The Moscow Watchdog: A giant protector
A magnificent guard, a giant ready to stand up for protection - all this is about the Moscow Watchdog (‘Moskovskaya Storozhevaya’) dog breed. It can equally well serve as a guard or watchdog and be a devoted companion to its owner.
The history of the breed began after the Great Patriotic War. In the famous ‘Red Star’ kennel (the Russian Black Terrier breed was born there), they began to create another breed.
It had to be large, powerful, unpretentious, easy to train and capable of performing guard and watchdog tasks in different climatic conditions - as well as in Siberia and in Central Asia.
The ancestors of the Moscow Watchdog were Caucasian and East European Shepherds, St. Bernards and Russian Piebald Hounds, Newfoundlands and their crossbreeds. By the mid-1950s, cynologists managed to get a real breed group with a recognizable type. In 1958, the first breed standard was approved and, in 1985, the Moscow Watchdog was officially recognized as a breed.
These are large dogs (when fully grown, their height is not less than 72-78 cm and their weight is from 45 kg) with a massive head and a wide tail. Despite their stern appearance, the “watchdogs” do not show unmotivated aggression. Thick long hair, meanwhile, protects them from the cold. The spotted red-piebald color and dark "glasses" on the muzzle give them a solemn look.
