East European Shepherd Dog: breed description, color, character

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Even in the Soviet Union, the first representatives of this fearless and devoted breed were bred. The East European Shepherd Dog is still in high demand today, because such dogs have an extraordinary mind, exceptional devotion and rare reliability.

Origin story

The parents and grandparents of the representatives of the breed were brought to our country in 1904 from Germany. These were the best German Shepherds. At the very beginning, dogs were not used for breeding, exploiting their working qualities - excellent security and shepherd capabilities. In the First World War, animals were used as sanitary dogs. After that, it was decided to involve representatives of the breed in the work of the police. During the years of the revolution, almost all livestock was destroyed, but after the civil war in Germany, the required number of animals was purchased. In the first years, the new government simply used dogs, not trying to breed the breed on the spot.

However, already at the age of 24-36 the situationchanged: the task was to breed a new breed that would be more adapted to climatic conditions. To this end, German Shepherd males were bred with females of other breeds or even mongrels, taking into account the phenotype. The result of this selection was a dog that was called the "East European Shepherd".

The first breed standards were developed and approved in 1955. The RKF adopted the standard for this type of shepherd dog only in 2002.

Characteristics of the breed

Representatives of this breed have powerful muscles, developed bones. The hind legs are set almost at right angles to the level back. The average height at the withers is 70 cm. Males are noticeably larger than females and taller, in addition, their chest is more developed, and their head is larger. Weight - about 50 kg. The coat is coarse, the undercoat is thick. The East European Shepherd Dog, whose color does not have a strict framework, can be black, tan, black-brown, tan, or black and tan.

Dogs of this breed are distinguished by endurance, activity and tirelessness. The standard states that at any time this animal must be ready to follow the commands of the owner. Protecting the property entrusted to them or their own owner, these dogs can act independently, showing incredible courage. At the same time, aggression, which has no basis, is the reason to consider the animal defective.

According to the nature of the East European Shepherd Dog, it will be black or any other color, incredulous. But this only applies to strangers. Moreover, she is merciless to herenemies and foes of the owner. At the same time, she is very gentle with children, being an excellent nanny for them. The dog will be happy to play any games with children, but especially loves moving ones like catching up. She loves to bring objects thrown to her. A dog full of dignity and calm will become a full member of the family. A well-bred VEO (East European Shepherd Dog) has no negative emotions towards other pets.

These shepherd dogs are very balanced, have strong nerves, sharp hearing and instinct, do not have the habit of raising their voice during work. These qualities are highly valued in the guard duty for which the breed is used today.

Differences from German

Despite the fact that the breed originated from the "Germans", today the difference between the German and East European Shepherd is very significant. Of course, fans exist in both breeds, however, in order to determine your preferences, you need to know exactly what the differences are.

So, first of all, the East European Shepherd Dog is noticeably larger. Even VEO females, according to the standards, are larger than the male representatives of the "Germans". And this despite the fact that females are always smaller than males of the same breed. In addition, the "Easterners" are wider in the chest, it is deeper, with a more pronounced turn.

The girth of the metacarpus is also important - the paw of the "Eastern European" is much thicker than that of the "German" of the same age and gender. It is very important to pay attention to the back of the dog - in VEOthe difference between the withers and the croup is about 3 cm, while the back of the German Shepherd resembles an arc, forming a large difference in the height of the withers and croup. The "Germans" have longer legs, making their movements somewhat squat.

These dogs and temperament are very different "Germans" - athletes: noisy and rather cheerful, while VEOs are active, but serious.

Standards

Like any other breed, the East European Shepherd Dog has characteristics that all representatives of the breed must meet. These standards were adopted by the RKF on November 1, 2002

The dog is moderately elongated, large in stature, with strong bones and well-developed muscles. The gender type is pronounced. Males are heavier and larger.

Temperament & Behaviour: This breed cannot be expected to be patient with strangers. According to the standard, the dog must be self-confident, balanced, have a bright active-defensive reaction. Outsiders should be treated with distrust.

Males reach 66-76 cm at the withers, females - 62-72 cm.

The dog's head is in proportion to the whole body, its length is about 40 percent of the height at the withers. Massive, slightly pointed, wide and deep. The cheekbones are rounded, the muscles are developed. The forehead is rounded.

The limbs are straight, set almost parallel. Pasterns are long, springy. The hind limbs are drawn back, parallel to each other. The thighs are muscular, set at an angle.

Visions

Still used in breedingGerman Shepherd males capable of adding "fresh blood" to the VEO branch. But despite all the efforts of breeders, East European Shepherd puppies may appear with defects for which they may be culled or simply not allowed for further breeding.

Flaws that can affect a dog's he alth:

- strong deviations from the sexual type;

- insecure behavior;

- stretched or flattened shape of the body;

- uncharacteristic expression of the muzzle;

- light, bulging or round gas;

- lack of premolars;

- poorly standing ears;

- ring tail;

- curvature of limbs or loose gait; - depigmentation of the nose.

Flaws that lead to disqualification of a dog:

- cowardice or unmotivated aggression;

- non-compliance with standards;

- deviation of the dental formula (except as indicated in the vices);

- non-scissor bite; - hanging ears;

- eyes of different colors;

- albinism;

- short or stubby tail;

- deviations in color;

- full or partial cryptorchidism;

- curly, too long or too short coat;

- unsteady or non-standard gait.

An East European Shepherd Dog with at least one of the indicated defects cannot be admitted to exhibitions, breed competitions or allowed to breed.

Breeding

Today there are two types of breeding: with the participation of fresh blood of German Shepherd males or crossing only insidebreeds. The Eastern European type includes puppies bred in both ways. In the ring, both options can be equally successful, as judges prefer well-trained, well-displayed dogs. After the end of the exhibition, by analyzing the descriptions of experts, breeders and clubs match pairs and draw up breeding plans.

Prices

Like any other breed, the price of a good dog with great ancestors cannot be cheap. Of course, you can buy a puppy from a "Shepherd Dog" without documents for a thousand or two. But if you need a good, promising puppy from working parents, you need to go to a service dog breeding club. And here you should not expect low prices. The correct East European Shepherd Dog, the price of which is quite adequate, with an excellent pedigree and good data, will cost from 30 thousand rubles.

Raising a puppy

Most often there are no problems with raising cubs of this breed. Puppies of the East European Shepherd Dog receive their first "education" from the age of four months. However, one should not rush too much, because the upbringing of any living being is a long process that requires maximum patience.

Besides, the correct and balanced feeding of the East European Shepherd puppy is very important. The diet must include meat, cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables.

Training

This dog, an East European Shepherd, is smart, so training and education is quite simpledeed. The animal is able to absorb new elements very quickly. Jumping and overcoming obstacles is a favorite part of the activities of any dog of this breed. Training with a variety of tasks is the best way to spend your pet's energy.

This breed needs firm management, so it is important to interest the dog - he will not perform empty tasks. It is necessary to ensure that the animal itself wants to obey, and not just because it was trained that way - then it will enjoy the lessons. It is impossible to achieve obedience and devotion from the VEO by punishment.

It is very important to establish a connection with a dog from childhood - this is the only way to get a truly understanding friend. Apart from their owners, puppies need to socialize with other animals, especially dogs, to avoid further hostility towards them. It is important that the puppy be in crowded places, so as not to raise an angry, withdrawn dog.

Having raised an East European Shepherd correctly, you can get an excellent bodyguard, an excellent guard who adores and cares for the owner and his family.

Contents

If you ask the owner what are the difficulties of keeping this breed, he will most often think. And this is not a pretense at all, the East European Shepherd Dog has an extremely good he alth. The owners' reviews indicate that she does not need special conditions of detention: she can easily get used to living both in an apartment and in the courtyard of a house. Wool is very easy to care for - just wash it when it gets dirty, comb it during the molting period. Exceptpredisposition to gastric volvulus, the breed does not have serious transmissible diseases. To avoid this trouble, it is enough to follow the rules of feeding: never feed immediately before or after a walk - at least an hour should pass. It is best to give small portions of high-calorie meals, since the larger the amount of food, the higher the chance of getting a bloat.

Like other large dogs, BEOs are prone to arthritis and other joint problems. Therefore, it is necessary in 5-6 years, without waiting for the first signs, to carry out the prevention of such problems.

Character

The character of this shepherd dog is plastic, which makes it easy for the animal to adapt to different types of lifestyles. Depending on the situation, it can be both a sofa pet and a devoted guard. But still, do not forget that these dogs were bred for service, so they need education, training, long walks. It is very important for the mental he alth of the animal to participate in various rings and competitions. It can be not just OKD or ZKS, but also sled dog competitions, towing, agility.

Apart from everything else, this dog is extremely owner-oriented - it does not tolerate not only long business trips, but even short-term separation. Even in a small space, the Oriental will follow the owner, strive to lie next to him, constantly see him. For some people, such strong devotion can be annoying - this must be taken into account when choosing a pet.

Breed today

Today, the East European Shepherd Dog is not the most popular breed. However, every year more and more people choose her as a pet. Despite the fact that quite recently VEO almost disappeared forever from the lists of breeds, amateurs and connoisseurs did not allow this to happen. That is why we have the opportunity to see the best representatives of this breed in the region at almost any exhibition.