East European Shepherd: Breed Characteristics and Content

The East European Shepherd is a popular breed of dog in all CIS countries. From its ancestor - the German Shepherd, this breed is distinguished by its massive physique, sharper mind and remarkable guard skills. In this article you will learn about the characteristics of the breed of the East European Shepherd Dog, as well as the characteristics of its content.

Attempts to create this breed were made in the early twentieth century. Around the 1920s, active work began on the breeding of a new breed, the ancestor of which was to be the German Shepherd. Cynologists sought to create a more resilient, socialized and massive breed. Unfortunately, at that time, the selection project did not receive adequate financial support, and the procedure for mass withdrawal of the Easterners remained in limbo.

During the Great Patriotic War, many individuals of the Eastern European breed actively participated in hostilities: they brought partisans food, tracked down enemies, found mines, wounded, helped with the crossing of products across the rivers. After the end of hostilities, this breed became associated with real patriotism and devotion to humanity.

Despite this, serious attempts to breed new members of this breed began to be undertaken only after the Second World War. The name of the breed was given by the world famous general G. P. Medvedevwhich already in 1945 called for the official status to be awarded to this breed of dog for its services to the USSR. The very first breed standard was adopted in 1964, the next in 1976. It is worth noting that there was no official separation of this breed from German representatives. The breed was considered the Soviet version of the German Shepherd.

Up to the end of the twentieth century and the collapse of the Soviet Union, this breed was widely valued among Russian cynologists - there were many kennels, where everyone could get this dog - a symbol of a glorious victory in the Second World War. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the work on the selection of this breed suddenly ceased and even began to be condemned. Easterners began to identify with the times of Stalinist repression. At some time, the general procedure for the elimination of this breed began, which ended only at the beginning of the XIX century.

To have a rough idea of ​​the exterior of Oriental, refer to the 2002 General Standard adopted by the RKF (Russian Cynological Federation).

• Proportional long wedge-shaped head. The transition from the forehead to the face is noticeable, but smooth. Lips tight to the jaw, do not hang down. The nose is black, well developed. The ears are small, in shape look like an isosceles triangle. The eyes are oval, the color of the iris is brown or dark.
• Well developed jaws with 42 teeth.
• Wide massive neck.
• Large oval-shaped broad chest, perfectly visible withers, belly tightened, without folds.
• The back is straightened, rounded croup.
• Large and long limbs with well-developed musculature. The paws themselves are of a round type, the pads are soft, slightly covered with hair, and collected.
• Wool hard type and medium length, evenly distributed throughout the body.

A description of the general characteristics of this breed is also presented below.

• Average weight Females weigh slightly less than males - from 30 to 50 kg, males - up to 60 kg.
• Medium height Eastman at the withers is 72-76 cm.
• Color As a rule, cheprachny with scorching or pure black. There are also individuals with zoning color (limbs, tail, chest), where there are silvery, white and red colors.
• Lifespan. On average, representatives of this breed live 10-11 years, in ideal conditions of detention this period can be increased to 15 years.
• Character. Balanced, loyal, wonderful to be trained.
• Watchdog quality. With the right upbringing, they can become professional watchmen and guides.

Despite their formidable appearance and remarkable fighting exterior, the dogs of the Veho breed are notable for their good-natured, loyal and assiduous temperament, thanks to which they become real family members. Below will be considered the characteristics of the nature of these dogs, which need to know every breeder.

• Attitude to the owner. Dogs of this breed are distinguished not so much by affection as other breeds of dogs, as by loyalty, devotion and selflessness. This is a very intelligent breed of dogs, which is able to precisely obey the owner, as well as protect him in dangerous situations. Some individuals of Easterners are used as guides for the blind or for people with disabilities. BEO are not inclined to occupy a dominant position in the relationship, they fully trust the owner and his instructions.

• Attitude towards guests and strangers. The East European Shepherd Dog here acts as an observer rather than a participant in communication. The Easterners will not wagging their tails at every passer-by and will obviously not react with love to the person with whom the owner is talking. Instead of flipping around and crawling on their hands, they step aside and closely watch the actions of the stranger and the owner himself. These dogs are very sensitive to determine the intensity of the situation, perfectly distinguish the notes of aggression and anger in the conversation. At the slightest manifestation of inadequacy on the part of the stranger, the Easterners can roar warningly or even grin their teeth.

• Relationship to other pets. In relation to cats, the breed Veo takes a neutral position. If a dog and a cat have their own personal zone and none of the pets violates the limits of these zones - be sure that the animals will get along and can even play together. However, in this case, this breed of dog will take over the lead in fun and games. As for the rest of domestic animals like turtles, parrots and hamsters, the Oriental will not pay any attention to them at first. If they notice that the owners treat these pets with respect and trepidation, they will also treat them with caution and care.

• Attitude to children. If you buy a young puppy in an apartment for small children and bring it up side by side with the children, then you should be ready for two outcomes. The first outcome is that the children's relationship between the dog and the child will only strengthen their relationship and make the puppy for the child the best friend and protector. The second outcome is that small children can simply torture a puppy or an already adult dog with constant harassment, which will make the oriental man aggressive and embittered. These dogs are able to endure annoyance and harassment for a very long time, however young children do not know the sense of proportion, and therefore it is worth keeping away from them until they are more or less conscious age.

• Security quality. The East European Shepherd Dog has long established itself as a wonderful guard and watchman.If a dog notices at least a minimal manifestation of aggression towards his masters, he immediately becomes defensive and can defend them, even to the point of self-sacrifice. The same attitude towards dogs of this breed and towards their territory, which they are capable of protecting is also fierce - that is why they are chosen as watchmen at paid parking lots or from private houses.

Not only the health of your future pet depends on the correct choice of a puppy, but also its innate skills, heredity and fitness for training. In the list below you will be able to familiarize yourself with the moments that you should pay attention to if you want to purchase an Oriental.

• Place of purchase. Immediately it should be understood that the most successful, healthy individuals with excellent pedigree are sold only in specialized nurseries. It is there that the East European Shepherd should be bought, if you want the puppy to have the opportunity to participate in competitions and other events. Buying this dog from your hands, even with a full set of documents, you can never be sure of the authenticity of the information provided. In addition, nurseries with a good reputation should always have documents that confirm permission for the development of a certain breed. Before you buy a puppy in some kennel, assess the conditions of detention in it, the quality of food and rest.
• Parents. Pedigree and related lines - this is the second thing worth paying close attention to. Despite the fact that fitness for training in this breed is inherent in the genes, you will be much quieter to train the dog, knowing that her parents had the same training or did the same work. In addition, according to the documents of parents, you can learn about hereditary diseases and defects that can occur only over time.
• Behavior and activity. When choosing a pet, attention should be paid to its behavior - active, joyful and positive individuals are much more likely to successfully complete the training. You can instill perseverance and good breeding, but hardly enthusiasm and energy. Carefully follow the general condition of the pet. You should not take puppies with the following symptoms: tear paths in the eyes, loose hair, wet hair in the anus, cramming while moving, dirty ears. In addition, do not forget to evaluate the appearance of the pet, based on the standards of this breed, which were described above.
• Documentary base. If the puppy supplier does not have documents on their vaccinations, as well as other papers confirming the birth and thoroughbredness of the puppy, this is a serious reason to refuse to buy a pet. There must be a veterinary passport, metrics and pedigree.

The main problem in buying a purebred Oriental is not health and behavior, but the authenticity of the documentary base and pedigree. Recently, there have been frequent cases when it was the German breed that was being sold under the guise of an East European Shepherd. A distinctive feature of adult dogs of the German and East European Shepherd Dog is the back slope. If it is comparatively straightforward among Easterners, then it is sloped towards the sacrum among the Germans and smoothly descends to the tail.

Below you can see the table, which shows the standard indicators of height and weight of the East European Shepherd for a certain age. As you can see from the table, at the age of 7 to 9 months, regardless of the gender of the dog, there comes a period of full maturity. After that, the dog practically does not grow, but only gains muscle mass. In dogs of the BEE breed, the ears stand at about half a year (individuals are known that have ears that stand unevenly, starting at 3 months). An adult bitch weighs, as a rule, slightly less than a male, while the male's muscles grow even after 1 year, and the bitch stops at 10-11 months.

Rules for the care of dogs breed BEA are not very complex or unique. All conditions are generally available to care for any breed of domestic dogs. Most of the recommendations presented below are general and can be used to care for a German shepherd.

• Regular exercise. This breed will not be able to cajole games and rare entertainment, they also do not tolerate closed space. The breed needs regular walks even in the most severe weather.

• Place of content. These dogs are innate watchmen, and therefore they feel great in open booths and cages in the open air. Thick and dense hair protects the animal from even the most severe frosts.

• Regular hygiene procedures. As with any other pet, you should regularly clean the dog's ears, comb the hair, wash the eyes, monitor the condition of the teeth and claws. All these procedures should be carried out at least 1 time per week, especially if we are talking about an exhibition individual.

• A haircut. As a rule, Easterners do not differ in such significant hairline as sheep-dogs. They have a dense hair coat of medium length, which, if it needs to be cut, then only light and corrective. Do not think that a large amount of wool will prevent a pet in the summer seasons - sweating in these animals passes through the tongue and not through the skin. In addition, an animal with short hair can earn skin diseases from a long stay in direct sunlight.

• House. From the very first day, determine one specific place to keep a pet (if you are in an apartment) - it must have its own place or bed where you could come at any time. It is better to choose a dry place in the shade, where there would be an excellent overview of the rest of the apartment. Consider that if a dog was initially raised at home, it would be extremely difficult to teach her to the aviary.

• The washing up. You can carry out prophylactic washing with plain water no more than once a month, and cleansing with a special shampoo no more than 2 times a year. Try to pay more attention to clean wool and no lumps. For combing it is better to buy round brushes or combs with frequent teeth - such procedures will have a relaxing massage effect on the animal's body.

• From birth, your pet should be given several vaccinations against common diseases and viruses. In addition, for the spring and autumn periods, do not forget to treat your pet's hair with compositions that prevent the appearance of fleas. Individuals with fragile immunity will not interfere with anthelmintic drugs.

Like any pet, the East European Shepherd needs a balanced and regular diet. The quality of feeding depends not only on the activity of the pet, but also on his mood and health. Below you can find a list of recommendations that should be followed when feeding the Oriental.

• Type of food. Sheepdogs need regular walks and physical exertion, for which they need a lot of strength. When feeding this breed, you can give preference to both ready-made feeds and natural products with a high content of meat. Each of these types of food has its pros and cons.

• Feeding frequency On the very first day of the purchase of the eastern puppy, decide on the time of serving food - the whole day should be planned, divided into periods of walking and feeding. Babies up to 2 months should be fed in small portions up to 6 times a day, puppies up to 4 months - at least 5 times a day, up to six months - no more than 4 times a day, from six months to 8-9 months should go for three meals, reaching 10 months and older, regular feeding should be reduced to 2 servings per day in large portions of food.

• Feeding time regarding training. Many novice breeders make a huge mistake when feeding a dog before the morning and evening walk. The pet must first do its business outside, and then receive a dose of food to gain strength the next day or evening.In addition, after a walk and a good physical exertion, Easterners have a significant improvement in appetite. When choosing a natural food in the morning should be given light food - cereals, vegetables and cottage cheese. Meat is best left for the evening.

• Subtleties of feed. Feed should be served exclusively when the dog is in another room. In a fit of joy at the sight of food, an oriental man may simply turn the bowl over and sprinkle food throughout the apartment. It is advised to initially buy heavy metal bowls or refer to fortified screwed versions. As soon as the pet has finished eating, immediately remove the bowl with food or thoroughly clean it from food (otherwise the food may deteriorate or become windy).

• Portion sizes and doses. As a rule, on ready-made feeds it is indicated how much exactly it should be given to dogs with a certain weight, age and height. As for natural food, the portions are determined by experimentally - see if the pet eats everything or leaves food in a bowl. On this basis, increase or decrease the portion.

• Meals depending on the season. In summertime, Easterners need more fresh and nutritious food. They need it for active life, regular workouts and jogging in the fresh air. As for the winter season, in which the dog does not get the necessary physical development, you should reduce the fat content of products as much as possible (some individuals of the Oriental are predisposed to gaining excess weight), and also increase the amount of vitamins and nutrients. The latter will help your pet cope with viruses and diseases.

• Water. Fresh, clean water should always be in the zone of access for your pet. Try to choose for this an affordable room where your dog can easily get to.

• The balance of natural food. If you decide to transfer your pet completely to natural nutrition, then keep in mind that most of the (at least 50%) of the diet should in any case be animal products (meat and by-products). The rest is occupied by plant products: vegetables, cereals, fruits, and also some dairy products (cottage cheese is extremely useful for puppies). When choosing meat it is worthwhile to dwell on low-fat options: chicken, veal, beef, some by-products. Try to exclude from the diet pork, lamb, various sausages and smoked products. Of the cereals, buckwheat, rice and oatmeal should be preferred, but legumes, millet, and barley should not be given. To make the animal eat porridge better, add pieces of meat or chopped vegetables.

• Prohibited products. Avoid foods and vegetables with high fat and acidity. In addition, one should not feed the BEA breed from the table - salted, pickled, spicy and fried products are extremely poorly tolerated by the body of dogs.

The obedience and execution of elementary commands is inherent in any breed of sheepdogs at virtually the genetic level. The owners of this breed are encouraged to begin training from the very first day of the appearance of the pet in the walls of the apartment.

Before you start training, the first thing is to ensure that your dog feels comfortable surrounded by a large number of people. From early childhood, these animals may feel insecure in the company of strangers, and the sooner you let the dog know that the crowd is no danger, the better. Try to take your pet more often for a walk to crowded places, do not refuse contact with other animals - dogs and cats. Very soon, the orientalist will become accustomed to the fact that in any situation the owner is near and will not give him any offense.

Depending on the age of the dog, you must clearly define the duration of the session.In the very first months it will be difficult for you to carry out long trainings - it is difficult to control any puppy for a long time, he constantly wants to play and frolic. At a young age, try to devote 15-20 minutes a day to training - this will be enough to memorize basic commands. Over the course of time, the duration of training can increase up to an hour.

To train pets should be at a specific time. Themselves training is better to choose in the late or evening, when the main period of activity has passed and the animal wants to relax a bit. If you see that at some point the dog is absolutely unwilling to train, try again in a couple of minutes. To force him is not worth it - so you will not achieve anything.

In training certain teams, try not to overdo it with repeating the same phrases and commands 30 times. If one team is not given to your pet at some point, proceed to the other to return to the first one a little later. The main thing in such training - diversity. You probably remember how boring poems and excerpts from poems during school years were boring. And imagine how boring your dog will be!

Immediately give up the physical impact on the dog - beatings and injuries are deposited in the memory of an animal for a long time and can only bring harm: aggressiveness, lack of loyalty, unwillingness to engage. If the animal is guilty or does a wrong trick, try to put your discontent in intonation or gestures. Shouting at a dog is also not recommended - just like beatings, shouts negatively affect the psyche of the pet.

After each successful training, difficult performance of a trick or performance of a team, try to minimally encourage your dog. It can be both small delicacies, and ordinary strokes or words with affectionate and approving evaluation. Try not to overload your pet with sweets or tenderness during workouts - in this case he will get used to the fact that he will receive treats anyway, be lazy and refuse to perform even elementary commands.

Gestures and facial expressions are additional tools in training.With the help of which you can better convey to your pet what you need from him. The fact is that the dog’s brain works on the basis of associations. Any team that is constantly accompanied by a certain gesture will have more success in memorizing.

Below you will find a list of commands which should be applied to dogs breed BEA during their maturity by month.

• Up to 2 months. At this time, the breeder should pay great attention to the socialization of the animal - this includes daily walks in the company of other people and animals. In addition, it is necessary to teach a shepherd to a leash, a collar and a muzzle - these animals have extremely well developed fangs, as well as enough strength to harm themselves or someone else. Mandatory task at this age - to ensure that the pet follows you on the heels and accustomed to walking on the street.

• From 2 to 3 months. Around this age, East European Shepherd Dogs are usually bought and sold. During this period, the dog must finally get used to his nickname, be able to relieve the need only on the street, and also carry out basic commands such as "place", "fu", "voice", "sit", "me

• From 3 months to six months. At this time, it is worth paying more attention to regular physical activities, as well as to performing more complex tasks. An ideal place for training of this kind will be a special court for dogs with barriers, stairs and levels.Here it is necessary to give preference to complicated commands that require more plodding from a dog or, on the contrary, actions: “lie”, “aport”, “give”, “forward”, “take”, “near”, “paw”, “barrier” .

• From six months to 8 months. From this period depends on what function your pet will perform in everyday life. Usually at such a time it is advised to give dogs for vocational training: searching for objects by smell, guarding things, pursuing and attacking intruders, offering objects (used in hunting).

• Up to one and a half years. Up to this period, your dog must complete a general course of training (or early) - this is the standard procedure for training purebred dogs. The course will help the owner to determine the suitability of the dog for the chosen service and correct the problem angles in the training.

Choosing a nickname for a dog is right from birth - up to the age of 3 months, the pet should get used to it and realize that this combination of sounds applies to him. Below you can find a list of successful names of the BEA breed for boys and girls.

It should be understood that the choice of nicknames for any dog ​​depends on several factors.

• color: Bagheera, Fire, Sapphire, Rainbow, Casper, Almaz;
• Character traits: Excitement, Fierce, Umka, Spark, Satyr;
• pedigree: Lady, Earl, Baron, Lord, Queen;
• Activity: Whirlwind, Tikhon, Storm, Thunderstorm;
• sporting achievements: Champion, Favorite, Ideal.

Also nicknames can be chosen by association with:

• famous personalities - Caesar, Hephaestus, Athena, Arthas, Neptune, Eve, Tiffany, Elsa;
• natural phenomena - Hail, Lightning, Tornado, Wave, Dew;
• abstract objects and images, and here the breeders are unlimited in fantasy - Perlovka, Foil, Nail, Light Bulb, Bell;
• human settlements, geographical objects and regions - Texas, Volga, Siberia, Moscow, the World;
• space objects - Star, Venus, Saturn, Comet, Mars;
• flowers and plants - chamomile, gooseberry, rose, peony, mint;
• other animals - Lynx, Trotter, Wolf, Fox, Capercaillie, Leo, Zebra.

After studying reviews from various online resources, it can be concluded that the majority of breeders are positive about the protective functions of this breed. Basically individuals Veho act as guards, hunting dogs or guide dogs.

The only negative point noted by some breeders is the grooming of the animal. However, these same people notice that this care is much simpler than caring for most long-haired breeds of dogs.

All about the East European Shepherd look in the video below.