Black Russian Terrier
Czarny terier rosyjski 64.jpg
Black Russian Terrier
Other names Black Terrier
Tchiorny Terrier
Chornyi
Russian Bear Schnauzer
Russian Black Terrier
Common nicknames BRT, Stalin's dog
Origin Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Classification / standards
FCI Group 2, Section 1 #327 standard
AKC Working standard
ANKC Group 6 (Utility) standard
CKC Group 3 - Working standard
KC (UK) Working standard
NZKC Utility standard
UKC Guardian Dogs standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Black Russian Terrier (Russian: Чёрный терьер), Sobaka Stalina (Stalin's dog), or simply BRT is a breed of dog developed originally as a guard dog and police dog. It is rare outside its native country and is just starting to be recognized elsewhere; for example, it is one of the AKC's most-recently recognized breeds, gaining full status in July 2004. This breed is the largest of all terriers.

Contents

Description[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Russianblack.jpg

The Black Russian Terrier gives the impression of great strength, athleticism, and courage. It should be rustic (but not coarse) in appearance, and should not look as though its coat is sculpted or trimmed. It should never appear to lack substance or be weak in any way. Males should be noticeably more masculine than females.

Coat[edit]

The coat is hard and dense, never soft, woolly, silky or frizzy. It should be between 4-10 cm (1.4-4 inches) in length. It should form a beard and eyebrows on the face, and a slight mane around the withers and neck that is more pronounced in males. The coat is low-shedding and the colour is black with some gray hairs.

Size[edit]

According to the FCI standard (1983), the male stands 27-28.3 inches (66-72 cm) at the withers compared to the female's 25.2-27.6 inches (64-70 cm) with a tolerance of 0.4 inches (1 cm) less or 0.8 inches (2 cm) more. The breed weighs 77 to 154 pounds (35-70  kg). Larger individuals are not uncommon in Russia, since the RKF standard (1996) adds 0.8 to the standard values, with a tolerance of 0.8 inches (2 cm) less or 1.2 inches (3 cm) more. Nowadays, even larger individual are tolerated if the dog is well proportioned and retains correct movements. The AKC standard recommends 27-30 inches for males and 26-29 inches for females, any dog or bitch under 26 inches being a disqualification. In proportions, a Black Russian Terrier should be slightly longer than tall, 9 ½ to 10 being ideal (FCI standard recommends 100-105).

Temperament[edit]

Black Russian Terriers are confident, calm, highly intelligent, brave and loyal. It should never be timid. The Black Russian Terrier may seem aloof, but needs human companionship and bonds deeply to its family.

BRTs have traditionally been used for a wide variety of tasks, such as carting

Care[edit]

The Black Russian Terrier, because of its breeding as a working dog, has a very strong "work ethic", and needs a job to do in order to be happy. Early training is a must, as it will exploit any owner who has failed to establish clear dominance, and it's just too big to not be trained. They are very responsive to firm, consistent training, and excel at Obedience competitions. They also perform well in other dog sports, such as Agility, and Schutzhund training. They have a low-shedding coat, and need grooming at least once a week, more for show dogs. The Black Russian Terrier needs lots of exercise, and may become hyperactive and destructive if it doesn't have a chance to burn off its energy.

Health[edit]

The Black Russian Terrier is a generally healthy and somewhat long-lived dog (lifespan of 10-14 years), however it is prone to certain hereditary diseases:

History[edit]

The Black Russian Terrier was developed in the former USSR by the state for use as a military/working dogs. The breeding stock was largely imported from the occupied countries, especially East Germany. Breeds used in the development include the Airedale Terrier, Caucasian Ovcharka, Newfoundland, Giant and Standard Schnauzers and the now extinct Moscow Water Dog. It was bred for working ability, rather than appearance, and early examples only resembled today's Black Russian Terrier in their build and coat type. It was bred solely by the state owned Red Star Kennel until 1957, when some puppies were sold to civilian breeders. These breeders began to breed for looks (as the original was rather plain) while retaining working ability.

In time, the breed spread to the Balkans, Ukraine, and Siberia, and later to Finland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the United States.

The breed was recognized by the FCI in 1984. On July 1, 2004, it was recognized by the American Kennel Club in the working group.

External links[edit]

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