Mongolian shepherd: description of the breed, nature and content

Everyone knows about the Mongolian shepherd in its native land, and few have heard of this breed outside the homeland. Nevertheless, it is one of the oldest dog breeds, endowed with many advantages. This is a wonderful shepherd, guard and friend for man. The breed has not yet been recognized by international associations, but thanks to the enthusiasm of the breeders, this is not long to wait.

A shepherd from Mongolia is known under various names:

• banhar - “stuffed (rich) with hair”, “chubby in the cheeks”;
• hotosho - “yard wolf”, “yard guard”;
• Tibet;
• wolfhound;
• Mongol;
• Durban Nyudetay Hara Nohoy - a four-eyed dog with black eyes;
• bavgar - like a bear;
• dog of the huns.

The breed has existed for over 14,000 years. It is generally accepted that ancient breeds of dogs are much healthier physically and are endowed with high intelligence, better adaptability and a wide range of working properties. No wonder the Mongolian dune is considered one of the oldest dog breeds. All of these names reflect the appearance of this shepherd well.

Mongolians have been used for centuries in all areas of life. They were grown, selection, culling and training were carried out. Four-legged friends were very much appreciated, and with the prosperity of Buddhism in Mongolia, shepherds even began to be honored as sacred animals. The education of the Banhars was carried out by Mongolian dog handlers - kayuchi, unsurpassed masters of training. During raids on the hunt, they could simultaneously control a hundred dogs.

In Mongolia, there are four national breeds, in addition to the Banhara: uzemchi, greyhound, teiga-nohoy and sharayd.Any representative of these breeds can be a shepherd, but Banhars are the most independent and reliable. The Mongols continue to develop pastoralism as a valuable agricultural sector of great importance to the local population. Therefore, the original standard of dogs has been preserved.

In ancient times, Mongol wolfhounds were used for hunting, cattle tracking and housing protection. This breed has always been considered cult and even sacred in Mongolia. The Mongols believe that the blood of five wolves flows in the veins of the dune, and it is akin to the Tibetan dogs.

The local population of Mongolia believes that the Banhars are able to pray for benefits for their masters. The dog is even called prayer.

Unfortunately, in the 80s. of the last century, there were virtually no purebred representatives of the Mongol hotosh. The breed has become rare, and it is likely that it will completely disappear. And if in 1932 the Banhars honorably served in the Siberian NKVD, and in 1937 they won medals and places of honor at the exhibition of dogs of service breeds, then in 1940 the breed was ordered to be exterminated.

The decision to shoot them was made based on the erroneous conclusions of scientists. Scientists spoke about the dangers of banharas as carriers of serious diseases for people. When they managed to prove that this was not true, the Banhars were already destroyed.

In Buryatia, two breeders became interested in a rare breed - Marika Teregulova and Nikolai Batov. They laid the foundation for breeding the breed and gave it the name hotosho. This happened at sunset of the 80s and began when N. Batov went on an expedition to Mongolia. The breeder collected absolutely all the information about the breed, scooping it from legends, excavations and Buddhist documents. Based on the information received, the necessary breed standard was developed. The dog became a national treasure of Russia to the delight of breeders.

In March 2000, the Buryat-Mongol wolfhound appeared on the honorary page in the Russian pedigree book. Six years later, the dog was registered in the RKF. The Mongolian Shepherd as a pet has gained great popularity in China, South Korea and Japan. They say that her presence in the house promises well-being.

The size of the banhar is quite large - the growth is average or above average, the dog is very dense and strong in composition, with a well-developed muscular system. The animal reaches a weight of 30 kg or more. The lower parameter in growth for males according to the standard is 60 cm, for females - 5 cm lower.

In this breed, males are larger and more massive than bitches. The head of the shepherd dog is oblong, proportional, wide in the cranial zone. The cheekbones are well developed, and the tubercle at the nape is smoothly smoothed.

On the forehead there is a wide, deep groove. The muzzle is actually blunt at the end, symmetrically wide towards the base. From above, its shape resembles a trapezoidal wedge.

The peculiarity of the muzzle is its swelling. The Banhar’s nose is neat, small, triangular. The lower jaw of the Banhara is massive and wide. Hidden behind tight, dry lips, has a fold in the corner.

The standard assumes the presence of hanging triangular ears, set on the line of the eyes or slightly below their level. Oval eyes set obliquely and wide. They are expressive, dark, located under dry eyelids. The pupils are so small that they are reduced to a point in the light.

The teeth of the Banhars are white, large. The jaw has a straight and very dense bite. The neck is low set, powerful, strong. The chest is expanded, wide. It is finally formed by the age of three years.

Banhara’s belly is tightened, the back is straight and straight, the lower back is slightly convex. The croup is a little tilted. The front legs are widely set, their height occupies 60% of the total height of the dog.

The hind legs of the Banhar are straight and set slightly wider than the front. The thick tail has a high landing.An excited dog throws it onto his back, turning a ring, and in a state of calm, the tail is freely lowered.

Standard color description: black with tan, red and pure black. With any color option on the chest of the banhar there is always a distinct white spot. The coat of black dogs is characterized by a red-brown tint.

This Mongolian breed has a special down. These are hairs of a very delicate and fine structure, light with ashy shimmer or grayish-beige. During molting, up to 1 kg of fluff can be combed out from Banhara.

Things from this fluff are distinguished by good wear and low tendency to roll. Things after washing become even more magnificent and do not lose their strength. In addition, they have healing properties and can contribute to the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The coat of these dogs is smooth, with a pleasant shine, almost does not smell and fits snugly to the body. The structure of the integumentary hair is dense, stiff, thin and even. Down hair is dense and has a lighter shade. Wool has the ability to absorb the smell of the place of residence. This disguise helps the Banhar during the hunt - other animals never learn it.

In puppies, the structure of the coat does not actually change as they grow. On the neck and shoulders the cover is longer and similar to a mane. There are patches on the back of the legs. The overgrown growth is also noticeable on the ears, between the fingers, on the lateral lobes of the paws and on the tail.

The length of the coat of Mongolian wolfhounds varies by region. The north it is, the greater the length of the coat in dogs. It is believed that no other breed is endowed with such a cover structure.

By temperament, Banhar is a rather phlegmatic and balanced dog. Shepherd is alert and not deprived of the mind. She is friendly to loved ones and expresses suspicion and aggression towards people who are unfriendly.

Banhar is always confident. Representatives of the breed are self-sufficient, but do not dominate. They have pronounced communication abilities. These pack dogs are perfectly subordinate to the hierarchy and feel comfortable among their fellow tribesmen.

For kids, Banhar is always very patient and careful with them. Calmly perceives cattle and domestic animals, protects them, as well as other members of a master's family. Problems in understanding arise only when living next to other same-sex dogs.

Dogs of this breed can often be found at temples in their homeland. Dogs living in Mongolian Buddhist monasteries are distinguished by their contact and kind disposition, and Arat’s companions often show ferocity and an unsociable character. Particularly aggressive individuals were previously tagged with red neck bandages. They signaled to strangers that it was dangerous to approach the dogs.

The Mongolian large shepherd has a lot of roles: shepherd-guard of the herd, guard of the house and property, ranger and hunter of prey of different sizes, bodyguard. It is also a harnessed (horse-drawn) dog, endowed with intelligence. She does not need the help and support of a person to establish order in the flock.

Banhars accompany herd animals for grazing and watering, avoiding mixing with other herds. They can independently determine the territory of protection and the point of observation of cattle. During work, dogs are confident and calm; they rarely arrange “negotiations” with colleagues.

At night, the "Mongols" are mostly awake, and during the day they doze at the post, but sensitively, vigilantly guarding their penates. Similar behavior is demonstrated even by inexperienced young growth.Having noticed a stranger, young dogs immediately rush to meet him, and the mission of more experienced dogs is to stay near the object of protection. Only if necessary do they connect to the attackers. The Banharas are characterized by such a fighting technique: capturing the enemy's face in the mouth for strangulation.

Wolfhounds - a completely unsuitable breed for living in an apartment. Dogs are able to adapt to living within a private house with their own compound. The best option for this breed is considered to be a farm stay. Most of the day the dogs move around the territory. In Mongolia, it is not customary to plant shepherd dogs in isolated aviaries.

The banhara booth should be located at a height of about 25 cm from the ground. The optimal dimensions of dog housing are 100x100x100 cm. The roof needs to be made flat with a slight slope, for the convenience of observing the dog's surroundings from his home. The booth has an entrance to the south, the back to the north, where an additional thickening of the fiberboard is created.

Inside the booth, it is not customary to lay any rags such as old coats of wool or sheepskin coats. They do not need heating quality, rather, they will contribute to the accumulation of dirt and wool, which means parasites. Banhar needs to be given very good physical exertion. It is important for them not only to work, but also to regularly go for walks, having the opportunity to frolic with their fellow tribesmen, to swim and hunt.

In many photographs, the Banharas are densely covered with multiple tangles: on the ears, in the neck and on the tail. This suggests that the owners are too lazy to comb out the pets. But here it’s not at all the laziness of the owners, just these same warlocks serve dogs as protection against predator bites, a kind of thick woolen shield. The Mongols never wash their shepherds with special shampoos, it is not customary to look after the dogs.

The digestion of Mongolian shepherds is more adapted to digesting natural food, but it is permissible to feed the dog with a quality ready-made dry food. The menu is selected depending on the age, size of the animal, its physiological state. The main diet for puppies under 4 months of age is sour milk, cereals from cereals, meat products, vegetable crops and vegetable oils.

In the phase of active growth in dogs a vitamin-mineral complex is required, selected individually by the veterinarian. 11-15-month-old Banharas are fed twice a day. At night, put meat in an amount of 500 g, twice a week give 200 g of cottage cheese. After a year, there is only one feeding left - in the evening. Periodically, the shepherd dog of this breed is useful to spend an unloading day, making sure that clean water in sufficient quantities was in a dog bowl. In addition to water on this day, dogs are not supposed to.

The freedom-loving proud Banhar must be brought up from the first days of being in the house. It is very important that from the very beginning the dog understands who is the boss in the house and grows obedient to him.

In principle, owners can start training later, when the puppy is older and a little more comfortable. It is possible and even recommended to train banharas by game methods. For this breed, it will not work to use the standard OKD scheme for practicing conditioned reflexes or IPO 1-2-3 of the American standard. This is because wolfhounds think well and are smart in nature, they are able to make a decision and take the right position in a difficult situation.

Four-legged “Mongols” are characterized by a special behavior that owners must be able to understand and accept. Understanding breeders do not give Banhars to the people who previously held Caucasians, fearing coaching and psychological pressure on an independent dog. For the benefit of the dog will participate in various spheres of life of the owners. This trip to the sea, and shopping trips, and daily jogging. He needs constant communication with people and other animals.

Having become acquainted with the basics of upbringing and the details of caring for the Mongolian shepherd, it remains to acquire a puppy and name it. If you bought a girl, you can choose one of the following popular options: Alan, Shool, Erteki, Salasha, Zhandi, Oil, Pat, Fatiha, Hoin, Zhaldyz, Mapa, Geza or come up with a name yourself. In any case, only the owners decide.

A small dog will one day become a large, strong, beautiful and proud banhar. therefore even if you really want to, do not give him cute and funny nicknames. He must respond to some special name. For example, a dog can be called Davlat, Ilkhan, Khal, Ulug, Chikish, Elem, Shamol, Tez, Yakyn, Talap, Sevmok, Batyr, Adyl, Nuker, Ajarh. Or invent something similar, but certainly sonorous and majestic.

You can learn more about Mongolian shepherds from the following video.