The Armenian Gampr ( hy, Գամփռ, translit=Gamp’ṙ) is an Armenian

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

flock guardian A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a dog type bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators. Livestock guardian dogs stay with the group of animals they protect as a full-time member of the flock or herd. Their ability to guard ...

dog native to the Armenian Highlands. It falls within the Ovcharka group of livestock guardian dogs, which can be found throughout the

Transcaucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...

area. It was recognised in 2011 by the International Kennel Union in Moscow, under the guidance of the Armenian Kennel Club, which had developed the breed standard in the 1990s.

History

The Gampr is the traditional

dog of Armenia. From the 1920s, when Armenia came under the control of the Soviet Union, large numbers of the dogs were taken to Russia, where they played a crucial part in the development of the Caucasian Shepherd Dog, or Caucasian Ovcharka. A few were exported to the United States at about the same time. Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, the dog acquired new significance as national heritage. The first breed standard was drawn up in the 1990s, and in 2011 the breed was recognised by the International Kennel Union, an organisation based in Moscow.

Characteristics

The Gampr is a large and powerful dog, weighing some and standing at least at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ar ...

, with the usual

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

– dogs are somewhat larger and heavier than bitches. The coat may be of any colour; it may be short or long, and always has a soft undercoat.

Use

The principal traditional use of the Gampr was as a

dog, protecting flocks of sheep and goats from attack – particularly by

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...

– on the upland pastures of mountainous regions of Armenia. Although sheep-herding has declined in the country since independence, wolves continue to threaten flocks; in 2006 some 2000 dogs were still in use for this purpose. They may also be used to guard people and property, another traditional use.

Gallery

File:Armenian Gampr 2012 Pregnant (01).jpg, Bitch on guard File:Armenian Gampr dog with sheep.jpg, Guarding sheep at the Armash fishponds File:Armenian Gampr Stamp.jpg, On a 1999 Armenian stamp File:Monument to Armenian Gampr dog (6).jpg, 2018 statue in Yerevan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armenian Gampr Dog breeds originating in Asia Animal breeds originating in Armenia Dog breeds originating in Turkey Livestock guardian dogs __NOTOC__