My basic opinion is that there is one big breed of "Caucasian Ovcharka-Shepherd" (this is simbolic name) which includes all existing families of Natural breed-families and sub-families in the all region of Great and Small Caucasus (including nawardays Turkey) as well as "State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka" and "Exibition Caucasian Ovcharka". Caucasus is small, somewhat isolated region and internal cultural, zoological links were and are very tight during centuries. This view is not especific and is corelated with view of main architect of this breed - major A.Mazover (See: A.P.Mazover. "Breeding in service dog branch").
My opinion - supported by my private experience and observations started from 1973 (when i have started promotion and popularisation of Nagazi in Georgia), facts (printed and published - which i'll collect in my website) - is that Soviet/Russian State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka initially (during 1950-1960s) was formed fundamentally based on Georgian Nagazi (with small injections of other families of Caucasian Ovcharkas - from North Caucasus and Azeri). This was not because Stalin's Georgian origins (Stalin have died in 1953, actually before new, post-war era of Caucasian Ovcharka collection and breeding), but - scientific research done by state and especially based on directions given by State Cinologist A.Mazover and other soviet scientists and practics of breeding.
I do not include inside this group other "exersises" of state kennels - as "Moskovskaya Storozevaya-Watchdog" (mixture of Caucasian with St.Bernardins) and others. From the other side - main aim of development of "Moskovskaja Storozevaja" was to get BIGGER dog of the same characteristics as was Caucasian Ovcharka (especially for siviar guard-dogs for multimillion populated soviet prisonrs camps) - and this means, that Caucasian Ovcharkas of that time were not BIG dogs (as big as they are now).
Moskow WatchDog (Moskovskaya Storozevaya)
Moskow WatchDog (Moskovskaya Storozevaya) - some kind of descendant of Caucasian Ovcharka
«April, 1st, 1956 for strengthening service on protection of prisoners and search of fugitives in in the militarized shooting protection (ВОХР) jails of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is used 10.729 service dogs, including 1.686 search [moslly German Shepherd - Ed.], 1.434 escorts [moslly German Shepherd - Ed.], and 7.609 guard [moslly Caucasian Ovcharka - Ed.], and there are 4 schools on preparation of sergeants-conductors of search dogs, 25 centers of service dog breeding». Source >>> And this was ONLY Ministery of Internal Affairs - but also were others and among them Army...
«In Russia, as anywhere, many the specialized dog breedint, training centers, including - well-known « the Red star » in situated near Moscow settlement Knjazhevo. There were annually trained during the best times up to 500 conductors and 1000 dogs». Source >>>
Caucasian Ovcharka - Georgia, Pshavi-Khevsureti
North Caucasian case - during WWII this region of USSR was place of active fights, there was colossal damage to economy of the region and also to sheep herds and same population of the shepherd dogs. More - after the war - man breeders of Caucasian Ovcharka in the North Caucasus - Chechen and Ingushs (closest neighbours of Tushetians) were totally persecuted and send to Middle Asia and Syberia. This leaded to total degradation of population of Caucasian Ovcharkas on the North Caucasus, which was actually re-populated by Caucasian Ovcharkas mainly from Georgia.
Then, till the collapse of USSR this State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka was developped and grown to very large population serving Soviet Army, prisoners camps, factories and other Soviet State structures (small amount of dogs, mostly best ones, also were in the hands of private users) - breeded and developed mostly inside initial genetic group of 1950-1960ies with some, small injections.
Thas 1950-1980ies development have given actually some kind of quality mixture of all valuable families of Caucasian Ovcharka, I named: State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka.
All this time demand from private users on Caucasian Ovcharka was extremly low and prices were low - I have bought 3 very good puppies, various times in 1970ies, only for 50-70 Rubles (this was highest price, and half of monthly salary of mid-educated worker - 140 rubles).
Caucasian Ovcharkas, Georgia, mountains, 1970s
Main demand on puppies and dogs was coming from state structures. In mid 1980ies I have seen Soviet military Air Base in Russia (North Caucasus) which was guarded by not less 100 Caucasian Ovcharkas. Same time I have seen Army Camp of armoured technics - mostly tanks in Latvia (Baltics) guarded by hundreds of Causasians. In city Gorki - colossal factorie producing autocars was guarded also by hundreds of Caucasians. This working Caucasians were not like one can see on exibitions (much smaller) - but very good, strong (and dirty, grey * - white and other light colors were absolutely unsuitable for this conditions) working dogs...
Fighting Caucasian Ovcharkas
For 1980ies State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka already was specific, artificial sub-breed or family of Caucasian Ovcharka - and differed from all initial families, including Georgian Nagazi.
After collapse of the USSR collapsed also most (if not all) former state kennels and big amount of best State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka appeared in the hands of private users and small private kennels. Prices on Caucasian Ovcharka also rised and demand from the West and America rised.
Espcially after collapse of USSR (during last decade) - based of private initiative (better, high quality food and better care; higher selling prices = economic interests; International Exibitions) - Caucassian Ovcharka was developped into some kind ow show-dog, toy-dog.
Schema of development of Caucasian Ovcharka breed and intenal families
This new, Exibition Causacian Ovcharka breed-family is even far from initial, natural breed families then State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka. I see dogs which more are like St.Bernardins that original Nagazi-Caucasian Ovcharka - absolutely non-fitted to any real, hard work in the nature, mountines and fitted only Dog-Shows.
At the same time some of Russian specialists started alert - mentioning that now is necesary to go back to originals and started using of "Aborigens" (dogs got from intial regions of pupulation - mostly from Nort Caucasus - as Georgia and Azeri now are independent states) or to use artificial Dog-Fights for additional cleancing of the breed. All specialists of Caucasian Ovcharka in Russia agree on "Crisis of Caucasian Ovcharka" including also injections of genes from Non-Caucasians.
But nature of "Crisis of Caucasian Ovcharka" in Russia (and word wide) is of economic nature - collapse of Soviet State economic structures collapsed colossal demand for working-quality (opposite to exibition-quality) "working dogs", "guard dogs" - I call State Kennel Caucasian Ovcharka. I have not exact data, but I think that demand on Caucasians from side of state stuctures was dosen thousands per year (taking into account lesser life length and hard conditions of work).
On the "Crisis of Caucasian Ovcharka" see for example MOSTLY objective articles of Elena Levitina and others from web site http://rusdog.ru:
Now demand is only for Exibition Caucasian Ovcharka - which leads to - what i call "St.Bernadization of Caucasian Ovcharka"... Only chanse is that - economic development in Georgia and other Caucasian states will give good stimuls to recreate higher quality Natural Nagazi and other natural families...
From the other side - Natural Nagazi and other families of Caucasian Ovcharka in the Caucasus appeared in worst economic condition then it was during USSR - collapse of state "collective farms" and "state farms", pauperisation and mass powerty of population. In this conditions Nagazi and other local families of Caucasian Ovcharka now are even worst (smaller, thiner) then all previous times - and species one can find there are not good representatives of the breed.
From the other side - rised commercial interest in which many Russian (and not only Russian...) dogs judjies, experts are closely economically connected with private kennels and dog sellers stimulates various kinds of "legends" and missinformation to promote puppies from mentioned kennels and types of dogs which are provided by mentioned kennels and puppies producers...
So - go forward = BACK TO ORIGINS, BACK TO NATURAL OPTIMUM...
Click to reed my notices about "working, uniforme" colors...
| ნაგაზი, Nagazi, Caucasian Ovcharka, Кавказская Овчарка, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Caucasian Mountain Dog, Caucasian Sheepdog, Caucasian Volkodav, Trans-Caucasian Ovtcharka |
