he can protect.  He has a dominating personality and can enforce his will upon other dogs with ease. Socialize well while young. This is not a breed for the inexperienced or meek owner.

Height, weight

Health Problems

Living Conditions

Exercise

Life Expectancy

Grooming

Historians and kinologists have different versions about the SRO breed origin.  Some believe, SRO is developed from pra-slavics - arias dogs.  Those resided at SRO place of origin at 4 millennium BC and used the original pre-historic bearded (“broudasti” in Russian) dogs as herders and guardians.  Those were described by L.P Sabaneev as Russian Shepherd or Russian wolf-killers.  As arias moved west and north, and those tribes were named Slavic; the bearded dogs were referred as Russian Shepherds.  Dogs were kept in quantity by Russian aristocracy.  This is a Russian Native Breed, completely developed by 1790^th .

By another version, SRO originated from European herding dogs of the same hair type known as Austrian Shepherd.  SRO and European herding dogs of similar hair type look alike and have the same ancestors.  Several herding dogs with long, wooly hair were imported to Russia from Europe.  In Russian Imperial Law Books (XXVI volume, 1830) mentioned special breed of dogs imported at 1797 from Spain with merino sheep.  Those dogs were used  for both herding and protection against predators, highly praised for their abilities.  Law books recommended to breed these dogs.  Russian scientists specializing at southern steppes before 1797, wrote that local sheep herds are protected by wolf-looking dogs and hounds (I believe, SRO ancestors).

Small Austrian shepherds were not suitable for Russian steppes.  Sizable territory and natural merino sheep's instinct, keeping the herd together, excluded the need for small herding dogs.  There only was the great  need to protect from predators.  So Austrians were crossbred with “tatar” shepherds (similar to Caucasian) and sight hounds, the most common breed in the Crimea area at that time.  Offspring selected were large, aggressive, hardy.

So, arguments about SRO ancestry are endless.  However, there  are facts nobody can argue with. SRO definitely have wolf as the direct ancestor.  SRO scull is built almost identical to wolf’s  with only slight differences, what could be explained by domestication.

“Barak” is an old Turk word. In well known “Turk languages Vocabulary” by Mohammed Kashgarsky  (XI century) “barak” is interpreted as “the dog with long, wooly hair, exceptionally fast and agile, the best among hunting dogs”. Sounds like SRO.  Body and limbs of the South Russian is very similar to sight hounds’ . Speed, swiftness and lightening reaction is inherited from hound ancestors.

Recognition