[quote=vidya]I guess I have a long way to go as regards this wonderful working legend. [/quote] CO is dog dominant yes but most of them in my experience are not insanely dog aggressive. Either breed you are interested in or any of the flockguardian breeds will be enough to fend off stray dogs in the wilds of Indiana, but frankly, I don't allow my dogs to lunge at any dogs off property, stray or not, and if ravaging stray dogs were that much a problem on walks I'd arm myself with some spray and a walking stick and call animal control for a roundup when I returned home. Large powerful dog breeds may not be suitable for novices, but many COs in fact do well with owners with limited experience who exercise good common sense and avail themselves of training resources. My parents are 80 years old this year and are successfully raising a young, large, and very spirited female from import sire & dam, by attending weekly dog training classes wth puppy. Ownership may at times be challenging, but it isn't equivalent to a rocket launch, and I am weary of only reading about their alleged aggressiveness and not more about their other wonderful characteristics, such as their gentle nature with and devotion to family. Caucasians are superdogs to many of us who fancy them but in the end, they are in fact just dogs. Don't get too caught up in the internet hype. Best to turn off the computer and see dogs in person.