History

The word "ovcharka" (often spelled "ovtcharka", or "owtcharka"; pronounced "uhf-'chAr-ka") is a Russian word meaning something between "livestock guardian dog", "shepherd's dog" and "sheepdog". In the Russian language "ovcharka" is used as a suffix in the names of many working breeds, including those that are not native to Russia, such as the German Shepherd Dog (nemetskaya ovcharka), Belgian Sheepdog (bel'giyskaya ovcharka), and many others. This may be somewhat confusing to a non-Russian reading Russian publications on dog breeds. The Ovcharkas native to Russia and/or the countries of the former Soviet Union include the following four breeds: the Caucasian Ovcharka (also known as: Kavkazskaya Ovcharka; Caucasian Shepherd or Sheepdog), Central Asian Ovcharka (other names include: Sredneaziatskaya Ovcharka; Central Asiatic Ovcharka; Central Asia Shepherd Dog; Middle Asian Ovcharka; Mid-Asiatic Sheepdog), South Russian Ovcharka (also referred to as Youzhnorusskaya Ovcharka or South Russian Sheepdog), and the East European Ovcharka.

Origin

The Caucasian and Central Asian Ovcharkas are ancient breeds belonging to the Asiatic type of dogs akin to the Tibetan Mastiff. Both breeds were originally bred by the shepherds for the protection of their livestock against large predators, such as wolves and leopards. The Caucasian Ovcharka comes from the Caucasus (both its mountain area, and the adjacent plains), which is the territory of the following modern states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. The Central Asian Ovcharka originated in Central Asia, the huge region stretching from Caspian Sea in the west to the Pamirs in the east, and from the border between Russia and Iran and Afghanistan in the south to South Siberia in the north. Six modern countries - Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia - currently share that territory.

The ancestors of the South Russian Ovcharka arrived in the steppe regions of South Russia, the Crimea plains, with the flocks of Merino sheep from Spain in the 18th century. Those relatively small sheepdogs soon drew the attention of the local shepherds. However, despite  the dogs' outstanding ability to herd the flocks, they had a weak constitution making them vulnerable to predators, such as the steppe wolf, and the severe Russian climate. Yet, the steppe wolf was not so dangerous after all; most importantly, the local landowners wanted the dog to be able to protect their flocks, property and the game on their land against the much more serious threat of the Crimea Tartar thieves and poachers, who usually made their raids mounted. The canine newcomers from Spain were mixed with the Deerhound, Irish Wolfhound, and the dogs of the Tibetan origin. This crossing resulted in the large, rapid and agile dog that excelled in two different jobs: it could both help the shepherds to herd the flocks, and guard the livestock, property and game against the predators, thieves and poachers, even from the horsemen.

The Caucasian, Central Asian, and South Russian Ovcharkas were later bred and perfected in the Soviet Union in the state-run kennels for the needs of the Army and the police, as well as the plant and warehouse security and livestock protection work. All efforts have been made to preserve the outstanding working abilities, strength and beauty of these breeds.

Unlike the Caucasian, Central Asian and South Russian Ovcharkas, the East European Ovcharka is a relatively young breed. Its direct ancestor was the German Shepherd Dog, which was introduced in Russia in 1904. In 1924 the German Shepherd Dog was chosen to become the main service breed in the Soviet Union for the needs of the Red Army and Stalin's Gulag, to guard millions of people sent to Siberian prison camps. However, the German Shepherd Dog of the original type did not fully match the Army and Gulag's requirements. Dogs with greater stamina, resistance to cold weather, stronger bite and better ability to fight people were needed. The careful breeding program was successful and resulted in the breed later called the East European Ovcharka. Although this breed remains one of the most popular working breeds in its native land, it is still not widely recognized outside Russia and often not distinguished from the "overgrown" German Shepherd Dog. Unfortunately, at the present time, no official standard exists for this breed; nor are carefully planned breeding programs followed by the clubs and breeding kennels, so the future of the East European Ovcharka is uncertain.