In addition to the large Central Asian and Caucasian Ovtcharka typed guarding dogs, the "Ashayer" (nomads) of Iran also have a smaller working shepherd dog, much the size and apperance of a Border Collie. We can assume that these breeds often have been crossed with each other. The mission of these dogs divisible to 2 parts: Guarding livestock and Guarding the tents of the family.

The most famous of these nomads are two groups named: "Ghashghai and Bakhtiaries". They both and even the other nomads, travel hundred of kilometers (twice a year) before summer and before winters.

So we can find them in both flat and mountain areas. They live in west and south west of Iran.
Each "Ashayer" group has many tribes with many families inside it's group and each family with it's livestock and it's dogs (mostly 3 or 5 dogs in every family).

In 1987 the nomads in all of the Iran had about 17,000,000 livestocks. from these nombers we can see how many dogs they can use. The season migrate of nomads is called "kuch". (it's the same word of Afghanian dogs: sage kuchi that means a dog that migrate with nomads).

The nomad dogs like other shepherd dogs of Iran have not a special breed name. So I call them as "Sage Ashaayeri" (nomads dog). Because of the old history of nomads in Iran, it is possible that the nomads dogs of Iran have an old connect and root with "persian shepherd dog" too!.

From some photos and films that I have see, I colected some general appearance from 1910 untill 2000 about these dogs:

• Size: medium, about 50-60 Cm heigh.
• Coat: Two kinds: 1) medium hair, not so long and not so short, straight. 2) Smooth.
• Color: black & white, yellow, yellow & white, brown & white or three color.
• Tail: medium, with long hair, general laid on down but in the gait it set high (like spitz). Cropping tails is very very rare with the nomads in Iran.
• Ears: medium, half hanging down. set in the two sides of the head. many times cropped in middle or short.
• Muzzle: seems like the spitz dogs. not so long.
• Back: not so wide. straight, almost horizontal.
• Character: shows good reaction of defence for flock or home. Ferocious towards the strangers. It is very bold and can fight against wild animals like wolves, bears and wild boars.

West of Esfahan Prov. Photo: Sharareh Kazeruni-2000