This breed is famous for its courage and can be taken with you on hunts or simply for protection. She is very aggressive towards strangers, so with such a dog no one will hurt you.
The Bulgarian Shepherd has another name - “Karakachan dog”. They are wonderful guard dogs, but it’s hard to imagine them as companions.
Photos and brief description
There are quite a lot of photographs of the Bulgarian Shepherd on the Internet, despite its insignificant popularity.
We have made a selection of the most beautiful dogs of this breed. This dog is considered the pride of Bulgaria. There are a couple of nurseries in the Balkans that breed this breed. When you see a Bulgarian dog, you feel a lot of energy, confidence and strength.
This dog has a stable psyche and is easy to train. Her attention is always focused, she is rarely distracted, and she is very resilient.
The Bulgarian Shepherd gets along well with the family and will never show aggression towards members of the household.
Breed Features
The Bulgarian Shepherd is not intended for living in an apartment. She needs quite serious physical activity. Putting the dog on a chain is also not an option. She needs a spacious enclosure. And even if there is one, we must not forget to devote a lot of time to walks, during which the dog needs intense exercise.
Since representatives of this breed are naturally endowed with watchdog and protective qualities, the dogs need to be trained. Pets are extremely smart, so they won’t have to undergo a long course of training. You can train yourself, but to do this you need to have certain skills and abilities.
The Bulgarian Shepherd cannot have two or three owners, so if you take the dog into a large family, you need to be prepared for the fact that it will treat only one family member with love.
Bulgarian Shepherds have better developed vision than most other breeds.
History of the breed
This breed is one of the oldest breeds in the Balkan countries.
Its closest relatives are the Tibetan mastiff, Greek shepherd and others. Bulgarian Shepherds don’t have a special history, but we still found an interesting fact for you. In 2010, a dog of this breed was given to Putin. The puppy was presented by the Minister of Bulgaria, after George W. Bush and the King of Spain got dogs of the same breed. It can be assumed that the Bulgarian Shepherd is a dog for people from high society.
The Bulgarian Shepherd is famous for its health. She is almost immune to disease. On average, her life is up to 15 years, it is customary to classify her as a long-livers.
Photos and videos
The gallery contains photos of dogs of the Bulgarian Shepherd Kuche and Karakachan dogs.
Video about the dog breed Bulgarian Shepherd
For a long time in Russia, few people knew about the Bulgarian (or Karakachan) Shepherd Dog. This breed is considered the national pride of Bulgaria, but it has not yet been recognized internationally.
Interest in dogs began to grow after a puppy of this breed was presented to the President of Russia in 2010. A photo of the head of state with a beautiful fluffy dog appeared in various news publications, and many wanted to get to know these dogs. What are the features of the breed originally from Bulgaria?
Maintenance and care
The Karakachan dog is not fussy about care and accommodation. Dogs of this breed feel best in private homes; of course, they can live in an apartment, but this can bring slight discomfort to the owner. This breed needs daily exercise.
The main thing in caring for a dog is its coat. You need to comb it daily, otherwise it will all form into large clumps. Also, do not forget about vaccinating your pet.
With proper care, your dog will delight and protect you for many years.
Maintenance, care and nutrition
This breed of dog is not suitable for living in an apartment. The dogs are large and need good physical exercise, so they need to be kept in a large enclosure with a spacious booth. Every day the dog needs to be walked in an open area for 2 hours.
Periodically it is necessary to clean the dog's ears and eyes with a swab dipped in clean water or chamomile decoction. To clean your pet's teeth, you should offer your pet sugar bones and fresh carrots.
Bulgarian Shepherd puppies need to be fed 4-6 times a day. From 9 months the dog is switched to 2 meals a day. After a year, your pet needs to be fed once a day. The principles of nutrition for dogs of this breed are described in the table:
| Dog age | Recommended Products | Principles of nutrition |
| Puppies up to 3 months. | Fermented milk products, canned meats, cereals | The basis is protein food, porridge is given in small quantities, diluted with kefir or meat broth |
| 3–6 months | Lean meat, porridge, cottage cheese, kefir, boiled vegetables, lean fish | Fish is given once a week, dairy products - daily, vegetables are introduced gradually |
| from 6 months | Buckwheat, oatmeal, rice porridge | Content in the diet – 40% |
| By-products, beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, sugar bones | At least 30% in the daily menu | |
| Raw vegetables | 10–15% in daily nutrition | |
| Dairy products | Daily |
Character and temperament
If you have children, then you need to think twice before getting a Bulgarian Shepherd. Because, in relation to children, a shepherd can behave aggressively, but if they grow up at the same time, this will not threaten you. But even under such conditions, the dog will not allow the child to offend itself.
So you should not trust this dog with children, and you also should not leave them alone with your child.
Also, your other pets may have problems living with a Bulgarian Shepherd. Because dogs of this breed already at a young age show who is boss in the house, mocking the animals with which they live together.
The Karakachan dog has a very interesting temperament. She chooses one owner for herself for the rest of her life, and she only allows his family to come close to her and allow him to be nearby. When the owner is next to the dog, it is calm, but if tomorrow the same person comes to your home, he will no longer be able to explain anything to the dog.
Bulgarian (Karakachan) Shepherd Buffy
Modern statistics claim that the most popular pet in Russia is a cat. But Russian President V.V. Putin loves dogs very much. He has three of them: Connie the Labrador, the beautiful Akita Inu Yume and the magnificent Bulgarian Shepherd Buffy. All dogs live in the presidential residence Novo-Ogaryovo.
Labrador Connie is a female. She was born in 1999, when V.V. Putin became the official successor of B.N. Yeltsin. The dog was given to Putin in 2000 by S. Shoigu. Many Russians are interested in whether Connie is alive, because she is very old. Especially many such questions began to appear after photos of the president on a walk with Buffy and Yume appeared in the press. Connie is alive, but she is already very old, moves slowly and cannot play with young animals.
The Bulgarian Shepherd Buffy was presented to our President Boyko Borisov (Prime Minister of Bulgaria). Vladimir Vladimirovich was so happy with the gift that he kissed the puppy at the presentation ceremony. The donated baby's name was Yorgo, but the new owner did not like this name. A competition was announced for the best name for a dog. The winner of the competition was Dima Sokolov, a five-year-old Muscovite.
The Bulgarian Shepherd is a strong dog that was formed in harsh conditions. We hope that it will develop in Russia, while maintaining its outstanding security qualities, and will find many loyal fans in our country.
Dog nicknames and price
If you live in Bulgaria, then buying a dog of this breed will be easy. There are a lot of kennels where Bulgarian Shepherds are bred; the choice of kennels is great. If you are not lucky enough to live in Bulgaria, then you can search for advertisements on the Internet about the sale of this breed in your country.
The cost of a Bulgarian Shepherd puppy is from 200 to 1500 dollars, depending on the pedigree and place of purchase.
If you have a male dog, then it is better to choose the following nicknames for him: Bad, Irus, Leid, Damir, Bicho, Aks. And for the bitch you can choose a nickname from the following: Janaya, Mercy, Laisy, Diva, Jerry, Valayla, Drop.
Let's summarize, the Bulgarian Karakachan Shepherd is not for everyone, but only for more experienced dog breeders. Because it requires at least some effort to care for and maintain it, and inexperienced dog breeders may have problems.
The most important thing to remember is that the Bulgarian Shepherd is a guard dog, loyal to its owner and not inclined to communicate with children.
Origin story
The Bulgarian Shepherd Kuche is a relatively young breed of dog. In the second half of the twentieth century, under the leadership of FCI judge Stefan Popov, selection work began to revive the national breed. For this purpose, large herding dogs were selected from different regions of the country, which were infused with the blood of Central Asian, Caucasian, Moscow Shepherds, St. Bernards, Newfoundlands and others. Today, the Bulgarian Shepherd is not recognized by the International Canine Association, only by national clubs and alternative associations: Alianz canine worldwide, International kennel union, United kennel clubs international.
The name of the breed is Bulgarian Shepherd Dog Kuche (Bulgarian Balgarsko ovcharsko kuche) literally translated means Bulgarian Shepherd Dog.
From the history of Karakachan dogs
As for the Karakachan Shepherd Dog, which became the genetic core of the Bulgarian Shepherd Dog, its history is much longer. According to some data, the formation of herding dogs on the Balkan Peninsula began in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Thracian dogs are considered its ancestors. Subsequently, the breed was significantly influenced by the Proto-Bulgarians, who adopted shepherd dogs during their migration from the Pamirs and the Hindu Kush.
The breed is named after the Karakachans, a people who until the mid-20th century were mainly engaged in transhumance. In the summer months, the Karakachans lived in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains, and returned to Greece for the winter. It was only thanks to their conservative views and traditions that one of the oldest herding dogs in Europe was preserved.
The first researcher of Bulgarian shepherd dogs was Todor Gaitandzhiev, who proposed the standardization of Karakachan dogs in the 1970s. A little later, the idea of forming a national breed arose among amateurs. The official breed standard for the Karakachansky Kuche (Bulgarian: Karakachansko Kuche) was written in 1991 and approved in 2005.
Bulgarian Shepherd Kuche and Karakachan Kuche: what is the difference
Breeders and lovers of Bulgarian Shepherds are divided into two camps. Some are confident that the breed should not only be a guardian of the herd, but also a companion and show dog. A lot of work has been done for this. The best representatives of Bulgarian herding dogs were selected, according to experts, and the blood of other breeds was added to them in order to improve their appearance, increase their size and reduce the level of aggression. In 1983, Stefan Popov created the National Club of Bulgarian Shepherd Dogs Kuche.
In 2010, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov presented a Bulgarian Shepherd puppy from his personal kennel to Vladimir Putin. The dog was named Buffy.
Some breeders didn't like this. They believe that it is necessary not to breed a “new” breed, mixing the blood of others into it, but to preserve the old one - Karakachan shepherd dogs, which are an aboriginal breed in its pure form. In addition, the updated Bulgarian Shepherds lose herding, guarding instincts and other qualities necessary for the wolfhound, which shepherds have worked on for hundreds of years. Under the leadership of Venelin Dinchev, the International Karakachan Kuche Association was created, which unites breeders, monitors the preservation of the purity of aboriginal dogs and does not allow all kinds of crossbreeds, including “newly created” Bulgarian shepherd dogs, to be bred.
Description and main characteristics
For the first time, the ancestors of the Bulgarian Karakachan Shepherd Dog were mentioned in the law on dogs for shepherds of the Bulgarian Khan Sadlikh: the approximate breed standard and punishment are described in case of causing any harm to the animal. The shepherd dog standard is not recognized by the canine federation, but the breed is classified and certified.
The Bulgarian Shepherd is a large, massive breed of dog. Representatives of the breed have an extremely stable nervous system. The animal is proportionally built, the muscles are well developed. The coat is long and thick, with undercoat. The standard allows for the presence of several colors (2–3) in a dog’s color. However, the spots must be clearly defined and sharply contrast with the main color. The most common animals are black and white. The rarest and most valuable are puppies of red nose color: with dark red spots and amber eye color.
The body is rounded with a straight back and lower back. A wide back with prominent muscles, a massive chest and large wide ribs. The chest is significantly lowered, the stomach is pulled in moderately. Large head with a flat skull and weakly defined brow ridges. The muzzle is of medium length, slightly tapering towards the nose. Close-set eyes and wide nose. Small drooping ears and a powerful, muscular neck. The lips are quite large and plump, with a scissor bite. Straight legs and an unusually bushy tail. The height and weight of the dog depends on gender, ranging from 60 cm to 40 kg.
Similar article: Characteristics of the oldest breed of Caucasian Shepherd Dog
Excellent guards, capable of performing their function even without the presence of the owner. The dog chooses and obeys only one owner, and treats other family members with tolerance. Strangers may be greeted aggressively, especially if the owner is absent. She is tolerant of children, but is able to stand up for herself and can respond to insults with a blow of her paw. However, if an animal grows up with a child, then a strong friendship is quite possible.
