Moscow Watchdog (Russian: Московская Сторожевая) is a breed of dog created in Bolshevik Russia by the Soviet Red Army to guard. It descends from crosses between the St. Bernard, Caucasian Shepherd, and Russian Spotted Hound breeds. The breed is very large and weight is between 100 and 150lbs. Unlike its modern St Bernard counterparts, the breed needs lots of vigorous exercise. They do not drool like many of the other molossers. Until recently, Moscow Watchdogs were very hard to find outside of the Soviet Union, however are now becoming more popular in Europe and have recently reached the United States. 

History

The breed standard was first published in 1985 when it received "official status" in Soviet Russia. In 1992, the Federation of Dog Breeders of Russia approved the standard and then 1997 the Department of Animal Breeding and Pedigree of The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia. The standard was also approved by the Russian Kennel Club in 1997. The Russian Kennel Club is working with the International Kennel Federation (FCI) to gain official recognition. Currently, the Moscow Watchdog is considered by the FCI as part of the 2nd group Molosser. In FCI sanctioned dog shows, they are shown in what is referred to as a "Special Show." Inside Russia, they are widely shown and a recognized breed.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Moscow Watchdog" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.