Georgian Shepherd

The Georgian Shepherd (Georgian: ქართული მთის ძაღლი) also known as Georgian Mountain Dog is a molosser-type livestock guardian breed of dog with ancient working origins in the Georgia Caucasus.[1]

Georgian Shepherd Dog
Georgian Shepherd
Other namesGeorgian Mountain Dog
Common nicknamesQartuli Nagazi or Nagazi
OriginGeorgia
Traits
Height Dogs minimum 70 cm (28 in) -
Bitches minimum 65 cm (26 in)
Weight Dogs 60 kilograms (130 lb) - 100 kilograms (220 lb)
Bitches 50 kilograms (110 lb) -80 kilograms (180 lb)
Coat Thick double coat—thick undercoat
Color any color, white
Litter size 3–10 puppies
Life span 11–12 years
Kennel club standards
Cynological Federation of Georgia standard
NotesNational animal of Georgia.
Dog (domestic dog)

There are two kinds of Georgian livestock guardian dogs: the short haired "Lion" type, typically pure white or white with dark patches on its coat and the long hair "Bear" type are typically dark brown to black head and lighter brown covering the rest of the coat.

In Georgia they are known as, Qartuli Nagazi. The short hair "Lion" type is considered to the oldest or Aboriginal variant of the breed, with the pure white being the rarest coat color. The "Lion" variant was predominantly found in the north-east regions of Georgia.

Description

Georgian shepherds fall into the Molosser category. Male Georgian mountain dogs should be at least 65 centimetres (26 in) in height at the withers; females should be at least 60 centimetres (24 in) in height.[2] Physically, these dogs are strongly-boned, muscular, and athletic, with a large head and powerful legs. Georgian mountain dogs tend to be assertive, brave, and alert. Shepherds traditionally used Georgian mountain dogs for defending sheep from predators.

History

After the removal of most of the Qartuli Nagazi from Georgia, Georgian enthusiasts with support from the Ministry of Environment began expeditions to the regions of Georgia to describe and take photos of the remaining Georgian shepherds. Following the Soviet collapse, Georgia began to popularise this dog, advertising the breed using television broadcasting and printing articles about Georgian shepherds in order to popularize the breed.

See also

References
  1. "Ancient Times And Origins". Kennel director in Finland. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2008-08-08.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Georgian Mountain Dog history". Cynological Federation of Georgia. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
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