Since sheep, goats, and then cattle were domesticated as a man, a dog became his constant companion on pastures. This four-legged friend not only helped herd the flocks, but also protected them from the attack of predatory animals. At first, all shepherd dogs were called shepherd dogs, and only after many centuries breeds of shepherd dogs were identified.
And all this time, those that possess the necessary set of qualities were carefully derived from the first primitive breeds:
- Average body size with proportional physique.
- Endurance and developed muscles - for large and long-term loads.
- Thick coat with undercoat - for protection from bad weather or heat.
- Weakly developed hunting instinct (so that the dog is not distracted from his direct duties).
- Excellent security qualities, distrust of strangers. If necessary, the dog can chase the beast.
- Selfless devotion to the master.
- Courage and courage.
Geography of breeding cattle dogs
The geography of countries where shepherd dog breeds were bred is quite extensive. Moreover, the more livestock breeding is developed in the state, the more it is the homeland for more dog breeds of this category.
For example, Hungary became the birthplace of five common breeds of shepherd dogs - the commander, bullets, pumi, mudi and Hungarian kuvas. The first two are long-haired, able to perfectly endure even the most severe weather. Pumi is a relatively young breed bred by crossing a bullet and a Pomeranian. She is used not only as a guard of the herd, but also as a guard dog, as well as a rodent fighter. And the Hungarian shepherd dog (mudi) is an even younger breed, obtained by crossing several breeds, including bullets and cougars.
Slovakia, in which there is no mountainous terrain, and, accordingly, livestock breeding is less developed, has only bred one breed of shepherd dogs in its history - the Slovak Chuvach, which is closely related to the Hungarian kuvas.
English shepherd dogs are very popular. This is the well-known collie (Scottish shepherd), as well as sheltie, bobtail. Often you can see the little handsome Welsh Corgi. It was this breed of dogs that was preferred by the royal family of George VI. And the dog of this breed was presented by the king as a gift to his daughter Elizabeth II. And all because their representatives are very smart, able to perfectly overcome difficulties and perform their functions.
Swiss breeds of cattle dogs are one of the few remaining, thanks to the skillful actions of breeders, in their pure form to this day. Four types of Swiss shepherd dogs with a unique color in the form of a tricolor - this is a significant contribution of Switzerland to the science of cynology. The Great Mountain Dog (or the Great Mountain Swiss Shepherd) has as much as 72 cm at the withers and has a smooth coat. The Bernese shepherd dog (Bernese Mountain Dog) is already long-haired, with a withers of 65 cm. Well, the appenzeller Sennenhund and Entlebucher Sennenhund are short-haired, 58 and 35 cm, respectively. The photo shows the Bernese Mountain Dog.
Contributed to the breeding of cattle dogs and Belgium. And it’s very significant. In Belgium, breeds of dogs were bred, the herding qualities of which correspond to a high level and are valued all over the world. Universality, excellent security abilities, similar physique, height 62 cm at the withers - these are Belgian shepherd dogs. They differ only in color and type of coat. So, the dogs of the Groenendael breed have long black hair, and the representatives of the Tervuren breed differ from the first ones in bronze color with a black shade. The other shepherd dog, Malinois, has the same color, but it has a shorter and tight-fitting coat. But Lakenua is a breed of wire-haired Belgian cattle dogs.
Australian shepherd dog
It is a cattle breed, and it got its second name, healer, thanks to the manner in which teeth grab cattle by the lower part of the hind limbs (from the English heel - heel) when driving the herd.
The Australian shepherd dog has a body length of 44-51 cm, its color can vary from red to dark gray. This is an extremely unpretentious and hardy animal, always active and ready for decisive action. Ideal conditions for the dog - stay in the fresh air most of the time. It gets along well with other animals. With vigilance and a strong grip, the dog also shows good results in the work of detention.
The history of the breed originates in the middle of the XIX century, when the development of the Australian state of New South Wales took place. Together with cattle, cattle breeders brought here herding dogs - Smithfield (black bobtail), which were not adapted to the heat, were too large and noisy, which frightened the animals.
The first attempt by farmers to cross Smithfield with a dingo (in 1830) was unsuccessful: the red-haired short-tailed dogs worked quietly, but bit hard. The attempt to cross the long-haired collie with the bull terrier was also unsuccessful. And in 1840, landowner Thomas Holia wrote out two collies from Scotland (black-blue and gray-black-marble), which were then crossed with a dingo. This was how the Australian blue shepherd dog was obtained. It should be noted that the same was done by the farmer J. Elliot from Queensland, and some still call this breed Queensland. A little later, Sydney farmers mixed the healers with Dalmatian blood, so the breed inherited the speckled-roan pattern of the “shirt”.
The breed received its recognition in 1903 thanks to Robert Kaleski, who initiated its first standard. In 1963, he came out in a modern interpretation, and in 1987 his last version of FCI was released. In 1979, the standard approved the AKC. Also breed recognition is confirmed by SKS, UKC, KCGB and ANKC.
Australian Kelpie
The breed got its name from the kelpie water mentioned in Louis Stevenson’s work.
The Australian Kelpie is a very active dog, with an excellent combination of muscular strength and great limb flexibility. It has high intelligence, is distinguished by loyalty to a person and dedication to work. Despite its average size (43-58 cm at the withers), the dog copes with grazing even cattle. It has a short coat of black, black and tan, red, red and tan, fawn, chocolate or smoky blue.
The history of the breed is not fully understood. The first mention of it dates back to 1870. It is widely believed that the emergence of the breed was the result of the crossing of a border collie with a wild dingo dog. The Australian kelpie really has the habits of a wild dog. For example, when grazing, it bends its head to the ground, as if sneaking up on a victim. In general, dogs of this breed can graze a thousand sheep alone. In their work, they use such techniques as biting insubordinate animals by the legs, as well as jumping on their backs to quickly reach the other end of the herd.
The breed is recognized by the FCI standard.
Azores dog
Dogs of this breed are extremely rare. Only directly on the Azores, and occasionally at competitions and exhibitions, you can meet its representatives. Although in their homeland the Azorean shepherd dog invariably enjoys well-deserved popularity - excellent working qualities, as well as unlimited devotion to the owners make these animals real favorites of the family.
Azores dogs belong to the category of cattle, they are distinguished by a rather lively temperament, they perfectly cope with the function of grazing cows and other cattle, and they conduct excellent guard service. The breed is characterized by a height at the withers corresponding to 48-60 cm, and has a short tiger coat.
This breed of dog has another name - Cao de Fila de Sao Miguel (Cau Fila de San Miguel) - identical to the name of the largest of the Azores. The fact is that during the period of the active expansion of their possessions by Portugal, in 1427, the Azores were discovered by Henry the Navigator. The presence of lush vegetation and the absence of mammals on them became an obstacle to the settlement of the islands by people. Then Henry was ordered to bring cattle to the
island of San Miguel , and already in 1439 abundant herds of animals were found on it, gradually wild without human presence. And then there was a need for a shepherd dog. Dogs brought in by immigrants became extinct, but their crossbreeding with other Molossians gave birth to a different breed, named after the island.
Thanks to almost complete isolation over the centuries, Azorean shepherd dogs have kept the breed clean. And only the development of external relations gave rise to the danger of losing its purebredness. Therefore, in 1995, a breed standard recognized by FCI was described.
Caucasian Shepherd Dog
The Caucasian shepherd breed is one of the oldest (over 2000 years old).
It is also one of the largest breeds (up to 75 cm at the withers, 45-70 kg). By the type of coat, dogs of this breed are short-haired, with an intermediate length, as well as long-haired. But they all have a thick undercoat. Color can be wolf-gray, brown, fawn, red and motley.
There are two versions of the history of the breed. According to one of them, the breed originated from the Tibetan Great Dane and dates back to 1211 BC. e., when the Chinese emperor Zhou was presented with one of these dogs. However, there are images of similar animals on the remains of the Caucasian state of Urartu (VII century BC).
But whichever version they adhere to, one thing is clear - the ancient dog breeders worked hard. The dog is smart, hardy, copes with the shepherd's and guard duty, has determination and courage.
Collie
The bright appearance and impeccable performance of this dog bribes even those who are neutral about our four-legged friends. Of course, we are talking about the Scottish Shepherd, a collie. The price of a puppy with a pedigree does not begin in vain from 15,000 rubles - after all, its representatives are the standard of canine beauty, devotion and intelligence.
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the breed. According to one of them, it is associated with a variety of Scottish sheep colley. On the other - with the word coaly, which means "coal" in translation. Well, the third involves the connection of the name with the English word collar, which translates as “collar” and indicates the chic mane and frill inherent in this breed. The royal appearance, the proud posture of its representatives, muscular physique, graceful movements, and also magnificent thick and long hair, were appreciated by Queen Victoria, traveling through the Scottish lands. And since 1860, collies began to take part in exhibitions. Since then, breeding work with the breed was aimed exclusively at the exterior and did not concern the dog’s performance.
Today, collie is the personification of the mind and beauty in the canine world. The dog’s sharp mind allows it to learn not only the standard set of commands, but also to learn the meanings of many words. Dogs are obedient, quick-witted, becoming excellent friends and helpers for children. In a word, if you decide to get a collie puppy, the price you pay for a purebred breed, although it will be rather big, will fully justify your expectations from the acquisition.
Shepherd from Portugal
The Portuguese Shepherd has long been valued for its shepherd qualities. The manner of her behavior consists in driving cattle by barking, and also silently bypassing flocks or herds when grazing.
This is a medium-sized dog (42-55 cm, 12-18 kg) with a thick long and slightly harsh coat. No undercoat available. Modern representatives of the breed mainly have a black color, but individuals of gray, reddish, yellow and brown colors are also found.
As the name suggests, the native breed is Portugal, or rather, its regions Alentejo and Ribatero. Experts admit close kinship with breeds such as Briard, Pyrenean and Catalan Shepherd.
Excellent watchdog qualities, tolerance to various weather conditions and unpretentiousness in food, as well as energy, vigilance, and at the same time calmness and poise - all these qualities are inherent in Portuguese shepherd dogs.
Romanian shepherd dog
The breed Romanian Shepherd occurred, probably, as a result of crossbreeding shepherd dogs of various breeds, possibly Slavic and Turkish.
A dog of this breed is characterized by a white color (or with brown specks), which is very convenient - such a dog is not afraid of sheep, it is impossible to confuse it with wolves. The coat is straight, thick, medium length. The dog has a height at the withers of the order of 58-66 cm, weight in the range of 32-45 kg, a strong skeleton, a short and strong neck, and well-developed muscles.
Romanian Shepherds are very reliable shepherds, perfectly adapted to harsh local conditions. These are very hardy dogs with lightning fast reaction and innate aggressiveness. The breed is quite rare and little known beyond the borderline of its homeland.
Czech dog
The Czech shepherd dog is one of the oldest breeds and, possibly, the forerunner of the famous German shepherd.
These shepherds have a height of 50-55 cm and weight - 15-25 kilograms. They have a proportional head and an elongated muzzle. The ears are spiky, medium sized, located close to each other and set high. The muscular body also has a strong skeleton. A tail-shaped saber-shaped tail completes the perfect exterior. The coat is straight, elongated (up to 12 cm), with a thick, well-developed undercoat, thanks to which the dog can tolerate severe frosts and summer heat. The coat has a black color and tan markings on the cheekbones, around the eyes, on the chest, on the front of the neck and on the extremities.
Having a height and weight lower than that of other working dogs, the Czech shepherd dog is more comfortable in keeping, more maneuverable, very active and quickly gets into work.
It should be noted that, along with the official one, the breed has other names, one of which is a running dog (from the Czech ethnic group “moves”, which has long guarded the way to Germany in the Czech mountains). The history of the breed begins in the XIII century, and in the XVI century its breeding already had a professional level.
Then, in 1984, the restoration of the breed began thanks to the work of Wilhelm Kurtz and Jan Findys. In one cynological publication, a photo of the Chodsky Shepherd and a call to readers to report the presence of such dogs were published. So, in the period from 1985 to 1992. 35 litters of dogs of this breed were registered. In 1997, Findys introduced the official standard of a Czech shepherd dog.
South Russian
A distinctive feature and pride of the breed is its coat. Firstly, it is soft, silky and very long. On the head, the hair covers the muzzle and reaches the tip of the nose, on the legs it forms a kind of felt boots. The color of the coat can vary from snow-white to yellowish and smoky. But this innocuous, as it seems at first glance, appearance hides a rather aggressive nature, designed to carry a shepherd and guard duty.
How did the South Russian Shepherd appear? The history of the breed dates back to 1797, when Asturian shepherd dogs were introduced to Tavria, together with the first pairs of fine-fleeced Spanish sheep, to help herders. Being excellent shepherds, these dogs had a significant flaw. Small stature and light build made them very vulnerable to the local steppe wolves. Therefore, the sheep breeders needed to turn the brought dogs into stronger ones, without losing the existing shepherd skills. Pouring blood to the Asturian four-legged shepherds, the blood of Tatar shepherds, local greyhounds, and Russian canine greyhounds, bred a breed of dogs with qualities such as endurance, speed in running and anger towards predators. At the same time, the dog is unpretentious in content, intelligent, affectionate with its own and has a lightning reaction. Pedigree work was carried out in the famous Askania-Nova estate, so the breed was called the South Russian Shepherd. Sometimes this shepherd is also called Ukrainian.
But unfortunately, the breed has not become popular by now. The fact is that during the First and Second World Wars, due to the reduction in the number of sheep, the development of the breed stopped. As a result, by 1945, rare specimens of the breed remained only among its true connoisseurs, as well as local shepherds. Of course, since then the number of dogs has increased, but the breed has not gained popularity. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the activity of the animal is such that it takes a lot of space, which is impossible in the home. Modern sheep breeding no longer needs so many service dogs. And other skills that shepherd dog breeds have abilities for are not mastered by the South Russian Shepherd.