Russian Dog Breed


Russia is the largest country in the world, covering 11 different time zones. This gives plenty of space for different dog breeds to develop and there are certainly plenty. Each breed was uniquely created to survive in the harsh Russian climate and they all serve various purposes. The Black Russian Terrier was developed in the 1940s in the then USSR. It was used mainly as a military working dog and was created by breeding a multitude of imported breeds from occupied countries, such as Giant Schnauzers and Rottweilers. Until 1957, Black Russian Terriers only came out of Moscow’s Red Star Kennel.

The Bolonka is a Russian dog of Bichon type and covers two breeds, the Franzuskaya Bolonka and the Bolonka Zwetnaya. The ancestor of the breeds was a French dog brought to czarist Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries and were bred mostly as fashionable companions for wealthy women. The Borzoi, or Russian Wolfhound, is a sighthound bred for hunting wolves that dates back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Hunting trials were held for a long period of time to determine proper breeding stock for the Borzoi, until wolf hunting with sighthounds fell out of fashion. 

The Caucasian Shepherd Dog, or Caucasian Ovcharka, is a Molosser breed originating in the Caucasus mountains. Most of the Caucasian dogs are similar in type and vary only slightly depending on their region, although they were crossbred. The Caucasian Shepherd Dog was created as a livestock and property guardian and is known for its aggressive nature. The Central Asian Shepherd dog originates from the former Soviet Union and was bred as a livestock and property guardian. The breed was also used in traditional dog fighting, in which the dogs seldom injured each other. Shepherds and farmers set their males against each other to find the most dominant dog in the group, but not necessarily the most aggressive. 

The Laika is a hunting dog originating in Russia and was known for its method of hunting, called bark-pointing, in which it would “point” out prey by barking at it. The breed was separated into four different types and was used frequently up until the 19th and 20th centuries when industrialization brought other types of hunting dogs to Russia. The Russian Spaniel was standardized in 1951 and was developed by crossbreeding various spaniels. Cocker Spaniels were used for hunting in Russia but were found to be of little use, because their small size couldn’t get them through the harsh Russian terrain. Breeding for longer legged gun dogs soon became popular. 

The Russian Toy was bred exclusively in Russia until their political isolation diminished. There are two types, a smooth and long coated dog, with their various standards written in 1966. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the breed was known outside of its homeland and it faced near extinction after the fall of the Iron Curtain. It’s original purpose was a watchdog and ratter. The Samoyed was originally a reindeer herder and carting dog developed by the Samoyedic peoples of Siberia. It’s thick coat kept it warm and safe during the extremely harsh winter conditions. 

Recent studies have confirmed that the Samoyed is one of the most ancient dog breeds and they have been bred and trained for over 3,000 years. The Siberian Husky is one of the most ancient dog breeds in existence, as confirmed by DNA analysis of various dog breeds. It was developed in the harsh Siberian climate as a sledding and carting dog. The breed helped people survive arctic winters. It became popularized during the 1925 Alaskan diphtheria outbreak, in which a team of Siberian Huskies was able to transport serum over 600 miles when no other mode of transportation could make it through the climate.

Popular posts from this blog

Hunting Dog Breeds

Image
Dogs have probably been hunting alongside humans since before they should have rightly been referred to as dogs. They lend us their keen noses, incredible endurance and courage, and in return we share the spoils of the hunt with them. While many breeds and combinations thereof can perform admirably in hunting contexts, a few breeds clearly rise to the top. Today we’re discussing what makes a great hunting dog and highlighting a few of the best breeds to serve as hunting companions! While herding breeds, such as Border Collies, Belgian Malinois and Shelties, as well as working breeds like German Shepherds, Dobermans and Rottweilers, usually get all the accolades for being clever, many hunting dogs are pretty sharp crayons themselves.  Poodles, for example, are crazy smart retrievers, and Labradors as well as Golden Retrievers are also regarded as some of the smartest breeds around. While just about any dog can exhibit a strong prey drive, there’s something special about the way a lab lo
Read more

Hygienic Home And Pet

Image
Pets and cleaning household never go hand in hand most of the times. Pet owners already know what we are talking about. It is difficult to keep everything tidy, with your furry friend such as footprints, toys, and hair and hair everywhere, and the list goes on. Hence, we wish to save your day with these home cleaning hacks which would help you easily clean up after your dog. The vacuum is the need of an hour with your pet, though shredding or non-shedding. Dog hair, debris, dirt, etc all find their way into your house making it extremely difficult for you to keep things tidy. This is why you need to buy a vacuum cleaner.  You may choose from a wide range of vacuum cleaners which are handheld, canister, upright, stick, autonomous/robot. The choice must be as a result of the type of floor you have. The best vacuum for pet hair is the robot vacuum. You need to keep taking care of your pets by giving it necessary nail trims and cuts. This is in order to prevent unsightly nail damage. Witho
Read more

Reasons Dogs Bark So Much

Image
A dog barking is so common that, for many of us, it's just background noise. However, to a dog owner, they might be nervous about what people think. They don't want to get a reputation for owning a wild dog. For many dog owners, their dog barks at a fence or at a window when someone passes by. To our human reason, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. The person or vehicle on the other side doesn’t care about the dog barking. To a dog, their barking is what makes the person or vehicle go away. The chain of events in a dog’s brain is: They arrived, I barked, they left. This makes a dog feel powerful and confident as they make all sorts of things go away. Some dogs will tuck their tails and bark at things because they are nervous and frightened. This can also be a state where dog owners get bit. A frightened dog will whimper and bark to show their nerves. Many owners will try to soothe a dog in this state. However, this rewards the brain and can make a dog less willing to be brave.
Read more