large breed dogs

Question
I saw a large dog that at first I thought was a pony. when I got closer, I could tell it was a dog, even if huge. I asked the owner what type of dog was it and he said it was a Russian bear hunting dog. Do you have any info on this type of dog?

Answer

Hi Dale,

The breed of dog that's often called a Russian Bear dog is also called the Caucasian Shepherd Dog or the Caucasian Ovcharka.
It was bred originally bred for bear hunting, as the name implies, but it's also used as a guard dog in Russian prisons. You can read more about this breed here:

http://www.russiandog.net/caucasian-dog.html#axzz3Cq5KTQR3

http://weirdtwist.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/russian-bear-hunting-dog-caucasian-ov


In the USA, these would still be considered a rare breed, so you're lucky to have seen one!

I hope I've been a help,
Best of luck

Patti