About our Central Asian Ovcharka Program.  We got our first CAO, Rayne, in 2021, as an LGD, and fell in love with the breed. She turned out to be a much smarter dog than they are given credit for (albeit stubborn) and we love her independence. We have since searched out what we feel are the best lines and even have imported some dogs from Russia and Serbia.

 

Temperament: Our dogs are not reactive in public and are generally happy to receive a pat from a stranger. They do not react to strange dogs in public in most cases in public. They are however protective of our vehicles, even when we are inside with them. On the property they are watchful of new people we invite in but are not aggressive. They look to us for leadership and keep an eye on strangers for suspicious behaviors. When we are not home, they are protective of the property and will bark to intimidate to warn strangers away. They will bite only if needed. Our dogs are generally accepting of new dogs we bring onto the property, with few exceptions. They are protective of their sheep and do not let dogs in the pen with them unless we escort them in and they will physically block them from getting near their sheep at first.

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Type and Structure: Our dogs are what are considered Russian type. They have large heads with little stop and thick builds. They are powerful looking dogs but are not oversized. Our dogs range from 120 lbs to 170 lbs and between 28" and 32". We like a dog who is intimidating but also athletic enough to challenge predators. Even our largest dog can clear a 5 foot fence with ease and take on any predators without tiring easily. We breed for correct type as described in the FCI Breed Standard. We breed for proper angulation, tight feet and scissor bites. We like to offer all sorts of colors because at the end of the day, who wants to buy a dog they don't find aesthetically pleasing and almost all possible colors are accepted in the standard.

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We do not breed or own giant or XL CAS. These dogs are the results of crossbreeding and paper hanging. They are sloppy dogs who cannot hardly walk let alone work as a functioning LGD. Oversized CAS almost always have hip and elbow dysplasia due to their size and have very short lifespans. They are way more prone to bloat than other lines and they also have a tendency to have unstable temperaments and extreme aggressiveness including mauling their own owners.

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We also do not breed "Turkmen" or "Aboriginal" dogs. Breeders selling dogs labeled as Turkmen or Aboriginal are using the terms as a marketing scheme, to sell poor quality CAS who are often mixed. Turkmen dogs are incorrect type in general and are from fighting lines almost exclusively. They tend to be oversized and also have health and temperament issues. Breeders claim these lines are special because they go back to pure Turkmen lineage. What most people don't know however, is that at least 90% of CAS go back to exclusively dogs brought from Turkmenistan. Very few bloodlines originate from other countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Aboriginal dogs are cross bred mutts who often have little to no CAS in them and are instead primarily Collie type dogs. These are dogs used by traveling caravans to herd and protect. No purebred CAS will herd but these dogs do.

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Working Aptitude: Our dogs are all working LGDs at this current time, with the exception of one dog who is better suited for work as a Property Protection Dog. We raise all of our personal puppies with our herd of sheep. Puppies purchased from other breeders are integrated in with our older dogs who will correct unwanted behaviors and puppies born here are with sheep from the time they are 6 weeks old. In general there is little to no training required. Our dogs naturally fall into their rolls. The only training needed is for the electric fence and an occasional correction for younger pups who might try to play with the sheep.

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Predator Load: Here in Northern AZ we have a lot more predators than people expect. We live in isolation, surrounded by wilderness. We have personally seen Mountain Lions, Mexican Grey Wolves, Black and Brown Bears, Bobcats and of course Coyotes on or within a mile of our property. Our CAS do an excellent job of keeping them all at bay and we have had zero losses since adding this breed. On top of ground threats, our dogs also watch the sky, alerting our poultry of the presence of birds of prey and also keeping the ravens in check.

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Ears and Tails: All of our litters are cropped and docked within a week of birth. We do not offer puppies with intact tails or ears. This breed is the oldest in existence, dating back over 6000 years from figures found. These figurines featured dogs with no ears and short tails. This means this breed is the oldest breed in existence to be cropped and docked. Older than any other breed by thousands of years. This means that the breed has had 1000s of years to evolve to compensate for the lack of ear. And they did. Modern day CAS have thick earlobes and have an abundance of thick fur going down into the canal. This fur keeps the canal clear or debris while allowing the dog to hear still. Dogs with ears left intact have a very high chance of suffering from ear infections. This is because ears are a body orifice and need to breathe. On almost all other cropped breeds, they have thin ears and no fur down the canal so it does not matter if the ears are there or not but on CAS who are fully furred in the ear canal, it causes debris to become stuck and the ear to clog. For the health of our puppies, we would never leave the ears intact. Tails are cropped to prevent injuries while working. Dogs with ears also are at risk for ear injuries while working. Both are very painful and bloody when injured. A dog fighting a large predator with an ear injury will be shaking their head. Blood will be flying and it can make the ground slippery or get in the dog's eyes, blinding them. This can cause the death of the dog. LGDs in countries who are not cropped don't have the same predator load and are less likely to get ear injuries. However put any of those non-cropped breeds in an area with wolves, bears, etc and they will absolutely get ear injuries.

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Plus, most of our puppies go to homes wanting the ears and tailed removed. It is part of what makes the breed. We don't evaluate puppies or assign them until 5+ weeks old which is way past the age to crop/dock. We cannot leave the ears and tail on one puppy for someone because the chances that puppy wont be better suited for another home is very slim.