The Moscow Watchdog (russian: московская сторожевая, tr. ) is a

breed of dog 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 slight ...

that was bred in the former

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. It descends from crosses between the St. Bernard and

Caucasian Shepherd Dog The Caucasian Shepherd Dog or Caucasian Ovcharka is a large livestock guardian dog native to the countries of the Caucasus region, notably Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ossetia, and Dagestan. It was developed in the Soviet Union from about 192 ...

. It contains the physical size, attractiveness and intelligence of a St. Bernard and the awareness and assertive traits of a Caucasian Shepherd Dog. The breed is very large and weight is between 45 and 68 kg (100 and 150 lbs) with a life expectancy of 9-11 years. They are known to be a large powerful breed with a gentle temperament, therefore if it is raised properly with training with discipline, the Moscow Watchdog could fit into any environment and be the perfect protective family pet. Unlike its modern St. Bernard counterparts, the breed needs much vigorous exercise. They can drool, like many of the other

molosser The Molossus ( el, Μολοσσός, Molossós; also known as the Molossian hound, Epirus mastiff) was a breed of dog from Ancient Greece. History The Molossus were dogs that were kept by the ancient Greek tribe and kingdom of the Molossians, ...

s. Until recently, Moscow Watchdogs were uncommon outside of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and the former Soviet states; however, they are now becoming more popular in Europe and have recently reached the United States. The first litter of Moscow Watchdogs was born in the US on June 6, 2015. There are currently 27 Moscow Watchdogs living in the United States.

Appearance

Related to

livestock guardian dog 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 t ...

s, the Moscow Watchdog, one of the larger dog breeds, stands between 64 and 69 cm (25 and 27 inches) tall and weighs 45 to 68 kg (100 to 150 pounds).

Temperament

The Moscow Watchdog is fine in temperament, but it requires training and early socialisation with both people and animals. In this relationship, Moscow Watchdog is known to be a gentle giant, assertive and protective to his family when in danger.

Health concern

The Moscow Watchdog is generally a healthy breed, but still has a risk to be prone to

hip dysplasia Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint where the socket portion does not fully cover the ball portion, resulting in an increased risk for joint dislocation. Hip dysplasia may occur at birth or develop in early life. Regardless, it doe ...

and other large dog breeds’ problems.

History

During the period after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

needed thousands of guard dogs due to the rising crime, a breed of dog that could adapt to a very low temperature , snowy environment during winter and to be able to guard nearly everything that was owned by the government, such as warehouses, railroads, labor camps and infrastructure. That was the reason why they started an immense project led by Gen Medvedev. It began in 1946 and lasted a year at the Central School of Military Kynology, a department of the

USSR Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defense (Minoboron; russian: Министерство обороны СССР) was a government ministry in the Soviet Union. The first Minister of Defense was Nikolai Bulganin, starting 1953. The Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) was the ...

. After many years of experiments of

crossbreeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

purebred dogs, the Moscow Watchdog was one of the most successful breeds from crosses between

s and St. Bernards. It provides the mental and physical aspect that they desired. In 1986, the first few Moscow watchdogs were brought to Hungary for breeders to help popularize the breed. Future growth was guaranteed by devoted breeders and also the breed owner, Club Karakán. In addition, dozens of breeders from the former Soviet states had also worked with the breed to ensure their existence for the future. At the time, around 500 Moscow Watchdogs could be found in Hungary. The breed standard was first published in 1985 when it received "official status" in the Soviet Union. In 1992, it was approved by the Federation of the Dog Breeders of Russia and in 1997, by the Department of Animal Breeding and Pedigree of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia. The standard was also approved by the Russian Kennel Club in 1997. The Russian Kennel Club is working with the International Kennel Federation (FCI) to gain official recognition. Currently, the Moscow Watchdog is considered by the FCI as part of the 2nd group Molosser. In FCI sanctioned dog shows, they are shown in what is referred to as a "Special Show." Inside Russia, they are widely shown and a recognized breed.

References

External links