The East European Shepherd was bred in the Soviet Union in the early twentieth century. In the 1920s a number of German Shepherds were imported from Germany into the Ukrainian 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;^[2][3] from 1950 this was named the Vostochno Evropeiskaya or East European.^[4] While initially the breed was centred in Ukraine, it soon spread throughout the Soviet Union, although its fortunes suffered during the Great Patriotic War.^[2][3] At the end of the War there were substantial imports of German Shepherd dogs from Germany; importation had not been possible before the War.^[4]

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.^[2][3] A breed standard was approved in 1955 by the Central Committee of the USSR DOSAAF, and in 1964 by the Presidium of the Service Dog Breeding Federation.^[4] The East European Shepherd is now among the most numerous dog breeds in Russia and several former Soviet countries.^[3]

With effect from 1 January 2017 the Vostochno Evropeiskaya Ovcharka was recognised by the Nordic Kennel Union [da], and is thus recognised by the Danish Kennel Club [da], the Finnish Kennel Club, the Icelandic Kennel Club, the Norwegian Kennel Club [no] and the Swedish Kennel Club.^[5][6]

The East European Shepherd is significantly larger than the German Shepherd and shows substantial sexual dimorphism: dogs typically stand 67 to 72 cm (26 to 28 in) at the withers although some can be as tall as 74 cm (29 in); bitches are typically 62 to 67 cm (24 to 26 in).^[1][2] The coat is dense and of medium length, with a well-developed undercoat, and often with longer soft hair on the ears, neck, limbs and tail. It may be black-and-tan, sable or solid black; brindles or whites are rare.^[2][3] 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.^[3]

The breed is considered particularly intelligent, courageous, determined and tough, and owners often describe its temperament as similar to that of a Dobermann.^[2][3]

• "RKF National Breed Club for the East European Shepherd breed". RKF NKP VEO. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
• "The official Catalog of purebred East European Shepherds". RKF NKP VEO catalog. Retrieved 28 December 2014.