Skip to content Many people will be fascinated by Caucasian Shepherd puppies, but buying the first baby that comes along, especially spontaneously, is not the best option. First of all, you need to determine whether you can keep such a pet, whether you have enough funds, time and energy. If a dog of this breed is your conscious choice, then be sure to read this article. In it, we have collected the most important recommendations that will help you in acquiring a purebred Caucasian.
Correct places
To choose a puppy of a truly Caucasian Shepherd breed, you first need to determine where exactly you will buy it. Shops, bird markets, and just private advertisements in newspapers or on the Internet – now you can find a bunch of offers for the sale of puppies. But they will not give any guarantee that your fluffy lump will definitely turn into a purebred Caucasian shepherd dog, and even physically and mentally healthy.
Therefore, do not get fooled by beautiful words and low prices, cast aside any doubts – feel free to start bypassing specialized nurseries and official clubs. You can also visit exhibitions, where there is always an opportunity to communicate with breeders and get practical advice from them on where you can choose an excellent specimen of the Caucasian Shepherd Dog breed.
Be sure to check the breed standard. Especially if this is your first time encountering a Caucasian Shepherd puppy. This knowledge will help you determine if your chosen puppy is suitable for certain parameters inherent in this particular breed. This is all the more important if you are going to perform with your pet at exhibitions, where the judges thoroughly examine the participants.
Before visiting the kennel, make sure in advance that it is officially registered with the Cynological Federation. The registration certificate can only be obtained by the nursery, the owner of which has passed the attestation of permission for breeding.
But choosing a nursery is only half the battle. Now you need to talk to the breeder. He should not only calmly talk to you, leaving pleasant impressions, but also competently answer all questions. Ideally, the breeder should give you a tour of his “possession”, show the next of kin or parents of the offspring on which you focused your attention.
Do not hesitate – ask the breeder in detail about the merits and demerits of the puppy’s parents. In response, you should hear the truth, confirmed by the necessary documents: medical certificates, passed tests to determine articular dysplasia (Caucasian shepherd dogs, due to their large mass, are prone to these diseases), pedigree.
The necessary documents must be for each puppy: a birth certificate, a medical passport, an act of examining puppies according to the characteristics corresponding to the breed. All puppies around one month old must have a stamp or a chip.
If the breeder refuses to give such information, tries to evade direct answers, does not provide all the documents, it means that he is trying to hide something from you. In this case, it is better to choose another place to purchase a Caucasian Shepherd puppy.
In addition to productive communication with the breeder, you need to carefully read the conditions for keeping the puppies. For offspring, a separate spacious place should be allocated (either a huge aviary with a roof, or a fence and a shed), the total area of which is divided into sectors:
- for sleep and rest;
- for eating;
- for the toilet;
- for games and walks.
Everything should be kept clean, the toilet should be cleaned on time and as dry as possible, the presence of toys is a big plus, which speaks of the owner’s caring attitude towards the offspring. The presence of clean water is required. Try to wait until the moment when they start feeding the puppies – a conscientious breeder will not save either on quantity or quality of food.
Male or female
Male
It is better to choose a male for those owners who already have experience of communicating with boys of at least other medium or large breeds. The Caucasian Shepherd puppy is a domineering and powerful dog, it will not walk under the command of a weak owner who does not know from which side to approach it. Some habits of a dog can be confusing. For example, a beginner will not be able to cope with an agitated dog that rushes after the current bitch.
It is not easy to educate and train such a pet, due to its dominant character. Without certain knowledge, it will be difficult for the owner to take this leader under his control. And an uncontrollable dog will become a big threat to both the family and bystanders.
However, the dog also has merits. Its imposing appearance and impressive weight will look advantageous not only at exhibitions, but also just for a walk. And his protective instinct, combined with the exterior, will scare off any intruders.
Female
The female will also require leadership qualities from the owner, for that she is a Caucasian shepherd dog. However, if the family has children, then a bitch is the best option. She has a softer and more flexible character. And the maternal instinct inherent in bitches contributes to the rapid establishment of communication with children. And training will be easier than with males.
But bitches also have their drawbacks. Any owner will have to deal with periodic heat. During this process, the bitch, as a guard, will be absent, since it must be locked. Otherwise, there is a risk of an unplanned pregnancy. But if the pregnancy is planned, then the owner will be able to earn on the offspring, and this is already a plus.
Pregnancy, childbirth, caring for puppies, large financial investments for proper care – all these tasks will fall on the shoulders of the owner of the Caucasian Shepherd female. Of course, you can do an operation to castrate or sterilize your pet, but this also costs money.
Why do I need a dog?
Before purchasing a Caucasian Shepherd puppy, you must determine for yourself exactly why you need it. This will determine how much money you give for it. All puppies can be divided into three classes according to their purpose. Let’s take a closer look at each class.
The first category of dogs is called the pet class – domestic dogs. The exterior of such animals is of an average level, the presence of insignificant defects is possible. For example, a non-standard color or multi-colored eyes. But it is imperative to check such pets for hereditary diseases and mental disorders. Safety comes first.
Remember, puppies of Caucasian “nationality” are not couch dogs, but formidable defenders. Therefore, they are not suitable for the role of pets who sit around forever and wait for food. Such pets are bought only as a watchdog and a friend of the family, while they must be trained.
The Caucasian Shepherd puppy of this class is relatively inexpensive compared to other classes. In some countries, you will pay from three hundred to five hundred dollars for such a puppy.
The second category of dogs is called the breed class – breeding producers of offspring. Their exterior, mental and physical condition must be at the highest level. Moreover, females will cost more than males, since it is on them that you can earn good money.
You can buy a breed-class puppy in the region of the price range from six hundred to eight hundred dollars.
The third, highest, category of dogs is called show-class – show specimens. These dogs have an ideal exterior, and you can’t find fault with their behavior. Puppies of this class are born not as often as babies of other classes, because the birth of such a baby is a great success. Not every breeder will agree to sell a promising puppy.
Accordingly, such a pet is as expensive: from nine hundred to one thousand two hundred dollars, or even more.
Remember that, like dogs from the first category, puppies of breeds and show classes also need to be brought up and trained in a timely manner, and not only be engaged in the direction for which you are acquiring a pet.
Of course, parents of offspring with an excellent pedigree, excellent show grades, ideal external and mental data are huge advantages. But no breeder will give you a guarantee that your chosen puppy will also become a champion. Everything will depend only on your constant participation in the development of the pet.
First meeting
Puppy psyche
Now it’s time for a close inspection of the litter itself. Take your time with the choice, take a closer look at all the puppies. Listen to the advice of the breeder, who, knowing your preferences, will recommend the right baby for you. After all, it is the first owner, like no one else, who knows his charges.
Remember that when choosing a future family member, the advice of your acquaintances, especially inexperienced ones, is unlikely to be useful. For example, if a puppy sits in a corner and barks loudly from there, this does not mean that he will become a good guard. Nor does it mean that the first baby who comes running to you is fate. Perhaps the puppy sitting in the corner has mental disorders, and the kid who comes quickly will grow up too gullible.
Generally, there is a quick test to check the nervous system in dogs. It is necessary to drop some small sonorous object near the puppy, for example, house keys. If the baby was not scared, but calmly approached the unfamiliar thing, began to sniff at it, he has a normal psyche.
Another test can be done to determine if a dog is aggressive. To do this, turn the baby over on his back and for a while, do not let him return to his original position – on his paws. A puppy with a stable psyche will not growl, bite or, conversely, react sluggishly. He will fight hard and try to get out from under your hand.
Ideally, the puppy of your choice should enjoy your presence, stretch out its paws for acquaintance, bring you, its toys. Intelligence, confidence and kindness should shine in his eyes. In general, a puppy who knows how to demonstrate his merits is an excellent puppy.
Physical data
To determine that it is a Caucasian Shepherd puppy in front of you, especially a healthy one, you need to know how it looks. First of all, take a closer look at how your chosen baby walks. He should have active movements, a slightly waddling gait. The limbs of a good dog do not part, but stand parallel to each other and rather wide.
Lameness, harshness in movements, lethargy, irregularities in the structure of the body, too long and thin limbs – all these are signs of developmental disorders, hereditary or acquired diseases.
A Caucasian Shepherd puppy should have a powerful neck (a head sitting on the shoulders will never let the dog perform its work functions), a short and voluminous body, an even line of a strong back, thick, physically developed paws, a thick tail.
Be sure to pay attention to the puppy’s belly – it should be moderately tucked up, without an umbilical hernia. A bloated belly can be a symptom of worms in your dog’s body. You can also watch your baby go to the bathroom to see if he has normal stools, diarrhea, or constipation.
Now it was the turn of a closer inspection. With the permission of the breeder, take the selected puppy in your arms and place it on your lap. Carefully feel all accessible vertebrae for possible kinks.
The head of a Caucasian Shepherd puppy should be proportional to its body: voluminous, with pronounced cheekbones, a wide muzzle and a massive lower jaw. The forehead should not be too flat or too arched. The hair on the forehead can hide the true state of affairs, so it is best to feel the forehead.
Examine the dog’s dental system – all teeth should be in an even row, tightly to each other and have a white color. The mucous membranes of the oral cavity should be a healthy pink color. The bite can be either scissor or straight. Keep in mind that a level bite runs the risk of developing into an undershot bite over time. This risk may be due to either heredity or poor conditions for keeping the puppy.
The nose, eyelids, lips should be pure black, no discharge. By the way, if a puppy has a big nose, it means that an adult will have a rather voluminous muzzle. The auricles and almond-shaped eyes should also be clean and free of pus.
Your dog’s coat should be shiny and firm and rough to the touch. Soft or curly hairs indicate that they will remain so in the future. And, most likely, this quality of wool will be inherited further. If you are going to breed purebred Caucasian shepherd dogs, then this fact can disrupt all your plans, as well as a pet’s show career. Accordingly, for these purposes, the puppy should have a standard coat color and the color of slanted eyes.
Time to go home
Having chosen a puppy, you do not need to drag him home immediately. It is best to make a few visits to your pet so that he can get used to you, and you can carefully examine him. Perhaps you missed something when you first met.
Caucasian Shepherd puppies are taken not earlier than forty-five days. Until this time, the baby still has a connection with his mother and a sudden change of scenery will be a great stress for him. But no later than two and a half months, since early socialization in a new environment is very important for dogs of this breed.
Before you take your puppy to your home, the breeder should instruct you about the vaccinations, deworming and necessary medical measures in the future. He is also obliged to tell you what the baby ate in the nursery, and what food might not suit him.
Did our article help you? Tell us in the comments how you chose your puppy.
