The Author & Shchedrota-Gamayun	Caucasian Ovcharkas In Moscow By Galina Kirkitskaya President - Russian Federation Caucasian Ovcharka (RKF) The very first post-war show reports date to 1947. Nearly the all main foundation sires of Moscow Caucasian Ovcharka foundation stock were presented at that show: KARABASH (owner Medvedev, later - Military Unit No. 74390), KALIF (the kennel of Moscow Society Club of Working Dogs), LORMI (the kennel of the Central Club of Working Dogs), the son of GROZNY (Military Unit No. 74390) and NORA (owner Glanovskaya), DZHAN (owner Mitrofanov), FRANT (the kennel of Moscow Society Club of Working Dogs), NORA (owner Glanovskaya), the daughter of KARABASH and GAMAZ (Military Unit No. 74390). DINA (owner Benetskiy), DINGA (owner Shoshin) and DUMKA (owner Skachko) - the daughters of KARABASH and KALIFA (owner Moll) - were at the forefront of the junior group.
The general impression is given in expert Vitov's report: "The dogs of the Moscow Society Club of Working Dogs, the first group that just arrived from the Caucasus, were the most remarkable among the rest of dogs; the dogs of this group lived and grew in freedom guarding the herds. This group had the general species features such as distrustful spiteful appearance and typical heads, but they were small and not enough bone, with the exception of 2-3 dogs, besides, they were too long. The second group consisted of the very typy dogs trained and fed by the amateurs. These dogs, I think, improved their height. They were larger than their parents, their bones were more massive, but they became very dampish, and many of them had a different shape of the forehead, a bit domed, not flat, and the muzzle became longer."
From the modern point of view the following characteristics of the general type of these dogs may be given: small height, stocky, more often long format, long-haired, heads with a bit domed forehead and rounded eyes; for comparison, dogs that were brought to Leningrad were compact, high-legged as a rule, not long-haired, their heads with a flat forehead and small deep set eyes.	Frant MOKSS	Murat-2 K-2
Yes, the very "Moscow" and "Leningrad" types! If we take into consideration the fact that every type has been forming in itself for many years rarely using common dogs (VEPKHIYA, URAN-2, KAZBEK and others) for breeding, it will be easy to see the difference between them today. But let's discuss it later. The lines and families were forming spontaneously. Non-systematic matings in phenotype led to chaotic inbreeding and made the stock isolated - it required the addition of new blood. The Red Star Kennel was the main source of the new foundation dogs. Out of 9 litters let out by the Moscow State Club of Working dogs in 1959, 5 litters were got from VEPHIYA, 2 from ABDULLA, and 1 litter from FRANT (103rd Detachment of the VOHR) and from VULKAN (Ukhtomsk Works), the son of CHODR (Red Star Kennel). The puppies from the two latter litters became Champions of the breed: FRANT and LADA's (owner Sazonova) son KARABASH K-21 (103rd Detachment of the VOHR), and VULKAN and DZHILDA's (owner Grachyev) son IKS K-23 (GKRE Kennel). In the 1950-60's, Moscow foundation stock was an isolated near related group.
Iks	Frant K-12	Ural
CHARDASH (Kazan Club of Working Dogs) and ENGA's (owner Komlyakov) puppies JOY (Red Star Kennel), his brother JACK (Kazan Club of Working Dogs) and his sister EMMA (owner Komplyakov) born in Rybinsk, added some new blood and became the foundation sires of half Moscow stock, the rest of the puppies were born by MURAT-2 K-2, a USSR Champion (Central Club of Working Dogs); MURAT was Champion DZHAN K-1 (owner Mitrofanov) and KARA's (Red Star Kennel) son. Among his ancestors there were: FRANT K-12 (103rd Detachment of the VOHR), KHANUM (owner Shpilevoy), CHITA (owner Ttikhomirov), ALMA S-9 (owner Levkovskaya), MAKHTA S-14a (owner Dudarev), KALIFA S-6 (owner Tarakanov), TSIKLON K-4 (owner Silin). In 1953 JACK (Kazan Club for Working Dogs) and REINA (owner Miloshina) gave birth to REKS (Red Star Kennel), who became a Champion of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition and was widely used for breeding. REKS's mother REINA was VOLGAR's (Volgostroy Kennel) daughter. In 1961 REKS and LADA (owner Sazonova) gave birth to LADA (owner Aleksandrov, later - MKKh), the mother of URAN-2 and GROZNY (MKKh). In the beginning of the 1950's the large kennels were organized at: GULAG (Vympel Kennel, military unit 163, UITL and K-MIA), Ukhtomsk Agricultural Engineering Works and Lyubertsy Leather Works. GULAG was one of the first who created very quickly the large stud stock of high quality out of the imported dogs and dogs that were bred by the amateurs. KAPRIZ, born of MURAB and DUMKA, who was the first in the junior group, VULKAN, born of Lormi (Central Club of Working Dogs) and KERTU-1 (owner Kovalenko) were qualified for the Moscow City Show in 1950 for the first time. KAPRIZ's son URAL K-3 was a Winner in Moscow Shows more than once. These dogs practically were not used in amateur breeding, although in the shows the number of them was great. Only in Rybinsk, they used Champion and Winner of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition KAZBEK's (Red Star Kennel) father KUTAS K-20 (owner Smirnov), born of VARYAG (Volgokanal Kennel) and Champion Emma (owner Komplyakov). Through Ukhtomsk Kennel they got GOLF K-13 and Champion GAMMA S-20 from KAPRIZ's half-brother AKBAR (Vympel Kennel, later - Radashevich) and CHITA (Ukhtomsk Kennel). They also got GLON S-29 from GAMMA and CHODR. Ukhtomsk Kennel began to work simultaneously with the GULAG kennels. The foundation stock of this kennel was based on the dogs brought from GULAG kennels, kennels of the GVF Bykovo and from the Caucasus. For instance, CHITA and VOLGA were born by the kennel bitches bred to SLON (GVF Kennel).
Glona	V. Egorov - an early leader	In 1949 the kennel qualified AITASH for a show, and he got a good mark, since that time the kennel workied for twenty years using its own stud dogs. In 1968 the kennel's young dogs were the leaders in the city show: VULKAN born of CHODR (Red Star Kennel) and AITASH's granddaughter VOLGA got the first place, GROZNY born of CHODR and GAMMA took second place, GORDY, who was a littermate to GROZNY, took sixth place, NIKSA, the daughter of GOLF and CHALMA, got second place, and GROZA, a littermate to GROZNY, took fourth place.
Being practically inaccessible for amateur breeding, VULKAN, GROZNY and GORDY were used in breeding by Moscow City Club of Working Dogs (MCCWD). Later on MCCWD used ALTAI from GROM, KAPRIZ and GLONA's offspring, and URAN, a half-brother from BERKUT and ALFA (TPF Kennel). After 1967 MCCWD and Ukhtomsk Works worked separately from each other, and only in 1983 did they begin to work together again. In the beginning of the 1960's the Leather Works (103rd Detachment of the VOHR) kennels, the State Committee of the Radio Electronics (SCRE) kennels, the kennels of 1st, 4th & 20th detachments of the VOHR, Post Box 4305 and Post Box 15 (both departments of the Ministry of Defense) kennels were organized. The foundation base consisted of the dogs trained and fed by the amateurs. Then they used those dogs got from the males of Ukhtomsk Works and Podolsk Works No. 710. Further on, close working links between the kennels mentioned above were established. The newly formed kennels (ZIL, MME, MMK) were creating and breeding their foundation stocks using the stud dogs and brood bitches of 103rd Detachment of the VOHR kennel, Ukhtomsk kennel and the kennel of the SCRE. The amateurs had comparatively a small group of the dogs. The enthusiasts from Rybinsk Podkolzin, Stanko, Serov, Makarov, Dudarev and Komplyakov kept them. The dogs belonging to these people gave birth to many champions. For instance, IRGA, MURAT-2's daughter (owner Serov) and JOY (Red Star Kennel) gave birth to Champion LADA S-23 (owner Sazonova). They got a lot of very typy offsprings from LADA. All prominent stud dogs whose offsprings are alive today, are related to LADA. URAN-2 (MME), a founder of a fine line, and Winner of the International Show in Budapest in 1971, was got in the inbreeding 3-2 on LADA. R-SEMEN (owner Borodin), a Winner of Moscow City Show in 1974, was got in the inbreeding 4,3-2 on LADA. ERNA, URAGAN's mother (MMK), was from inbreeding 3-3 on LADA.
	Lada S-23	Tsezar
Only one kennel, Post Box 15 belonging to Krasnogorsk Machine Factory, worked in isolation. Practically four generations of the all their known dogs were got without using strange stud dogs. In the beginning of the 1960's Post Box 15 kennel was a frequent participant of Moscow Shows, but then the breeders didn't hear anything about its activity. It's difficult to say why, as the kennel, or to be more concrete, everything that left from it, exists nowadays. Perhaps, the reason of it was the direction of the CCWD of the VSAAAFN, according to which the breeding status was given only to Red Star Kennel and to the MMK, other kennels were deprived of the permission for independent stud breeding. It was really a pity, for such dogs as TSEZAR (Post Box 15 kennel), a repeated Winner of Moscow City Shows, BUYAN K-15 and GROM (BUYAN's son) were widely used by the kennels of the MME, SCRE and ZIL and could be most influential in the breed. In general, the beginning of the 1960's can be considered as the period of the Caucasian Ovhcarka's flourishing. At that time a lot of dogs were exhibited in the shows. The year of 1964 was the record one: there were 179 CO's exhibited in the 28th Moscow City Show. Nearly 95% out of them belonged to the kennels. The kennels of 103rd Detachment of the VOHR and of the SCRE were recognized as the best ones. Ukhtomsk Works demonstrated good foundation stock also. Probably, this fact stimulated the creation of the new kennels in Tomilinsk Poultry Farm (TPF), in the Ministry of Power Economy (101st Detachment of the VOHR), in Podolsk Chemical and Metallurgical Works (PCMW), in the Ministry of Municipal Economy (MME), and in Likhachyev Works (ZIL).
Moscow Show - October 1951	Kazbek	Volf
In 1960 they got IKS K-23 from VULKAN (Ukhtomsk Works) and GOLF's daughter DZHILDA (owner Grachyev). IKS was taken by the SCRE, he became a Champion of the breed and produced a lot of puppies. He was an impressive, strong dog with dense hair, the Club and departmental kennels as well used him very actively. His children were at the top of the rings in the City and Regional Shows, but there were puppies among them that got the father's faults of head shape, such as dampish lips, a domed forehead, an abrupt stop, they were too rough in conformation and had faults in the hindquarters. In 1964 in Rybinsk they got KAZBEK from KUTAS K-20 and EMMA's (owner Komplyakov) granddaughter MARTA (owner Sergeev). Then KAZBEK was taken by the Red Star Kennel and became a Champion of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition. His influence on the Moscow population of COs was easily seen through his children from DZHILDA (owner Klishin), CHARA (owner Fedorovich), ANCHARA (owner Stanko), VOLF (owner Trifanov) and from URAN-2's daughter ERNA (MMK), URAGAN, BURYA and GROZA (MMK). In 1968 URAN-2 was born. He became a repeated Champion of Moscow Shows and a Winner of the International Show.
Groza	Uragan	At that time the number of the COs reached the top. Thereafter electronic systems of guarding were put into operation at the military works, and the number of the COs decreased. It's easily explained, for you need to feed the dogs, and the necessity of it disappears, if you use electronics for guarding. An epidemic of infectious hepatitis was the last straw in the CO's extermination in Moscow region. The kennels of Post Box 12, of 101st Detachment of the VOHR, of the Mosenergo, of the SCRE and others stopped their work and were closed. The MME kennel was the last one broken down by the epidemic, and so it gave an opportunity to create the foundation stock in the MMK kennel. The kennels of Ukhtomsk Works, of the TPF and of the PCMW gave birth to the Automobile Plant of Lenin Komsomol (APLK) kennel. These kennels were not broken down completely. But exhausted, they drag out a miserable existence today.
In 1970 at the Moscow City Show there were 54 dogs exhibited; and in 1971 there were only 25 dogs exhibited. But life went on and work went on also. In 1970 they got a litter from IKS's son GRIM (MME kennel) and KAZBEK and DZHILDA's daughter CHARA (owner Fedorovich). RADA (owner Khazova) and RONA (owner Nefedov), the littermates, gave birth to many puppies, they were very influential in the breed not only in Moscow, but outside of it. The more reknowned children of RADA, BEMUR (IKK kennel), BURAN (MMK kennel) and BARBA (owner Talieva) were got from Ivanovsk Winner LIMAN (IKK kennel). GYURZA (owner Blinnikova) was got from Ivanovsk stud dog BER (owner Nechaev) and she was used in breeding also. RONA was mated only in Moscow and gave birth to many fine dogs. All her children were of the strong build and tall height. URAN-2's son R-SEMEN (owner Borodin) gave birth to NERO-ODGAVI (owner Isaev) and NERO-ODZHARA (owner Petrovitskaya). Their offsprings are alive today. But URAGAN, KAZBEK's son, and URS, KAZBEK's grandson, gave birth to the puppies whose viability was low. NERO-AKBAI, URAGAN's offspring, didn't give many puppies. He was a grandfather of NUREK, the USSR Champion in 1991 and the Best-of-Breed of Eurasia in 1992. The attempts to keep KAZBEK's qualities in puppies led to degeneration. ARBOI (owner Nikolaev) and NERO-NARIYANA's litter got in the inbreeding 3,5-4,4 on KAZBEK turned out to be practically barren: all bitches bred to NERIF (owner Smirnov) were not pregnant and NONETTA's (MRF kennel) puppies died the first days after birth. Nearly all NERO-NUREK's puppies died within the first year after birth. NERO-NURA (owner Khairutdinov) and RAIT's litter was small, it was got in the inbreeding 4,4-3 on KAZBEK and the puppies had "undershot bites and defective nostrills" according to N. Pshenichnikova. Among NERO-NEMBA and NORD's puppies "there were ones with shortened gnarled tails and blue eyes".		Rada
Several times there were dwarfs born in the MMK kennel. The analysis of the pedigrees revealed that it was KAZBEK's influence. In 1973 YUK-BAKSAN (owner Kirilov) and ASTRA (owner Kostenko) gave birth to YANITA (owner Mingazov) and YAGRIF (MMK kennel), these dogs were very influential in breeding. YUK-BOKSAN was born by two dogs that had a common fault - a bit domed forehead. Typical ASTRA had a pedigree given by the KMZ, and it's impossible to trace back her origin up to the known dogs. YAGRIF and YANITA, typy enough and plain, were very actively (even more than that) used in breeding. YAGRIF was bred to nearly all Moscow brood bitches, and from his sister YANITA and URAN-2's son SULTAN (owner Nikolaev) gave birth to NURDZHEK (owner Lavrov), a bright representative of the breed and the best of the offspring of YANITA, and NARVA (owner Barushkin), OSMAN-2's grandmother. Wide usage of NURDZHEK finished what YAGRIF began. So, the circle was closed.
Rona	Nero-Nemba	Sultan
In 1973 they got VITSE-GERTA (owner Khoruzhenko) from YUK-BOKSAN and CHARA. VITSE-GYUCHAR (owner Ivanova), a littermate to VITSE-GERTA, was a narrow, leggy dog with a somewhat "prilobistoi" head. VITSE-GERTA and LADA's (owner Sazonov) great-grandson BURAN (owner Umnikov) gave birth to GER-GERTA (owner Khoruzhenko). From GER-GERTA and R-SEMEN (owner Borodin) they got DZHO-RIF (owner Balikhina) and SEVAN (owner Velikoivanenko), and from GER-GERTA and SHUMMI (owner Sutulov), inbred on ABDULA, VEPKHIYA and OSMAN (Red Star Kennel) and of a line other than Moscow foundation stock, Champion of Ukraine TOPUSH (owner Gurbich) was born. DZHO-RIF wasn't used so much, but his children and grandchildren made up a big group of Moscow foundation stock. For instance, IRMA (owner Tkachenko) from IVA (owner Kirillov), bred to BARS (MMK kennel), gave birth to IKBAR (owner Popov), and from NERO-ODGAVI's son ASHOT (MMK kennel), RIFANTIK (owner Egorova) was born. IRMA was typy, but dampish and narrow in skull head with the ears set low, and she was a bit flatten chest - the faults that her sons inherited. Both males were widely used in breeding and gave birth to many puppies. In MSCWD TOPUSH (owner Gorshkova) and GREY (owner Zhuravel) were born by DZHO-RIF and TAIGA (owner Pukhov), a bitch of another line. GREY was a large, strong and rather heavy dog. But unfortunately, he was too spiteful. GREY was exhibited once in the junior group and got a very good mark, the highest one, there. TOPUSH was not a large dog, narrow, a bit light, and his behaviour was too excitable. YUM-BARIN (owner Denisov), YUM-BYLEY (owner Demidova) and YUM-ERNA (Ziganshina) were got from GREY and RADA (owner Manykina) in the inbreeding 4-4 on URAN-2. All DZHO-RIF's offsprings had these similar faults - a head narrow in skull, a flat-ish chest and a narrow front.
Yum-Barin	Larsy	Osip-Oti
In 1979 two litters were got from YAGRIF's son and KAZBEK's grandson RIM (MMK kennel) bred to NEROODZHARA (owner Petrovitskaya) and LINDA (owner Matyukhin). NERO-ODZHARA gave birth to OSKAR-OD, OGREYOD and OTRADA-OD, and LINDA - LAVRUSHA and LARSI who were taken by the Musical Instruments Factory Lira. OTRADA-OD and LARSI were bred to NURDZHEK in the inbreeding on the parental match of YUK-BOKSAN cross ASTRA. So, using this match, they began to strengthen the faulted characteristic of YANITA and YAGRIF - the "prilobistye" heads and bindy movement of the hindquarters. To some degree it concerned OTRADA-OD's offsprings. Her sons OSIP-OTI (MOPTSR kennel), a Winner of the Moscow City Show in 1987, and OTARI-OTI (owner Shapkin), a Winner of Tambovsk Shows, were got from NURDZHEK in the purposeful inbreeding on URAN-2 and in the forced inbreeding on YUK-BOKSAN and ASTRA. OSIP-OTI, OTARI-OTI and ATOS's son ASHKHAT-OTI (owner Shapkin), a Winner of Ukrainian Shows who died young, were typy, massive and of fine conformation. But OTARI-OTI had these faults more marked. Nevertheless, Moscow needed new blood, and enthusiasts looked for new foundation stock. As if by an order, red-and-piebald DINA (owner Balakina) was exhibited in MCS-1982. She had a pedigree given by Ukhtomsk kennel : DINA was born of ALMAZ (Ukhtomsk kennel) and RITA (owner Rozhkov). Some months later ARFA (owner Dukhovskoy), a littermate to DINA, was discovered. Besides them ALFA (owner Shenkov) and LINDA (owner Matyukhin), VOLF's (owner Trifonov) daughter, were also found. These dogs were used in stud breeding. So, let's examine each of them in detail.
Alfa	Nabat	Bagira
DINA (owner Balakina). Very typy, of strong constitution, massive and broad in body, with a typy, balanced head, a strong top line, regular limbs and ideal movement. Fringes type medium. Lack of the low left P-1. In spite of this she was a Winner in the junior group in MCS-1982. I don't know her offsprings with a non-full tooth formula. More known DINA's offspring is NABAT (owner Romanov). ARFA was just a contrast to DINA. Massive, long-haired, with a broad heavy head. The limbs and movement were like DINA's ones. A pigeon-toed front was characteristic of both. I must say that a pigeon-toed front is characterisric feature of all Ukhtomsk dogs and their offsprings. ARFA and AZBEK's (owner Aleksakhin) daughter ALMA (owner Anurov) was the more known among other offspring. Moscow and Ukhtomsk blood was combined in her more successfully. ALFA (owner Shenkov) was a long-haired, red, low-set bitch with a plain head. Her pedigree was given by the kennel of Ramensk Textile Factory Red Banner. From ALFA and OGREY-OD (owner Bodrov) they got a litter out of which ABIGAL (owner Zhuravleva) was used in breeding. Other puppies of this litter had narrow lower jaws. ALFA and GOLF's (Ukhtomsk kennel) litter was sadly known by cryptorchid LECHIK (owner Zhikova), LIANA (owner Pshenichnikova) and LYUK (owner Malakhova) who were recognized as the only typical one. There were the cases of cryptorchidism, non-full tooth formula and a narrow lower jaw found out among LORD (owner Sokolov, then Mantsyrin), LERD (owner Chistyakov) and LANKARA's (owner Sorokina) offspring. And in general, these dogs had the problems with the breed. Unfortunately, LORD and LERD were widely used in Moscow, Rybinsk and Perm. When breeding , the breeders should mind that VYUSHEIKH (owner Dolgikh) in Perm and VIKING (owner Utekhina, now - Markov) in Aleksandrov are LERD's grandsons. LINDA (owner Matyukhin) was the eldest one among these bitches. She was massive, typy, of medium height, strong and rough constitution type, slightly dampish. She was a Winner of Lyublinsk Inter-district Show in 1983. In 1979 RIM and LINDA gave birth to LARSI, as was mentioned above. LYUTY (Lira Factory kennel) was born of NURDZHEK and LARSI in 1982. He gave a lot of puppies (in comparison with a scale of the city and breed), the quality of which deserves a special mention. LARSI was rather rough, with massive, large head. Her son inherited mother's build type. He had the massive bone, broad chest and large head. LYUTY was used as a continuer of URAN-2's line, but as it turned out that more often his matings with the bitches of other lines, alien to Moscow's, were outbreeding. But still the best children were born by the bitches of Moscow origin. Both LARSI and LYUTY were dampish (this feature they inherited from the grandmother and mother), and besides, they had weak hindquarters. Even today among LYUTY's puppies you can often meet dogs with not enough developed muscles, well-developed dewlap and dampish lips and eyelids. Often there were the low set dogs with the shorter forearms among LYUTY's children. The match of LYUTY cross ALMA (owner Anurov) was the best one, as it gave birth to ANDU-ALAN (owner Anurov), ARTU-ALAN (owner Igumnov) and ANCHARA-ALAN (owner Kamskiy). LYUTY and KARA (owner Vasilenko), BARBA's granddaughter and ANCHARA's great-granddaughter, gave birth to ANTEI (Lira kennel) and ABRE (owner Desyaterik). ANTEI was not used so widely as his father, because LYUTY's fame practically faded at that time, and in some of ANTEI's litters there were the puppies of saddle colour. KHAZAR-VIKS (owner Sidorov), inbred on NURDZHEK 3-2, may be considered as the best among ANTEI's puppies. ABRE, a Winner of Dnepropetrovsk-1988, was bred many times in the Ukraine and then in Magnitogorsk. As LYUTY's puppies were getting less typy, the hope to create LYUTY's line faded away.
Massuk	Abdulla K-11	Moscow Show - 1956 The winner - Champion Ural K-3 (kennel Vimpel)
When DINA and ARFA were exhibited in the show, the enthusiasts of the club made a spot-check of Ukhtomsk kennel. Thus, GOLF, ALMAZ and DRON brought new blood to the club. ALMAZ was the most known dog among these three males. As an attempt to breed GOLF to ALFA (owner Shenkov) failed, they didn't use GOLF in breeding any more. DRON took part in matings unwillingly and wasn't used in the club breeding. He was left for further breeding, but it was not possible to do it, as Vasiliy Egorov, a head of the kennel, died. MSCWD got GLASHA (owner Kalinin) from ALMAZ and BAGIRA (owner Kalinin), and ALTYNAI-YUM (owner Manykina) from RADA (owner Manykina). The impression of the offspring got in 1985 is the following: the dogs were stronger, with the stronger tendons and more typy heads, their behaviour was more active and more characteristic of the breed, i. e. distrustful and spiteful. The club males were still alive and could produce fine puppies, but they pursued the idea of adding new blood. BASTA's (owner Tereshin) daughter ASSOL (owner Budzilovich) was sent to Ivanovo to be bred to ULAN (Military Unit No. 13807), a male who had the similar faults of the hindquarters. And as a result of it - not one of the puppies in this litter got a mark higher than a "very good". AGRI-AS (owner Nikitin), a typy bitch in general, got a "good" mark due to faulty gait. DUNAI's (IKK kennel) litter was better, but wasn't used in breeding. LANDYSH (IKK kennel) and A-BERTA (owner Zhukova) gave a litter of lower than medium quality. The puppies were plain, smooth-haired, they had a lot of faults in the head and limbs. From FART (joint stock company Almaz kennel) and ASSOL (owner Budzilovich) they got dogs with the completely flat croups. But SARMA-AS (owner Polupanova) was the exception, and she got an "excellent" mark. The mating of ALISA (owner Mirolyubov) and AMUR (owner Kostyukov) was more successful. AMUR's grandfather was SHUMMI. So, his ancestors were Moscow breeding dogs. AGRI-AS was bred to OSMAN-2. The children were better than their mother, but didn't inherit the father's movement. NODAR-DARSI (owner Krasnovskaya) demonstrated a firm sturdy pace and was widely used as a breeding dog for OSMAN-2's line. NAGRI-DARSI (owner Krotkova) and AITESH gave birth to Winner CHINGIZ-KHAN (owner Khrapko). NAYADA-DARSI (owner Lukanenkova), a littermate of NAGRI-DARSI, and MASSUK gave birth to VAMPIR (owner Malenko), a very interesting dog who died young. In 1983 ALMAZ's daughter YELKA (owner Stepanova) began her career. She won in Podolsk Shows many times and really was a bright representative of the breed. YELKA was of the medium height, broad in body, of a strong constitution and type. She had a very typy head with a broad forehead and deep muzzle. She was red, as are all Ukhtomsk dogs. Her front was slightly pigeon-toed, a characteristic feature of this line, but it didn't influence her movement. In any case, YELKA was a fine brood bitch. In 1985 she and ISHAR (APLK kennel) gave birth to AITESH, a Winner of MCS and of MRS, and to ARA (owner Solomatina), also a Winner of MCS and of MRS. AITESH gave a lot of puppies all over the country. There were many Show Winners among his children, such as Best-of-Breed of the VKF-1991 ARGUSHA (owner Panenko) and MARTAN (owner Baskova) from Ekatherinburg. ARA was the mother of Champion RISK (owner Yagodkina) and RUZANA (Glyadyaeva). MASSUK (APLK kennel) and AKHILL (owner Alekseeva) were born of DICK and YELKA in 1986. MASSUK was not large, of low height, but typy. He gave puppies of the same quality - they were easily recognized. MASSUK was easily mated with dogs of any lines. His children had massive bones, regular heads and the likeness to their father was obvious. AKHILL produced the puppies like MASSUK's, but they were not so viable, and thus there were few of them. Being a prepotent bitch, YELKA could have been a foundation bitch of a highly typy family, but Perestroika prevented it. The beginning of the 1990's was marked by heightened interest to the CO. The breed came into the fashion. In this agitation practically all bitches that belonged to the breed somehow or other were used in breeding. Females of any origin were bred to the same males. The lines and families were broken down. The clubs were organizing with the great speed. As it was difficult to find out the true origins, the numerous false pedigrees were made. Dozens of organizations all over the country were breeding dogs and giving out these hastily made pedigrees. Any contacts between the specialists were impossible. As they were afraid of revealing their shady business, some of them didn't trust anybody and withdrew into themselves. Others were indifferent to anything and cared only of their own males' mating. The breed broke as a mirror - and the smaller the fragments were, the more distorted and abnormal the reflection was. Today the ties are gradually re-setting. The number of those who want to make a profit out of breeding decreases, and only the true enthusiasts stay. Time will show who among them is right.
Photos from the archives of E. Manykina and G. Kirkitsaya. First published in Russian in the magazine "The Caucasian Ovcharkas of Russia" - No. 3/98. This on-line edition © 2006 - Stacey Kubyn & Esquire Caucasians.