In the 1920s a number of German Shepherds were imported from Germany into the Byelorussian SSR, where a breeding programme was established with the aim of adapting the breed to the harsher Soviet climatic conditions; over several decades of selective breeding, a distinctly different form of shepherd had been created from that known in the West. While initially the breed was centred in Byelorussia, it soon spread throughout the Soviet Union, although the its fortunes suffered during the Great Patriotic War. The East European Shepherd was used heavily by the military and police within the Soviet Union as a guard and sniffer dog. It was a favourite of the KGB, who only ever kept solid black examples; if a single non-black pup was born in a litter bred by the KGB the entire litter was destroyed and that breeding was not repeated. The first standard which has formed the breed type of the East European Shepherd was approved in 1964 by the Cynological Council of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR. The East European Shepherd is now one of the most numerous dog breeds in Russia and several former Soviet countries. With effect from 1 January 2017 the Vostochno Evropeiskaya Ovcharka was recognised by the, and is thus recognised by the, the Finnish Kennel Club, the Icelandic Kennel Club, the and the Swedish Kennel Club.
Characteristics
The East European Shepherd is significantly larger than western German Shepherd and it shows substantial sexual dimorphism: dogs typically stand at the withers although some can be as tall as ; bitches are typically. In colour the breed can be black and tan, solid black or sable, brindles or whites are rare, they have a medium-length dense coat with a well-developed undercoat, they often have longer soft hairs on their ears, neck, limbs and tail. The eyes may be brown, amber or blue, odd coloured eyes are known; the ears are long and upright, and the paws are large with long toes, giving a snowshoe-like appearance. The breed is considered particularly intelligent, courageous, determined and tough, and owners often describe its temperament as similar to that of a Dobermann.
