Central Asian Shepherd Dog
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| Other names | Alabai Central Asian Ovtcharka CAO Aziat |
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| Origin | Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Russia |
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traits | |||
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| Weight | Male | 50 kg (110 lb) | |
| Female | 40 kg (88 lb) | ||
| Height | Male | 70 cm (28 in) | |
| Female | 65 cm (26 in) | ||
| Coat | Both short and long haired | ||
| Color | White black grey russet straw grey/brown brindle flecked. |
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| Life span | 12-15 years | ||
| Classification / standards | |||
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| FCI | Group 2, Section 2.2 Molossian: Mountain type #335 | standard | |
| AKC | |||
| The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration. | |||
| ANKC | Group 6 (Utility) | standard | |
| NZKC | Utility | standard | |
| UKC | Guardian Dog | standard | |
The Central Asian Shepherd Dog is an ancient breed of dog from the regions of Central Asia. It is not the result of artificial selection but rather a native breed called alabai historically common among Central Asian peoples. Traditionally, the breed was used for shepherding, as well as to protect and for guard duty.
The Central Asian Ovcharka (/ɒvˈtʃɑːrkə/) is a large breed of dog recognized by FCI, as a Molossoid type dog breed of Soviet-era origin under Russian patronage. Numerous breed representatives reside in Russia, and local kennel club officials refer to Central Asians as one of the most popular dog breeds in the country, rating them as the #1 breed in the country around 2000.
Central Asians most likely originated more than four thousand years ago from natural selection in a geographical area between the Ural, Caspian Sea, Asia Minor, and the Northwest border of China.Aboriginal Central Asians as well as mixes still can be found in its countries of origin, such as Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and surrounding countries. Some serve as livestock guardians, some protect their owners, and some are used for dog fighting, which is a national tradition in many countries of that region. This breed bears a strong genetic similarity to other aboriginal breeds of Livestock Guardian dogs from that region such as Caucasian Shepherd (Nagazi), Kangal dog, and Akbash.
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Wikipedia