East European Shepherd
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Breed at a glance
- Height
- Males
- Other names
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intro
The East European Shepherd , also called Vostochno Evropeiskaya Ovcharka or VEO ( Russian : Восточно-европейская овчарка or ВЕО ) is a Ukrainian and Russian breed of shepherd dog . It was selectively bred in the Soviet Union from the German Shepherd to create a larger dog with better resistance to cold conditions, and was intended for military and guard work. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]
History
The East European Shepherd was bred in the Soviet Union in the early twentieth century. In the 1920s a number of German Shepherds were imported from Germany into the Ukrainian SSR , where a breeding programme was established with the aim of adapting the breed to the harsher Soviet climatic conditions. Over several decades of selective breeding, a distinctly different form of shepherd had been created from that known in the West; [ 2 ] [ 3 ] from 1950 this was named the Vostochno Evropeiskaya or East European. [ 4 ] While initially the breed was centred in Ukraine, it soon spread throughout the Soviet Union, although its fortunes suffered at the Eastern Front during the Second World War. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] At the end of the War there were substantial imports of German Shepherd dogs from Germany; importation had not been possible before the War. [ 4 ] The East European Shepherd was used heavily by the military and police within the Soviet Union as a guard and sniffer dog. It was a favourite of the KGB , who only ever kept solid black examples; if a single non-black pup was born in a litter bred by the KGB the entire litter was destroyed and that breeding was not repeated. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] A breed standard was approved in 1955 by the Central Committee of the USSR DOSAAF , and in 1964 by the Presidium of the Service Dog Breeding Federation. [ 4 ] The East European Shepherd is now among the most numerous dog breeds in Russia and several former Soviet countries. [ 3 ] With effect from 1 January 2017 the Vostochno Evropeiskaya Ovcharka was recognised by the Nordic Kennel Union [ da ] , and is thus recognised by the Danish Kennel Club [ da ] , the Finnish Kennel Club , the Icelandic Kennel Club , the Norwegian Kennel Club [ no ] and the Swedish Kennel Club . [ 5 ] [ 6 ]
Characteristics
The East European Shepherd is significantly larger than the German Shepherd and shows substantial sexual dimorphism : dogs typically stand 67 to 72 cm (26 to 28 in) at the withers although some can be as tall as 74 cm (29 in) ; bitches are typically 62 to 67 cm (24 to 26 in) . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The coat is dense and of medium length, with a well-developed undercoat, and often with longer soft hair on the ears, neck, limbs and tail. It may be black-and-tan, sable or solid black; brindles or whites are rare. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The eyes may be brown, amber or blue; odd-coloured eyes are known. The ears are long and upright, and the paws are large with long toes, giving a snowshoe-like appearance. [ 3 ] The breed is considered particularly intelligent, courageous, determined and tough, and owners often describe its temperament as similar to that of a Dobermann . [ 2 ] [ 3 ]