East European Shepherd

• COUNTRY: USSR
• WEIGHT: 75-105 pounds
• HEIGHT: 24-28 inches
• COAT: Moderately short, smooth
• COLOR: Black, black/tan saddled, sable, rarely brindle or white
• Group:Herding

These dogs are very similar in appearance to a German Shepherd Dog and developed directly from the GSDs brought to the Soviet Union in the 1920s. After over a quarter century of selection, especially for animals to withstand the Russian climate, the breed is distinctly different from the Shepherd known in the West. Although at first centered in Byelorussia and the far western provinces of the USSR, the EESKC has thousands of members all over Russia today. It is presently the leading breed in the USSR. Often dogs of this breed have longer soft hair on the ears, neck, limbs and tail. It is said that their Russian owners spin the cashmerelike wooly undercoat for use in garments.

They are a tough, aggressive guard dog, a favorite of the KGB. For Kremlin duty, the KGB insists on solid blacks. If only one pup of another color is whelped, the entire litter is destroyed, and the breeding is not repeated. Private breeders, however, allow more latitude in color.

Eyes may be brown, amber, blue or odd-eyed. Ears are long and upright, and the paws are large with long toes, giving a snowshoe appearance. Owners equate their temperament to that of a Doberman Pinscher.

The handful that are found in other areas of the world have been smuggled out of East Germany. A photo accompanying an article by Enid Bergstrom in the February 1983 issue of Dog World showed them to be a bit squarer in body and longer in muzzle than most modern German Shepherds.