The Black Russian Terrier is not the only breed developed by the Soviet “Red Star” Kennel in the 1950s. The Moscow Watchdog, developed from crosses between the Saint Bernard, Caucasian Shepherd, and Russian Spotted Hound, was created to be used as a large military watch and protection dog and has been seen at rocket launching sites as well as military airports. From the Caucasian Ovcharka, the breed got its assertive, but cautious nature; the St. Bernard contributed size, intelligence, and an even temperament, while the Russian Spotted Hound passed along excellent tracking and scent abilities. That these particular breeds were used could be attributed to Gregoriy Pantelenovich Medvedey, a general in the Red Star military base who used his expertise in dogs to select breeds with the desirable qualities to be used as the foundation stock for the new breed.

The Moscow Watchdog is a curious breed: Gentle, calm, and affectionate with children, it’s also described as a “typical Russian guard dog” that will fight with all its strength, ferocity, and firmness to protect its master from any threat. The breed was standardized in the late 1960’s with its Russian name: Moskovskaya Storozhevaya Sobaka (“sobaka” meaning “dog” in Russian).

The breed was only made available to the public after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and has been making its way to Europe and in United States. The first breed standard was published in 1985, the same year it was granted the “official status” from Soviet Russia. The breed standard was approved by the Federation of Dog Breeders of Russia in 1992, and by the Russian Kennel Club and by Department of Animal Breeding and Pedigree of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia in 1997. Currently, the Russian Kennel Club is currently working to have the breed recognized by FCI.

We have mixed feelings about the video below, but we share it to show the surprising agility of such a large breed:

Image from Wikicommons