Central Asian Shepherd Q & A

Those times passed, when speaking about the species, it was necessary for long to explain how is Central-Asian sheep dog is differed from other dogs, from where it undertook and to whom this happiness is necessary. Now Central-Asian Shepherd on the peak of mode, these are the most numerous species of our country and, it would seem that everything that it is possible to describe about it, has already been written, it is said and it is repeatedly repeated.Let us talk about concerns of owners, those people, who takes Central-Asian Ovcharka, completely without any plans to become breeders. To them it is necessary to have an intellectual friend, loyal defender and companion.

How to select the dog, that does possess the best features of species?

We will not investigate the case, when people buy puppy on the market, allegedly, a good bargain. This savings, will most likely, leave sideways, and wretched essence will grow instead of the terrible guard, whose species is unknown to science. Reasonable person will not risk and first he will look at the dogs, whose race does not be subject to a doubt. He visits the exhibitions, travels a little to the nurseries, deciding for him self, what type of Central-Asian dogs most of all commands him. In the final analysis, the selection of puppy occurs according to the principle 'I want white puppy ” or “black will look more fancier in the salon of my jeep”. All this is understandable, the owner should like the look of the puppy, but indeed Central-Asian Shepherd is not only the fashionable component of interior - for this there is a mass of other breeds. Any Central-Asian sheep dog must be capable of working a lot and to live outside the year round. But for this ,the health is required, endurance and correctness of anatomical structure. It is understandable that only veterinarian can determine, if the puppy is healthy. By the way, meticulous owners arrive with their own doctor for the selection of the puppy and they act absolutely correctly. But to check for endurance and correctness of structure is completely possible,since these criteria's are completely objective. And if you do not intend to be occupied by exhibitions and breeding, then don't try to invest your time, attempting to understand, why one expert prefers this interbreed type of Central-Asian sheep dogs, but another - is different. Each expert, who carries out selection, usually conducts his own type of the dog,selected with the overall correctness that more fully corresponds to his ideal of species. Not all experts are agreeable with each other; generally on the selection of Central-Asian sheep dogs to the tribe - the matter very complex, that presents the alloy of knowledge about the species, experience and intuition. Simply the dog with the normal psyche is necessary to the beginning amateur.

How Central-Asian sheep dog works?

Who never saw Central Asian Shepherd (Sredneaziata) in the real life, it's a very difficult thing to imagine how easily this enormous dog moves and how difficult it is to tire it. This dog jumps over the fence with height of two meters and more, by just playing. Central-Asian sheep dog does not skip before the obstacle, attempting to scramble to it. It does not scatter from a distance in order to demonstrate circus number. Everything is much simpler. Imagine Central-Asian sheep dog is laying beside the fence with sleepy eyes, when he hears some rustle, the dog sits down, becomes accustomed to the smell. Elusive motion further follows, dog, as if that ejected by catapult, rockets upward, one contact by the paws on the upper board and it already on the street. Central-Asian sheep dog is trained to this trick on its own initiative and it is amazingly rapid. If the fence or another obstacle is nevertheless too high, young Central-Asian sheep dogs, especially lighter females, are entertained by jumping upward on the rear feet, like kangaroo. A game like that not for a bit tire an animal, all the more, if in the leaps ,make it's possible to see the obstacle it make it all worth their wile. If you took your Central-Asian sheep dog for a walk and he finds large boulder or huge hills side, it will not fail to climb to the top by itself. When you see this assault the soul dies,you think: he will stumble,he will fall, he will break his feet. Nothing like that: strong, precise leaps, excellent coordination and purpose is achieved. Contented dog stands still on the top, attentively scrutinizing environments. However, after he finds something interesting, Central-Asian sheep dog is fixed downward in nevitable similarly to a mountain avalanche.

How does CAO move?

The crown number of Central-Asian sheep dog is how they run. By not too hasty trot dog is capable of passing many kilometers in one day. Massive head is lowered almost to the ground, the back does not sway and only feet, powerfully bending and unbending in the joints, bear Central-Asian sheep dog forward and forward. With this pace it can go for hours, quietly with organized breathing." Trot run " for the Central-Asian sheep dog is natural pace, the CAO is created for it and practically does not tire when using it. The" trot" of Central-Asian sheep dog is so beautiful and perfected when one sees it, something poetic comes to mind: “Oh, sredneaziat - untiring and All mighty, your feet are accurately connecting rods, tiredness they do not know; your joints, as hinges, by flood oiling, do not know the friction ; your back is wide as table,your lungs ,are similar to furs , they powerfully pump air through; your head to bear will not be small; your jaw - the trap of steel, forty two daggers of snowy they bear;your eyes are - olive black, two wells in the night - oh, sredneaziat, my priceless dog, how can I not love you! “.

Central-Asian sheep dog can move not only by a trot. When it steals up, playing or hunting, its paws step easily and noiselessly. It is split on the ground , muscles as if overflow under the skin, it does not crawl, it is poured, flow forward like - snake, cat, lion. Many black females bear the nickname Of 'Bagira" they actually resemble panthers! Here purpose is close - Central-Asian sheep dog displaces into the sphere, it takes off, being turned havoc in air, and falls on the output as if golden eagle, it beats by mouth, by paws, by entire chest. It is good, when this is game with the dear owner joking - with the real attack with output it is possible to only sympathize (by the way, many Central-Asian sheep dogs love and know how to hunt).

CAO and the enemy?

But with man enemy Central-Asian sheep dog does not use hunting methods. It warns and if a man did not heed to the voice of reason attack follows. When the pair works (male and female) the female first usually notes the disturber, low-spreading, like a snake she throws her self into the feet. One second, and she is already there, standing still, prepared for the battle. Now its moist black nose very slowly moves on the feet of disturber from bottom to top. She investigated laces, trousers, legs, up to the buckle of the belt, at long last it honored the person by looking of eye to eye. As if it asked: "Should I bite you or you will back off ? "

The male attack is different. Most frequently it, relying on anxiety of a female and contrives to oversleep the beginning of incident. It is necessary to make up, and male is torn away from a spot. CAO flying at a gallop appears simply monstrously, the speed of this huge dog casts a spell: from the running Central-Asian sheep dog along the straight line can only take them Borzoi; to Dobermans, to Rizenshnausers and for other acknowledged runners it is necessary to greatly try in order to preserve the distance (and that it does not always succeed). It is understandable that the running person simply does not have chances to win, unless he quickly climes a tree. For this very reason the attempt to escape by flight from Central-Asian sheep dog attacking in its territory can be foolish and dangerous. To stand still - that is the only chance. But if man himself attempts to attack, in the hope of suffering a lite bite or being repulsed with knife, there will be no success . The Male goes by the top, it beats with entire body and takes a full bite. He will not work as light guarding dog, barking it will not be humbled to the clownish gallant for the arm.To suffer such attack from CAO, without having lost consciousness from the painful shock, is simply physiologically impossible. With the curtailment of the resistance of man Central-Asian sheep dog ceases attack and simply watches him. But entire describtion can only be possible for the Central-Asian sheep dog without the anatomical deviations.

CAO correct anatomical structure

In order to move, dog must possess correct supporting-motor apparatus. Without going into the thickets of biomechanics, let us transfer the distinctive special features of the structure of Central-Asian sheep dog. Extremities themselves are massive and thick, but without the signs of dampness or diseases of joints. This means that on the elbows,the fetlock joints have to swellings. Rear extremities must not be the straight lines as sticks, but also they must not be superfluous long, set aside in the counter far back. Femoral bones are covered with powerful musculature, generally thigh as a whole is very wide and is volumetric. All deviations in the structure lead to the disturbances of the motion of one or other gravity or another. Thus, for instance, the shortening of croup (completely disseminated deficiency) leads to a nonfunctional change in the angles of hip joint, to the depletion of musculature, to which simply does not be sufficient place for the fastening. The high mill of neck changes the angle of arm- blade joint, due to what front extremity will be carried not forward to entire possible length, but forward and upward. Central-Asian sheep dogs with such deviations cannot move for long, they get tired, their joints sooner or later begin to be deformed. One additional serious anatomical deviation of Central-Asian sheep dog is the superfluous friability of structure. Dog is overloaded by muscular mass, subcutaneous cellular tissue is excess developed in it. Lower eyelids sag, lips become thin and damp, skin during the motion of dog fidgets on the back, as if it is to big. To grow a healthy damp Central-Asian sheep dog of is extremely complicated. Muscular mass deforms the growing bones. Judging by the rapid fatigue, damp CAO experiences with the long running through the same as man running crosscountry race, in the sheath with the knapsack.

So when selecting the puppy of Central-Asian sheep dog, give preference not to the largest and the clumsiest, but to anatomicly correct pupy without problem with movement. Of course it is possible to grow a dog with the the anatomical deviations, but is it worthwhile to buy a puppy and get him a personal doctor and personal trainer for the physical training? I sincerely wish to those, who only now is getting ready to buy a puppy, to select for itself real Central-Asian Shepherd, clever, daring and rapid to the lift!

Source: Magazine " Dog and Cat" №6, 2003.

Translated by Admin

Appearance vs work

Contrary to rumor, breeding under the FCI does not aim appearance in the first place. Dp tests or checking for other non - visible hereditary illnesses is not compulsory. It is very easy to find a loophole in checking achievement at breed reviews in  case of most work-dogs CAO, as well. Achievement can be replaced by good appearance. And even if the controls are executed in the prescribed way, the guidelines are so easy to follow that radical work-dog owners are almost always dissatisfied, and make their own strict forums.Such is FCI, and if you don’t like it,  you may leave. The problem is that fans of the breed like these dogs not because of their wonderful outward appearance. Force of nature radiating all over is what makes dogs attractive to them, not a pretty face, gorgeous hair or big muscles coming from feeding on expensive food. These people are proud of the fact that their dogs would feel well under circumstances that would be unbearable and intolerable for most European breeds of dogs. In Europe dog shows are the most important forums for dog owners and breeders, so fans of the breed are turned towards this direction even unconsciously, and start to deal with aspects of outward appearance only. Achievement, the nervous system and other features are almost out of the question. In Central-Asia the most important forums are the dog fights held at country fairs; people there simply do not know the term ’dog show’, or if they do, they just smile leniently.

The balance between appearance and achievement is about to break up, and the  population might be divided into two parts: appearance line and work line. Nowadays, FCI is more flexible and is willing to make up stricter breed specific rules due to the pressure of breeding clubs. That’s why clubs could do a lot to prevent the breaking up mentioned above, if the people belonging to them would really feel responsible for the breed, and they wouldn't only care about their short-term interests. The whole thing seems hopeless as an effective action would need a strategy made up coordinately by all national breeding clubs. If, for instance, the Hungarian breeding club excludes from breeding a male of perfect appearance but  poorer achievement, that male could cover females in Slovakia if their club  is more permissive. And no one could prevent the male’s descendants from getting back to the country. Another point of view is that appearance is not important at all in the case of work-dogs, just because nomadic shepherds did not pay attention to their dogs’ appearance, either. However, this can be denied right away if we take a look at nomadic shepherds’ folk art. It reveals that these simple, illiterate people did have aesthetic demands as being simple does not mean being a boor. These demands came into existence in everything they dealt with: simple consumer goods, clothing and dogs, of course. As they had an enormous population of dogs at hand, they could take into consideration different features of appearance as well, but only those ones that did not have any negative influence on achievement.

Mass vs Stamina

People are usually fond of big and strong things /with the exception of electrical gadgets. Taste is somehow instinctive and not always a good advisor. CAO must have a stronger built than other sheepdogs as he needs to hold on when fighting. But he cannot be as heavy as a mastiff because he needs to endure heat, great distances and lack of food resulting in poor energy-supply. A situation that would make a mastiff give up, find a quiet place and perish, will make CAO keep fighting and multiply. His original surroundings relentlessly selected the ones that were too lightweight or too heavy. The situation in Europe is different, as only too lightweight dogs are pushed into the background at shows /and in breeding as a consequence, while very heavy ones are extremely fashionable and popular. It is not likely to hear anybody saying : ’too heavy’ at shows in Europe.The ’career’ of St. Bernard’s dog could be a warning example; we can see how a persistent work-dog transformed into a show-dog after a few decades of breeding in that manner.

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