Russian Shepherd Dog

		Russian Shepherd Dog
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Russia
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
En français, cette race se dit			Chien de berger russe
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar			Russischer Schäferhund
En español, esta raza se dice			Pastor Ruso
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd			Russische Herdershond
This breed is also known as			Russian Retriever

The Russian Shepherd Dog was an extinct breed of large, intelligent dog with a thick coat, originating in the Caucasus Mountains. Historically used by Indo-Aryan peoples to protect flocks of sheep from predators, it was renowned for its independence and ability to survive in harsh conditions. This large, intelligent dog, used by the Indo-Aryan peoples of the Caucasus, could weigh up to 45 kg and stand about 76 cm at the shoulder. Although some experts believe it to be the ancestor of the Golden Retriever, the breed became extinct around 1800 for reasons unknown. Used for centuries by Caucasian herders for guarding and driving flocks, it was still present at the end of the 19th century before disappearing shortly thereafter, with the exact causes not precisely documented. A widespread theory suggests that the modern Golden Retriever is descended from the Russian Shepherd Dog. According to this account, a man named Sir Dudley Marjoribanks acquired a pack of Russian tracking dogs from an English circus and used them to found the Golden Retriever breed.