Origins and Colors Found in the Central Asian dog

The Middle Asia as a region for a very long time was a civilization of nomads, who could not imagine their life without dogs. Dogs, who guard & defend the flock from wild animals & robbers. Now lets try to imagine how many nomadic tribes went through the Great Steppe for all its history! And every new wave of migration brought along with their dogs. So local dogs mixed with newcomers making new combinations, which had to prove themselves as suitable ones for this image & living conditions. At the same time men wanted dog to be a excellent guard for his flocks and property. So during many centuries (this breed was known that 4,000 years ago) the extraordinary Breed - The Middle Asia Sheepdog . Was formed on the huge area, which reaches to 3000 km from the west to the east and for 2000km from the North to the south and includes the territories of the following contemporary countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia.
Climate and landscape of that area are very diverse. Difference is temperature between the warmest and the coldest months during the year is more than 30 degrees.
Even Difference between day & night time temperature is about 25 degrees . Several centuries ago those dogs fighter against Tigers & Leopards. And even today there are a lot of wild animals in Middle Asia. Its believed, that today the Middle Asia dogs often come across with Hyenas & go out of the fight as winners. In mountains Bears & Snow leopards mean a serious danger for the sheep. Often it costs a life to a dog to conquer those enemies. But the most terrible danger still is a Wolf. The Middle Asia Sheepdog as many others Mastiff-type dogs come from the old Tibetan dog and has a lot in common with the Tibetan Mastiff, Mongol sheepdogs, Shepherd dogs of Afghanistan & Iran, Sheedog-Karabash, Caucasian sheepdog. It is mistake to separate Middle Asians on mountain & steppe types as origins of this breed based on the history of nomads & does not depend on landscape geography. There were some tries to classify the breed , which were based in differences in head construction. Also various types could be met at different territories.

Types & COLOR combos per Country:

Tajikistan:

One of the most spreading type which is characterized by the solid sand color ranges from not bright red to dirty gray with blacked muzzle. All the coat is of the same length. As usual those dogs are very massive, but not huge in height.. Light heads are very seldom.

Turkmenistan:

You can meet white, white with red or fawn spots dogs. Many dogs have oval red or fawn spot on the furrow between the eyes. They all are really well boned. Feather hair is well developed. In winter some dogs get quite a long coat. Typical faults in this area slightly rounded skull, a bit abrupt stop how and to short format.

Uzbekistan:

Light red & fawn dogs with white marks have a lot in common with Turkmenistan. They are very well balanced, but have a bit lighter bone. Type, which is spread in the south & south west Of Uzbekistan, west of Tajikistan and the south east of Turkmenistan has black/white & white/ black colors. Those dogs are remarkable for right eads, broad skull & often have arched top of muzzle. Best animals combine power & free movement.

Their faults are: lighter eyes in black solid color & a little bit rounded skull.
Their are some black-piabald dogs in Tajikistan, they are of medium height, well-boned & have very wide & deep chest.Head is light for the body.

In Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan their are some black piebald dogs black speckled dogs, . As a rule they are large with massive and broad skull. Stops are different. Muzzle is often light & not filled under the eyes. .Many of them are not well balanced &d seems to be high legged. The next type- "Four eyes" dogs. They are black with red or fawn tan, often with white spots. We can meet them in the south and east of Tajikistan, east of Uzbekistan and south East of Kazakhstan. As usual they are well boned have deep chests, massive heads with slightly abrupt stop & defined supraorbital ridges.

Sarkangic: is a very rare type now, could be met in Uzbekistan & Kirgizia remarkable for the bright red color, or red & with white marks. The length of the coat is the same through the body. Coat is quite long & not too course. Tails are often non docked & have very dense coat. Tips of the tails should be white. Body is very massive , format is stretched due to long, deep chest, Spreading fault light head.

Author Zoran Brankovic FCI Breed Expert. Owner CAS.

1997 Central Asian Sheepdog~ Central Asian Shepherd Dog~ Ovcharka , JD

Translated