Breed: Central Asian Shepherd Dog
Name: FoxFire's NY Courage Under Fire
Pet-name: Sharkey
Sex: Male
Born: 7/31/01
Sire: UKC, Multi Champion Cozemo Legend of the Falls, CGC, TDI, Tan, TT, OFA Good, RKF Excellent
Dam: Multi Champion Tasha - Best in Show, RKF Excellent, GDC Hips Elbows
Breeder: FoxFire Farms, Jeannine and Vinny DePalma
Owner: Victoria Evans, Max O Magic Kennels, Georgia
Awards and titles: ARBA Champion, Rarities Champion, UKC Champion, BOB CASSA National Specialty.
Rated Excellent under FCI/RKF expert judge M. Polivanov, April 03.
FCI TAN Temperament Test of stability--high score, 34.75 out of possible 35.00.
Hips OFA rated Good, active property guardian, companion, working Therapy Dog.

Sharkey is NEVER far from me, watching over me as I sleep. If I stir he is up before I even open my eyes, standing next to me. He sleeps on the end of the bed. If something goes bump in the night, Sharkey is out the front door & has driven off & sometimes killed Coyotes & the seasonal Bear who ventures to close.
He takes his guardian duties seriously. As a woman living alone in an isolated area, I sleep with no fear. My protector is always at hand to keep me safe.

Kids and dogs......they just go together. Above is a picture of Sharkey being adored by a troop of Girl Scouts at the local fair we attended....loving every minute of their attention. Gentle to a fault with kids and the elderly, Sharkey is a legend in our area for his work with the mentally and physically challenged of all ages. Our Therapy Work with Alzheimer's patients has been written up in several newspapers and magazine articles. I have seen this giant of a dog show the greatness of his heart and giving spirit by gently crawling up into the bed of a dying patient to give his comfort and love and total acceptance...his closeness as the end draws near. Families have cried into his fur as he stood steady to give them solace. He will crawl on his belly up to a toddler so his height will not make them afraid, and allow all kinds of investigations by their tiny hands. HEART is the keyword with this dog.....COURAGE his creed.

Sharkey began his show career at 3 months of age by taking Best in Show Puppy his first time in the ring. Above a picture of Sharkey shown at 8 months old, he had just won First Place in the Jr. Puppy Group, and went on to compete with the adults, taking a Group 3 placement behind the two dogs who had each gone BIS in the proceeding 3 shows.
He has remained a consistent Group Placement winner, and took Reserve BIS this past February. Sharkey now holds Championship titles with the American Rare Breed Association, Rarities Inc. show organization, and became the first Central Asian to Champion in UKC. All of this has been accomplished with competition. He is a true gentleman in and out of the showering.

Little ditty from his Owner Victoria Evans, to Sharkey's breeders Mr. & Mrs. Vincenzo De Palma:
GOD!!!!!! He's Gorgeous, don't you think? I know you aren't supposed to have favorites in a crew like mine, but............Sharkey is one HARD-TO-BEAT-WONDERFUL-MAN!!!! THE MAN in my household!!!! I always bless the day you brought him into my life....right after my Dad's death, 9/11, and all the grief that followed both. Sharkey, the perfect gentleman, the defender, the companion/lover in my group....he makes my life so full....he keeps me warm, he keeps me safe, he gives his love without reservation. There is no more to be asked of such a champion....of the show ring, of the guardian, of the love of my life. He holds my heart very securely in his paws.
Thank you for trusting me with this guy....I can never repay you for what you have given me with him.
Love, Vic.

The breeders of the Central Asian in the US today have a grave responsibility to try and remain as close to the original temperament and duties of the dog we have come to prize as possible. For 4000 years this was a working flock/caravan/home guardian....one who did not seek trouble nor behave in an overly dominant manner. The dogs worked together to accomplish their duties, and were as often seen guarding the children of the family as the sheep or camels. Males and females ran together, working as a group. Today, with some countries capitalizing on the power and strength of this breed, and breeding only for aggressive fighters instead of guardians, a lot of the original purpose is being lost along with the working temperament that lets them guard as a group.
MaxOMagic Oaks Central Asians, in conjunction with the Central Asian Shepherd Society of America, is working to preserve the original working mindset of this breed. We breed dogs that guard flock and family and do not seek to be put on the BSL lists. They are family companions, working livestock guardians, therapy dogs......not fighters who must be kenneled alone to avoid conflicts. They can and do the jobs their ancestors did so successfully for eons. Working together, we breed the original Dog of the Nomads....strong, tough, protective but not aggressive, gentle and loving to family, accepting of welcomed visitors, and capable of working with livestock as well as families. They are multiple show champions who leave the ring, come home, and go back to patrolling their property against predators, thus the legends continue.

Do YOU want to nominate a Molosser for Molosser of the Month? It does not have to be a dog who have achieved alot at shows, other reasons count as much to be Molosser of the Month at Molosserworld.
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