South Russian Shepherd: description and history of the breed

The South Russian Shepherd is a fairly large breed of dog that combines beautiful appearance, speed, endurance and intelligence. Despite their apparent slowness, South Russian Shepherds have a quick reaction and unpredictable temperament. In case of danger, such a dog attacks without warning and barking.

South Russian Shepherd: description and distinctive features of the breed

Wool.South Russian or Ukrainian Shepherds are famous for their thick coat. The length of the fur is from 10 cm, it is the same over the entire surface of the body, covers the dog’s eyes, sometimes reaching the very tip of the nose. The fur on the paws grows so thickly that it resembles felt boots. Under the fur there is a warm undercoat, which not only protects from the cold, but also represents a kind of armor against parasites and predators.

Color.The shepherd's color ranges from white to off-white or yellowish, as well as various shades of gray, sometimes with dark spots. The average height of a dog is 60-68 cm, and its weight is about 56 kg. These shepherds have a strong, massive skeleton and a very strong grip. The tail is long, rounded at the end.

Behavior.These dogs are naturally very active and have a huge amount of energy and strength. They need constant physical activity. In terms of running speed, the South Russian Shepherd can be compared with a horse. Dogs will feel especially good in a large area where they can run around to their heart’s content, for example, in a country house or on an outdoor vacation.

The character of South Russian shepherds

Judging only by the appearance of the South Russian Shepherd, a misleading impression of the dog’s good nature may be created. However, this is not the case.

• On the contrary, the shepherd has an aggressive, vicious character. Her instincts include the desire to protect, no matter what exactly, be it territory, property or her owner. Therefore, these dogs are excellent watchdogs and protectors.
• South Russian Shepherds are distinguished by high intelligence and independence, they are easy to train. It is very important to begin raising and training a shepherd dog from puppyhood in order to establish the boundaries of what is permitted and develop rules of behavior. Since South Russian Shepherds tend to make quick decisions and are quite stubborn, they need to be trained to obey unquestioningly. Otherwise, they can pose a threat not only to others, but also to the owner himself.
• The South Russian Shepherd is well aware of its strength, it recognizes the authority of only one owner, therefore, when raising it, it is extremely important to explain to it that it must respect all family members. If a shepherd dog is in a family from a very early age, it can make friends with all the residents of the house, but it will only obey the one in whom it feels strong. In this regard, in the process of education you need to show patience and firmness, and in no case show weakness, so that the dog understands that it is at the lowest level of the hierarchy in the family, and the weakest member of the household is more important than it.
• Elderly people, as well as hot-tempered and unbalanced people, and even more so children, are highly discouraged from owning South Russian Shepherd Dogs. The physical strength and character of such dogs significantly exceed human qualities, so this is not the best tandem. In addition, if the dog is not controlled, it will dictate the terms itself, and with such a size, this can be life-threatening.
• Another feature of the character of South Russian Shepherd Dogs is their devotion. Once a dog has chosen its owner, it is forever. You shouldn’t even try to transfer it to other hands, especially if the dog has reached the age of one, otherwise you can seriously traumatize the shepherd’s psyche.

South Russian Shepherd: history of the breed

The South Russian Shepherd Dog breed was bred back in the 18th century in the south of Ukraine, in Tavria, to help shepherds herd sheep. At that time, Italian shepherds brought their purebred fine-wool sheep there, and with them their dogs - Asturian shepherd dogs - for protection from predators. However, these ancestors of the South Russians were not adapted to fight against formidable predators - wolves. They were too light and relatively small.

To improve the dog's stamina and resistance, Russian breeders decided to cross them with local breeds - the Tatar Shepherd Dog, as well as several types of greyhounds, which made the new breed strong, fearless, vicious and very fast. Just the qualities that were required from a shepherd dog.

The characteristic color of the dogs allowed them not to stand out in the flock, making them look like sheep, without causing them to worry. But predators had no escape from such dogs.

The demand for South Russian Shepherds was great as long as the sheep breeding industry was actively developing. Until the 30s of the 20th century, the breed of these dogs was brought almost to perfection. However, these same guard and fighting qualities and devotion to their owners played a cruel joke on shepherd dogs.

During the occupation during the First World War, the number of South Russian Shepherd Dogs decreased greatly, as they were mercilessly exterminated by the Nazis. During the subsequent civil war and the Second World War, the South Russian Shepherd Dog breed was almost completely exterminated. Only a small number of individuals remained, preserved by individual shepherds who continued to breed sheep.

After all the world's cataclysms, over time, the breed of South Russian Shepherd Dogs was restored, however, all the qualities inherent in dogs before 1930 could not be recreated.