I live in a duplexe house with a mid-sized rooftop which is provided with a proper dog shelter. Our house is in a moderately noisy- yet predictable- suburban environment with passing cars, chat and sounds from neighboring houses all day long....BUT NOT DURING THE NIGHT .

So after i spent hours after hours carefully researching this breed's temperament , i realized that their temperament fits EXACTLY what i want in a dog.

I am planning to get it as a puppy, and looking forward to SELF TRAIN it and socialize it to the MAX to become a beloved family companion for me and my parents, as well as my personal jogging companion, guard dog and best friend

The only thing is that the dog will be staying during the night at the rooftop in his shelter(dog house). The rooftop is fairly large and there is plenty of room for him to run.

BUT, i am really worried that the caucasian starts barking when left on the rooftop (especially at night) because i know THEY ARE VERY ALERT GUARD DOGS BY INSTINCT...and that could cause me some nasty & mouthy arguments with neighbors....

So my question is: IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A CAUCASIAN TO GET USED TO OUR SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT FROM PUPPYHOOD AND NOT BARK AT ANY PASSING NEIGHBOR OR HUMAN WHEN ALERTED ? because i know it's an instinct this breed has....

The male puppy i like is now 35 days old and still at the breeder's. I am planning to get it when it reaches 8 weeks old.

thanks and help is appreciated.

This doesn't sound like an ideal situation for a large, athletic breed that needs a job to do. They're serious dogs, with a serious need for a lot of exercise. They haven't been bred to be pets; they're working dogs. They need a job.

Letting him run around on a roof top all night could lead to something worse than noise complaints. You could get up some morning and find your dog splayed out on the ground, with broken bones, internal injuries, or worse yet, dead.

Also, 8 weeks is too young. Your pup needs to spend a few more weeks with his Mom and litter mates so he can learn how to be a dog. One of the most important lessons he'll learn is bite inhibition; not to bite too hard or too often. Mom can teach that lesson a lot better, and a lot quicker, than you or I could.

This sounds totally cruel to me. Keeping your dog on the roof! Is it grassed up there? It can't be that big of an area to run. If you don't have any space then you should be looking for a tiny breed of dog. Where will it be kept in the daytime? When a dog is of a "working dog" breed, people have no idea of the type of energy these dogs have unless they own one.

as long as that you want it go get it..

Any dog can be trained to do almost anything with someone who knows what they're doing and the proper environment in which to do it. But I don't feel duplex/rooftop life is suitable for a young large breed dog. Many times, dogs end up with behavioral problems because owners select them based on affinity rather than a fundamental compatibility with the lifestyle they can be given. This sounds like what you're about to do, as you said you researched the breed to find out what its behavioral attributes are, rather than having researched behavioral attributes of all breeds and found the Caucasian mountain dog.

I know it can be really hard to look at something objectively once you have your heart set on it. Nothing is impossible, and I guess given the right amount of work, you can keep the dog mentally and physically ship shape. I just hope you do have a genuine understanding of what needs to be done to keep this breed so.

I don't feel that ANY dog should be kept on a rooftop. Especially not a breed like the Caucasian Mountain Dog. I have actually done some very extensive research on this breed, as I am very interested in them myself. However, it is important to understand that these are very large, high energy, protective dogs. They are known for being very loyal and potective of their family, and very aggressive torwards strangers who are "intruding" on their space. These dogs are working dogs, and I feel that dogs like these also need some type of job or a lot of exercise. It's also very important to understand that these dogs are known for being difficult to train, and they can potentially become very dangerous dogs. In fact, I watched a documentery not all that long ago, and Caucasian Mountain Dogs were being called the MOST powerful dogs in the world. I'm not sure if that's true, and I am also a firm believer in the fact that ANY dog, no matter the breed, can be a great family companion if they are bred, raised, trained, and socialized properly. However, I really don't think that it is a good idea for you to bring one of these dogs into your home, unless you are willing to allow the dog to be kept indoors, take the dog to training classes, ect.

I wish you the very best of luck in whatever you decide!

[Ironwil]

I know this is an old thread, but I want to put in my 2 cents here in case someone else who is thinking about getting a Caucasian reads it.

First, to jv17 who posted "as long as that you want it go get it..", it's people like you that contribute to the millions of dogs that are put down every year. A dog isn't a toy or appliance.

In response to epny, although it is mostly true that you can train any dog to do almost anything, there are certain dogs that are far more difficult to train in certain things. All livestock guardian dog breeds are highly intelligent, but not outstanding obedience dogs, because of their independent nature. Caucasians have been bred for centuries to serve as livestock guardians, so they will be calm but alert, and will respond to perceived threats without waiting for instruction. A dog guarding sheep can't wait for the shepherd to tell it to respond to wolves eating the sheep, so don't expect your Caucasian to calmly wait for you to give the OK - it won't happen. These dogs require extensive socialization throughout the first 2 years of their lives, and ongoing maintenance socialization after that. They are known for their ability to determine what a real threat is, but if they've never been introduced to a UPS delivery man, things could go badly when a delivery arrives.

They are not high-energy, precisely. They require a good amount of regular exercise, but are not like Border Collies, who must walk and run extensively every day. The Georgian type Caucasians, who are the most massive of the Caucasian types, tend to be short sprinters and then lay around waiting for the next threat.

I agree 100% with Dangels about leaving this dog on the roof. IMO, this is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard. I've read a story in which a Caucasian leapt from a 2nd-story balcony to intercept someone approaching the house. This is highly dangerous for both the dog and for people and other animals around your house.

One last bit I need to throw in... Caucasians were bred to respond to perceived threats with a maximum of force. Unlike many other dog breeds that will try to warn off a threat or chase it off, a Caucasian is far more likely to kill it. Understand the inherent dangers and potential legal liabilities there before deciding on this breed. They are soft with their families, hard as iron with pretty much everyone else. There is some deviation in this, depending on the defensive response in the dog and the amount of socialization, but this is a dog you can NEVER let run loose at the park. He/she must be under your direct control at all times, or it isn't a matter of a possible problem. It's only how long until it occurs.

[Lunareclipse]

Old thread. Thanks for the info though.