Caucasian Shepherd owner Mario Beslic took the time to speak to us about his experience of living with his Caucasian Shepherd, Mike.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your Caucasian Shepherd Dog please?
A: My dog’s name is Mike. He is a 10 year old male Caucasian Shepherd. I got him as a puppy when he was 2 months old from a breeder in Croatia
Q: How easy was Mike to train?
A: It was easy to train him the basic commands like sit, walk, stay.., but it took more effort to train him to obey in the presence of other dogs. You have to be dominant over him so that he respects you as the leader.
Caucasian Shepherd Owner
Q: How much exercise does Mike need?
A: I take him for a walk in the morning and in the evening when the weather is cooler cause of his thick furry coat and if I’m home during the day I let him play in the backyard. I have 2 more dogs so I let them play wrestle, it’s excellent exercise for them.
You can see Mike playing with his doggy friend below.
Q: Does Mike have a particularly “doggy smell” and how is his coat in terms of shedding?
A: He smells like any other dog, nothing particularly bad!
His coat needs to be brushed regularly which he really enjoys. When you stop, he just puts his big paw on you like he’s saying “Hey, you’re not done yet!” 🙂
Q: Is Mike an excessive barker?
A: He is not an excessive barker but he will bark at a stranger if he steps in his territory or at any neighborhood cats.
Also before he starts to eat he will bark a couple of times to warn everybody not to disturb him during his meal.
Q: Does Mike have good recall off-leash?
A: He is OK off leash but sometimes he likes to pretend that he doesn’t hear you! Then you need to raise your voice and show him that you are serious.
Q: What is Mike like around other dogs?
A: You have to be careful around other male dogs because he likes to be dominant over them so sometimes he may show his aggressive guard dog temperament. That’s why it is very important that you are seen as the pack leader and have control over him.
Q: What is Mike like around children?
A: He likes kids and is very protective around family members.
Q: Would you class Mike as high maintenance or a fussy eater?
A: Not really. He eats twice a day and his portions are around 1/2 – 1 kg.
Q: Can Mike do any tricks or have any funny quirks?
A: We have a big hazelnut tree in the yard and he used to pick the nuts from the tree and bring them on to the porch!
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add about owning a Caucasian Shepherd dog?
A: Males are usually around 65 -75 kg and their height is around 75 cm. It is very important for future owners not to think that this dog is similar to other big bear dogs such as the Saint Bernard.
Caucasian shepherds requires strong leadership and it is very important to be the pack leader and dominant over him. Mike is goofy and playful like any other dog but sometimes in the presence of other dogs or strangers he can be overprotective and then you have to step up as a leader and you have to be able to control him.
Big thank you to Mario for a little insight into life with the lovely Mike! 🙂
You could read other dog breed interviews or perhaps you’d like to learn more about the Caucasian Shepherd Dog?
