Dog breed · Georgia
The Georgian Shepherd (Georgian: ქართული ნაგაზი), also known as Georgian Mountain Dog (Georgian: ქართული მთის ძაღლი), is a breed of guard dog and livestock guardian dog from the Georgian Caucasus.
Temperament: Character of Georgian sheepdog commonly includes:
distrust of strangers
courage
highly developed protective instinct
Description: There are two kinds of Georgian livestock guardian dogs: the short haired "Lion" type, typically pure white or white with dark patches on its coat and the long hair "Bear" type are typically dark brown to black head and lighter brown covering the rest of the coat. In Georgia they are known as Qartuli Nagazi. The short hair "Lion" type is considered to the oldest or Aboriginal variant of the breed, with the pure white being the rarest coat color. The "Lion" variant was predominantly found in the north-east regions of Georgia.
Physically, these dogs are strongly-boned, muscular, and athletic, with a large head and powerful legs. The shape of the head of the Georgian mountain dog is almost rectangular, proportional in size to the body. The skull is flat, oblong and deep, the forehead is flat, the occipital protuberance is developed, but hidden behind developed muscles. Superciliary arches are moderate. The nose is wide black or brown with well developed nostrils. The muzzle is wide, shorter than the skull. The neck should be short and powerful.
The Georgian Shepherd Dog is distinguished by a massive large build, moderately stretched format. The musculature is well-developed, without relief. The teeth are white, set close together without gaps. A scissor bite is recognized as normal for this breed, slight deviations are acceptable.
The ears are traditionally cropped. The eyes are of medium size, oval and set deep. Usually dark, but for dogs with white ears and light colors, light shades are acceptable. The Nagazi has a muscular withers, which are well defined and raised above the topline. A straight and wide back with short and powerful loin. The croup is rounded, close to horizontal in position. The ribcage is wide and slightly rounded. The lower chest line is at the level of the elbow. The belly is moderately tucked up. The tail is thick at the base, set high. The movements of the Georgian mountain dog are free, sweeping and balanced. The breed is characterized by a short trot, turning into a heavy gallop when running.
