July 1999
The Caucasian Ovtcharka
Kazbek
Kazbek is a very quick and intense hunter and a great farm dog. He kills
rats and othe rodents but is very calm around herbivores. I cannot say
that, without training, a chicken or turkey would have a very happy (or very
long) life with him. However, there is no reason to believe that a CO pup
brought up around poultry could not be succesfully trained to accept and
guard it.
Kazbek's real name: ThunderHawk's Kallashnikov
Owned by Deborah O'Brien
This is my Caucasian Ovcharka, "Kazbek," from ThunderHawk Caucasians in New
Jersey (soon to be New York state), USA. His father is a Hungarian import,
Medveola Zahar.
In most of the photos, Kazbek is approximately 12 months old. There are a
couple of baby pictures too at around four months of age. I wish I had some
of the infant pictures scanned -- as a baby, Kazbek looked like Harpo Marx
on drugs. He was the best puppy, in spite of a couple of run-ins we had to
determine who would be top management.
Kazbek at 4 & 6 months of age.
loves to dig holes and is contemplating a start he has made.
I don't mind hole-digging as it keeps his nails nice and short
and his feet strong and compact. He sure can dig some tunnels though.
They either lead to the house (he thinks) or, if dug out in the larger
dog-yard, the holes always lead to old rodent tunnels. I think he can hear gophers down there!
Exciting, rambunctious, sweet, clumsy, sleepy, peppery -- all good words for
the infant Kazbek. Also, CLEAN - he was completely house trained by 11
weeks of age, and while he made one or two puddles (or nearly so), he never
did anything else or attempted to. Even now, he goes to the far end of the
yard to "do his business." Also, Kaz seldom attempted to chew up the house.
One of the few times he did get ripping, however, his infant jaws proved so
powerful that he tore the arm right off the easy chair during the few
moments I was in the bathroom.
These little setbacks go with the territory called "puppyhood" and Kazbek is
one of the few pups whose infancy was so filled with charm that I enjoyed
every minute of it.
Kazbek has been a true "guard dog" since about week 10, after he adjusted to
his new environment. He was guarding the car and yard with some diligence
by 16 weeks, and also began exhibiting defensive aggression toward dogs
around that time.
Just so no one gets the wrong impression, I knew that guarding was in
Kazbek's very bones, so I never encouraged it. I never discouraged it
either. Rather, I set up his puppy environment in such a way as to
generally extinguish any excessive, self-reinforcing aggressive displays.
As for dog aggression, this was expected as COs were originally bred for
predator control, including wolves and feral dogs, along with other
predators. So when dog aggression popped up, we worked operantly with
Kazbek to channel his aggression with very good results.
As fate would have it, I came in contact with a very fine "clicker" teacher,
writer and trainer just at the right moment---a few months before Kaz'
litter was on the ground. As a result, Kazbek has been almost 100% operant
condition-trained, and is developing into a highly controllable, tolerant,
dog with a happy work ethic.
I have found him to be very voice responsive -- moreso than the average dog.
Even though he is un-neutered, he has developed very good tolerance of other
dogs. I can walk him in the park, at a dog show, or in any other
dog-flooded environment, without any extra precautions or heavy equipment
other than keeping my eyes on a swivel. I have seen dogs literally jump out
at him from ground-ties and in crates at shows, and while he responds
cheerfully, going up on his toes and maybe giving a little grumble, he takes
it all in stride.
In a more work-oriented, focussed environment such as a dog class or agility
class, Kazbek is well able to focus on his work, given time to adjust, and
is not given to unwarranted, unprovoked aggressive displays toward dogs when
he is off-site. He seldom shows anything but tolerance toward people. He
is often quite friendly, especially to children and elderly persons whom he
is attracted to. He is both friendly and unfriendly at home. Until
introduced, he is in guard dog mode. As soon as he knows an introduction is
coming, he is very excited to meet new friends.
I did a tremendous amount of work to achieve this, but he was a sociable
puppy with aggressive tendencies rather than the other way around.
This shows Kazbek's favorite spot. The yard slopes up to the barn and,
naturally, the dog chooses the highest spot in the yard from which to survey
his domain. Like all livestock guardians, Kazbek can look like he is half
asleep then leap to life and, like a lion, be in full gear in half a
heartbeat.
I am as surprised as anyone at the success of the handling we have put on
him given the puppy he was, the reputation of the breed, and the original
breeder's trepidation about training a CO without choke chain or correction.
While I have many years training experience, my breeder has many years
raising, breeding and rescuing COs, so we were both a bit leery.
However, once she met Kazbek, her reaction was what I always get, "he's
wonderful - so sweet - not like a typical Caucasian Ovcharka". However,
anyone who was able to spend 24 hours with him, see him at the gate, see him
walking in a dark area, would see the "typical" alert, watchful, at the
ready Caucasian Ovcharka that lurks within.
One of the pleasures about owning this breed is their very primitive, almost
feral nature which can come out at any time. It would seem that using the
operant approach allows this wildness to stay intact and yet the dog becomes
controllable and predictable.
Kazbek appears to be a truly brave dog (if we can use that anthropomorphic
term). We live in a canyon with much wildlife, and Kaz has never, even as a
puppy, backed down or tried to get away from something strange or unusual.
Kaz has alerted us to and literally pushed us away from huge rattlesnakes in
the yard, and he is ever vigilant against coyotes, strangers approaching and
all the other typical business of house guarding on a busy roadway.
There are eight dogs on property so Kaz is part of a pack. He has risen to
the top fairly bloodlessly. The pack consists of three females, four
neutered older males, and Kaz.
Kazbek does wonderfully well with the females but keeping him on speaking
terms with the boys is a constant challenge. However, only a few fights
have erupted, and, due to Kazbek's size and power, these skirmishes are
typically over in 30 seconds, ending with the older male plopped on his back
like a gymnast run over by a Sumo wrestler. Once Kazbek has pinned the
other dog, he postures. Typically, he does not try to injure or kill a
member of "his" pack.
However, were any of these pack members less than respectful or of a
fighting or guarding breed, that is to say, were the fights less about pack
rank and more about dominance or sexual striving, then it is doubtful things
would go as well as they do now.
I wish the head study was clearer. I think Kaz is about 11 months here.
As the breeder said when she saw the pix, he is still a youngster and hasn't
attained that noble expression of wiser age. Still, not a bad-looking kid.
Kazbek does have his own kennel which is a huge loosebox for horses, made
over into a kennel. We call this his "castle" and it is so cool and private
that he enjoys going in there. It is obvious that it is stressful for him,
at times, to deal with smaller spaces and the males because, due to his
youth, the actual pack order is not completely stable. There is no way any
other dog in the pack could successfully challenge him, but rumblings arise
now and again.
I have a six foot chain link fence and the gates are kept chained and
padlocked. Inside the fence is a barn with three looseboxes fixed as
kennels. Kazbek's kennel gate is also chained. In the house, Kazbek has an
airline kennel. He can only be left home in the yard if someone is there.
Usually, he is in his kennel. He has broken in and out of the house through
windows and he has busted the gate on the fence and chased the mail-truck.
The mail person kindly drove back with him chasing along behind her and
"delivered him" to our door. He was happy as a clam. I think because the
mailperson left the property, and because it is a female, and because she
did not know he had evil intents, and because my sister was home (I was not)
when Kazbek came galloping back up the drive after the truck, Kazbek took
this all as a wonderful game. He is constantly showing us how powerful he
is.
I would not want to have a CO if I did not have plenty of room, a lot of
time to spend on the dog, training and bonding with it, and enough money to
properly fence the area, put up a secondary dog kennel that was very strong,
and also buy the equipment necessary and food to care for the dog. I think
a CO is a big investment in time and money and safety precautions. It is
absolutely necessary to do this for the well-being of the dog and we owe it
to our communities when we keep big, potentially dangerous dogs, to be sure
that the community is safe and comfortable.
Kazbek is more like a lion than a dog, and I consider him an ambassador not
only for his breed but for dogs in general and working dogs in particular.
There is no reason to ban any dogs from any community if the owner of the
dog is willing to be responsible and to make that dog a worthwhile member of
the community. Alternatively, if you like guardian breeds and don't want to
bother socializing them, if you can put up protective fences and live away
from the public, then that is another option.
Although the Gentle Leader, which is the blue strap on Kaz' muzzle, does not
make for a lovely head shot, any photo gallery of Kazbek is only complete
showing him wearing his GL. When Kazbek began displaying active dog
aggression at four months, a way to put a damper on it without any
harshness on my part (which would have been counter-productive) was needed.
The GL works a treat, and I would not be without it. Also, at Kazbek's size
(and he is only 1.5 years old now -- about 12 months in photo), he is so
much more powerful than I am that if he were in a collar and decided to take
off, I would have only two choices: be dragged like a tin can tied to a
dog's tail -- or let go and pray. I prefer the GL!
For me, Kazbek is a wonderful dog. I feel 100% safe when I go out with him.
I do not live in the City so I can take Kazbek on a beautiful moonlit night
and walk in the park and enjoy the soft desert air and the huge golden globe
of the moon. Somewhere far-off the coyotes might be singing and a silent
owl glides overhead disappearing with a sharp chirrup as Kazbek and I stand
in the white light, safe and happy in each other's company.
Last night we walked under a desert moon and saw a form slip out of the
sagebrush and glide over the silver sand. It was slim and quiet, a ghostly
figure, then it disappeared again. My eyes told me it had gone into the
bushes near the path we were on but Kazbek lost sight of it. We passed the
bushes, no sign from Kazbek then, about 10 yards down the road, Kaz paused
to mark the bushes and suddenly lifted his head, sniffing. We were downwind
and the scent of the creature of the night had come to him.
I love those moments when I know what he is thinking and we are like one. I
almost shouted, "aha, I _knew_ that creature was still deep in the shadows
of the bush." I looked back up the road and saw, or barely saw, something
looking back at us.
Slowly we went forward, step by step, my hand on Kazbek's collar. He was
intense, as was I. I am sure his nose knew before my weaker eyes that a
coyote was standing in the sand staring at us. The silvery moonlight seemed
to wash over its slim figure and the outline would appear and disappear,
then it slipped away on a breath of wind and disappeared.
Kazbek has always been confident and tends to go forward when put in
defense. He never backs down or tries to get away from something strange or
unusual. Kaz has defended us from pit vipers (rattlesnakes) and barks the
coyotes out of the yard when he is outside. We live in a canyon with much
wildlife.
If you want to read a story about one time Kazbek defended us from rattlesnakes you can just click
HERE
And then we too, Kazbek and I, said our goodnights to the desert. As we now
say goodnight to you.
Deborah C. O'Brien
Molosserworld want to give all the best
wishes for the future to both Kazbek and Deborah.
Do YOU want to nominate a Molosser for Dog of the Month? It
does not have to be a dog who have achieved alot at shows, other reasons count as much to be Dog
of the Month at Molosserworld.
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