The Zerdava (Georgian: მეკვერნე) is an aboriginal laika dog breed native to the Black Sea region of Turkey and Georgia.

[3] Zerdava have been documented in the Eastern Black Sea region for at least a hundred years, especially in the Trabzon and Giresun provinces of Turkey.

[2] Zerdava are a spitz breed with a compact, athletic body, triangular, upright ears, and a curved tail.

[2] They are devoted to their humans and distrust strangers, earning them the nickname “the Gate Dog” for their excellent capabilities as a watchdog.

[3] Starting in 2016, Turkish Armed Force has been training Zerdava for a variety of military uses including bomb and narcotic detection, search and rescue, and personnel detention.