The Caucasian Ovcharka, an LGD, or Livestock Guardian Dog, is a native of the Caucasus Mountains for which it was named. It goes by many names locally (including the Kavkazkaya Ovcharka, Kaukasische Schaferhund, Magai, and Volkoda) and is thought of as a “natural” breed in that it is indigenous to the area for which it was named. Sadly, some sources estimate that up to 80% of the current population in the former Soviet Republics are no longer “purebred,” having been mixed with Leonbergers, German Shepherd Dogs, Great Danes and Saint Bernards to meet high demand as guard dogs for factories and warehouses. Today, purebreds are pricey and hard to come by, but the good news is that in North America, many distinct purebred bloodlines exist.

Image of a Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Caucasian Ovcharka) from the World Dog Show in Poznań, Poland by Pleple2000 and shared with permission under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.