Moscow Watchdog

The Moscow Watchdog, also known as the Caucasian Otchartka, is a recently developed dog from Russia that is intended to be an all-around watchdog, suitable as a family or working dog as well as being tolerant to the cold temperatures and harsh winter conditions that are often found in Moscow. In order to create the proper mix of bulk, independent intelligence, assertiveness, and gentleness, several breeds were considered as a basis for this large and imposing animal. Eventually, in the 1940s and 50s, breeders sanctioned by the government, such as General Medvedev at the Military Cynology School, settled on a combination of the Caucasian Ovtcharka dogs, a breed chosen for their alert and protective nature, and the Saint Bernard dogs, a breed chosen for their genial and easy-going demeanor, with some additional contributions from breeds such as Russian Harlequin Hounds, German Shepherds, and the Russian Wolfhound. The resulting canine was a large, intelligent animal that was well-suited for guarding the railroads, warehouses, and labor camps that the government needed to be protected, but also generally affable rather than aggressive, and by the 1960s the resulting dog was dubbed the Moscow Watchdog. The first breed standard for the Moscow Watchdog was published in 1985, the same year that the Soviet Union granted the breed “official status.” The following year several of these new dogs were taken to Hungary in 1986, but the breed standard remained unapproved by the Federation of the Dog Breeders of Russia until 1992, and the Russian Kennel Club until 1997.