Caucasian Mountain Dog

[applesmom]

This is a breed that was bred to be a livestock guarding dog of greater than average size and power possessing a robust constitution and exhibiting an inherent distrust of strangers.

The last thing we need entering the "pet" market in this country! In no time it would become the new dog of choice for dope dealers and gang bangers...

[Marigold2]

Designer Dogs" Creates Disaster for Caucasian breedIncreased rescue, dead dogs, denial of vet care, breed ban fallout from National Geographic show

January, 2004 marked a catastrophic event for the Caucasian breed in the United states, when "Designer Dogs" (1), a cable documentary of "new age" dogs of the future, produced by Working Dog Productions, aired on the National Geographic channel - featuring our breed as deadly weapons and Caucasian dogs as out of control, vicious, car-chasing monsters.

Six months earlier, during the summer of 2003, the production company contacted us here at ESQUIRE CAUCASIANS (2) on two separate occasions to contribute to the production of "Designer Dogs". Skeptical about a show including "wolf hybrids" and "Labradoodles" as dogs of the future, but wanting to provide good solid information on the breed, we offered livestock guardians, family dogs, showdogs, and a therapy dog for filming. In response the company representative said they were looking for "something else". Several months later, the production company called again, informing us that Caucasian dogs with the "The Stopping Power of a .45" were filmed and requesting that Esquire Caucasians, as the U.S. founding kennel, participate in this production with specific requests for historical information. Shocked and appalled at such irresponsibility, and now knowing that the theme of presentation was determined to be a crazy, sensational story, WE DECLINED. A longtime flockguardian dog breed owner contacted the production company and pleaded with them not to falsely depict a livestock guardian breed as unduly aggressive. His pleas on behalf of the Caucasian breed were ignored.

The show segment featuring the Caucasian was a responsible dog lover's worst nightmare.

A Caucasian was shown in a car, exhibiting complete lack of judgment, having a ferocious response to nonthreatening pedestrians on the sidewalk. A breeder was interviewed as advertising the breed as a deadly gun, telling the interviewer the breed was bred to kill.

In an alleged "puppy temperament test", five week old puppies raised in the tack room of a barn were agitated until they were snarling, then one bit and drew blood on the breeder's hand! The breeder was then shown
introducing an obviously aged Caucasian to people and children on the street, constantly and seemingly nervously stroking the old dog in what appeared to be an attempt to maintain control.

In yet another scene, a woman pushing a baby carriage was filmed, with the camera cutting over to a Caucasian dog yanking its owner off his feet, dragging him down to the ground, aggressively chasing first a car, then a UPS truck, then a dog on the sidewalk. The owner, drenched in sweat, said no collar could control his dog, and that he was made to feel "safe" by his dog's behavior.

Within minutes of "Designer Dogs" airing, the phone began ringing off the hook at Esquire, with three calls an hour, continuing for weeks. Esquire websites logged thousands upon thousands of new visitors within days.

One of the first stunning inquiries was from a man who said he sought to buy a dog to "kill any neighborhood dog that left fecal material on the front lawn". Other inquiries made reference to using the dogs for illegal and immoral purposes such as dog fighting. There was a tremendous increase in wanabee owners who thought it might be "cool" to own a huge and out of control dog. While a few potential good future owners surfaced, 90% of the inquirers attracted to the breed as depicted on "Designer Dogs" were determined by us here at Esquire as unsuitable owners for the breed.

Poor quality inquiries marked just the beginning of fallout. Discussion of the show, and the Caucasian segment, sprang up on bulletin boards, email discussion lists, and in chatrooms across the internet. Responsible dog fanciers began to question "Who in their sane mind would own such a breed?". My breed colleagues and I (3) spent hours each week distributing accurate breed information and putting out virtual breed fires. In a few instances, breed denouncers became breed fans. But the impact of "National Geographic's Designer Dogs" was not over yet.

National Ovcharka Rescue (4), based in Washington State, documents a sharp increase in Caucasian dogs needing rescue and owner relinquishment as a direct result of the show. Neighbors of breed owners have called Ovcharka Rescue, terrified of the potential monster living next door. In one instance, an owner whose friendly Caucasian occasionally visited and played with the neighbor's dog, relinquished her dog to Ovcharka rescue for the reason that her neighbors had seen the show and were now living in extreme fear of her dog. The neighborhood, a gated community, limits fencing to 3 feet high and the owner found it impossible to adequately fence the yard to contain the dog and appease the neighbors.

In the last six months, an alarming number of Caucasian dogs were dumped in East coast shelters. Two different shelters, basing their breed information on "The National Geographic's Designer Dogs" program, refused to turn the dogs over to National Ovcharka Rescue and instead put the dogs to death without giving them a chance of adoption.

A new owner of a well socialized puppy sold by Esquire this spring, from champion sire and dam, and the utmost of stable bloodlines, reported they were denied vet office visits based on the show's breed presentation.

In June, 2004, with breed information from the show, the breed was BANNED in Holland, Massachusetts.

The Caucasian is a livestock protection breed, living in partnership with mankind for over 2000 years, protecting flock and family from wolves and thieves. In addition to being fantastic watchdogs and defenders, the hallmark of the breed is their good judgment in distinguishing true threat from benign interference.(5) A dog that is maniacally tearing up the inside of a car, to get at nonthreatening pedestrians on a sidewalk is either poorly bred and/or poorly raised. A Caucasian that leaves its territory and tears down the street to chase cars in complete disregard of its owner (who could be getting mugged while the dog is off on a frolic), is not exhibiting correct breed temperament(6). Puppies destined for home and family should be raised in the house, not a barn. Properly socialized puppies of balanced character do not snarl at and bite their breeder during handling.

Like bad apples rotting the barrelful, there are bad breeders, poorly bred dogs, and irresponsible owners ruining the breed, with hungry media willing to profit off a bizarre story of aggressive dogs. "15 minutes of infamy" and a "Dogs-as-Guns" marketing ploy, sensationalized on national cable television, will likely result in the need for 15 years of damage control, if it can be effectively done at all. "National Geographic's Designer Dogs", supposedly about dogs of the future, along with those who participated in the Caucasian segment, may have doomed the Caucasian breed to becoming a dog of the past.

(c) 2004 Stacey Kubyn
All Rights Reserved
Contact Author for reprint permission

Esquire Caucasians [email protected]
http://www.esquirecaucasians.com
(440) 286-2374

-----------------------------------------------

(1) "Designer Dogs" aired January 18, 2004, on National Geographic Presents, in the United States on the National Geographic Channel.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0115_040115_tvdesignerdogs.html

Contact National Geographic:
By E-Mail [email protected]
This is what I saw that night and it was so scary. We raised German Shepards when I was a child and my dad who was in law enforcement also helped train them. This program scared me, these dogs were like nothing I had ever seen before. I could only imagine them in the hands of dumb, ruthless power hungrey people wanting to hurt others. I know there is no such thing as a bad dog, but with the incorrect influence and training these animals are deadly.

[Zippy]

I saw a special on these dogs too.I am very disturbed that people would breed this dog with it's aggessive temperment and breed for it's aggessive temperment.

[Kalei]

Wow, I have no idea what the dog is like when it comes to aggression, but it sure is big and beautiful

[animal_rescue]

Sorry but when I talked to CO people I was told the breeder on that NG show isn't a reputable one and yes they need a firm hand to keep the controlled. They also made them sound worse than they were on that show.

This is a rescue I always enjoy looking at. If anyone is interested. lol
http://www.ovcharkarescue.org/

[BC_MoM]

they need a firm hand to keep the controlled.

Exactly! That is the key to this breed.

[Marigold2]

They are pretty dogs, look like a cross between a bear and a Saint Bernard I think.