The South Russian Ovcharka[a] or South Russian Shepherd Dog is breed of flock guardian dog. It developed in the areas of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union that are now Ukraine and southern Russia, and is thought to derive from cross-breeding between local dogs of the Russian steppes and long-haired shepherd dogs brought to the area from Spain in the late eighteenth century together with Merino sheep.[2][3]: 401 These may have been similar in appearance to the present-day Gos d'Atura Catala.[2]
History
Image from about 1915
The South Russian Ovcharka is thought to derive from cross-breeding between local dogs – of both flock guardian and sighthound type – of the Russian steppes and long-haired shepherd dogs brought to the area from Spain in the late eighteenth century together with Merino sheep.[2] These Spanish dogs may have been similar in appearance to the present-day Gos d'Atura Catala.[2] A cross-bred dog of this South Russian type won a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1867 in Paris.[2]
It is a large dog: dogs stand no less than 66 cm at the withers and weigh at least 35 kg; bitches are about 4 cm smaller and weigh some 5 kg less.[2] Some dogs are very large, with weights of up to 75 kg.[3]: 402 The head is long and of wedge shape; the ears are pendent and triangular. The coat is long, coarse and thick. It may be solid white, grey or pale ivory; or white with tinges of yellow, or white with patches of grey, pale ivory or wheat colour.[2]
