For many people, the shepherd is associated only with the German. A kind of nobility and power, beauty and obedience. In fact, every country has its own shepherd. Today we will talk about the alpine shepherd, or, as it is also called, the Savoy. It’s clear from the name where it comes from. But more about how the Alpine Shepherd breed originated is described below.
Origin
All the most beautiful and exquisite comes from France. Savoy Sheepdog is no exception. The French Alps became her homeland .
It all began in ancient times. Before the arrival of the Romans, nomadic tribes lived in the Alps, or rather, moved throughout the mountains. Nomads were raising sheep, they needed a dog as a shepherd and guard. At the same time, the pet should not have been too whimsical. Rather, the opposite. The less the dog needs, the better.
It was the nomads who brought the formidable dog to the Alps. Legend has it that the nomad dog came from a dog and a wolf. He had a very specific appearance in those days. The climate of the Alps forced the dogs to slightly change and grow thick coat. Now the alpine shepherd is a dog with medium or short hair.
Thanks to the nomadic tribes, some of whom settled in the Alps, the world got a smart and pretty dog. It is not very common outside of France, but in vain. The smartest animal with excellent working qualities.
Breed standard
The official description of the alpine shepherd is not approved. The breed is not registered by FCI.
The animals were almost lost forever, like an indigenous breed. This happened after the war, when representatives of the breed were virtually gone. Only in 1947, in the seedy alpine villages, it was possible to find several dogs. With them began the resurrection of the Alpine Shepherd.
What is a dog like:
- It is quite large. It reaches a height of 55 centimeters at the withers, and the weight reaches 40 kilograms.
- Despite its parameters, the representatives of the breed are lean and muscular.
- They have a large head with hanging ears, expressive eyes and a pointed muzzle.
- Wide chest and powerful forelimbs.
- The back is straight and long, the croup is high, the tail is short and high set.
- The belly of an alpine shepherd is lean.
- The hind limbs are strong, long.
- The color can be spotted (harlequin), two-tone, white spots are allowed on the body, and a mask on the face.
- The coat is short and fits snugly to the body.
Character
If we figured out the appearance of the Savoy dog, then we still do not know anything about its nature. What makes an alpine shepherd good? Of course, his courage and determination. Representatives of the breed are ideal guards. Strangers are very suspicious and wary. Not only will the adversary pass by such a watchman, but even the fly will not fly by.
She is located with family members, affectionate with them and tries to serve everyone. He gets along with children, tolerates their antics, but does not burn with a special desire to nurse human babies. He does not like cats, therefore it is recommended to keep such a dog only by the only pet in the family.
Very smart, captures everything on the fly. But too loving dog. He does not tolerate submission, and attempts to impose any laws with the help of force and rudeness. The owner must be firm in character, but not cruel at the same time.
Abroad, in particular in France, is used by the police. The dog has well-developed protective qualities, it is able to cope with the detention of the offender.
Care
Alpine shepherd dog (pictured) is an indigenous dog. She should not be too whimsical. To begin with, let's say: keeping a pet is better in a private house. These dogs love freedom, the ideal place for them is a spacious aviary with a warm booth and a large area where you can run freely.
If you plan to keep an alpine shepherd in the apartment, you should think about an aviary for this dog. Better yet, give her a separate room. The owners need to know that the pet will not be happy with the guests. Possible on his part are attempts to drive out strangers. The Savoy dog does this very unkindly. Also on a walk: the dog is firmly convinced that the street is its territory. And all sorts of passers-by are aggressively-minded strangers and we must get rid of them.
Representatives of the breed need regular exercise and training. Without the latter, the dog will become simply an uncontrollable creature that can cripple a person. These dogs are very smart, able to make independent decisions and do not crave to obey. For a beginner, a dog is not suitable, and an experienced owner would be better off walking with her to a professional dog handler.
Comb the alpine shepherd once a week. Check the cleanliness of the eyes, ears and mouth every day.
As for health, the breed, like most native dogs, does not suffer from many modern diseases. They do not know what dysplasia, cataract, problems with the digestive tract.
In Russia, Alpine shepherds are practically not bred. Those lucky ones who managed to get a puppy brought him from France or Europe. There, representatives of the breed are held in high esteem, used in the service of the authorities.
How to feed a pet?
The dog is not fastidious in food. The owner only needs to decide: natural food is waiting for his pet, or dry food.
If the choice fell on the "natural", then the feeding scheme is standard: most of the meat and offal, cereals, vegetables, fruits, eggs, kefir, cottage cheese.
When feeding dry food, it is advisable to buy "crackers" super-premium or holistic.
Mixing ordinary food with "drying" is prohibited.
As a treat, dry biscuits or dog cookies are used.
Where to buy a puppy?
Alpine shepherd reviews are very good. But buying a puppy in Russia is not so simple. The breed is often confused with the Bernese Mountain Dog, outwardly these two breeds are very similar. But they are completely different in character and behavior.
The ideal option is to purchase a future pet in its homeland. But the cost of a puppy there starts at $ 1,000. And hardly a good baby will be sold to Russia.
Summarize
Highlight the main points about the alpine shepherd:
- Aboriginal primitive dogs.
- Unpretentious in content.
- They have pretty good health.
- They need active physical activity and training.
- They are very smart, but stubborn and do not like to obey.
- Dogs are watchdogs, therefore it is better for them to live in a private house.
- Get along badly with cats and other dogs.
That's the whole story about the alpine shepherd, starting from its origin and ending with the purchase of a puppy.
To get such a dog or not - the future owner decides. The representative of the breed is not so easy to find, but the dogs are excellent. What else do you need from the savoy shepherd? The house protects, does not allow strangers, and treats members of the family like bars of gold. The only drawback is that it does not like cats, guests and is rather stubborn.