Black Russian terrier

A powerful, well-built Black Russian terrier with thick, wavy hair. Calm and balanced, susceptible to training, distrustful of strangers, excellent watchman, resistant to adverse weather conditions. It requires calm, consistent handling. Despite his strong character, he doesn’t tend to dominate and doesn’t try to use his advantage over the owner. He gets along well with children, but due to its size, you should not leave them together without control.

Nature

Contrary to the name, Chernysz is not a typical terrier and should not be expected to behave characteristic of these dogs. He is more like a hunting dog. He is a balanced, confident and calm dog. He senses human intentions well, remembers both friends and enemies. The owners say about him that he can love with all his heart and warn him equally if he has reasons to do so.

Very attached to the guardian is not suitable for a yard dog. He can, of course, spend time in the garden, but with unlimited access to the house. Isolation in the pen will make him unhappy.

Black terrier pays much more attention to protecting people than places. He rarely barks and usually doesn’t pay attention to pedestrians, which does not mean that he will allow strangers to enter his area in the absence of the owner. He always tries to scare off the intruder first, uses the teeth as a last resort.

Despite his strong character, he doesn’t tend to dominate and doesn’t try to use his advantage over the owner. He gets along well with children, is attentive and tolerant, but due to its size, they should not be left together without control. Despite all these advantages, care must be taken for puppies of this breed to fall into responsible hands – poorly raised and inadequately treated can grow into animals that are troublesome for the environment.

Black Russian terrier will accept other dogs and pets. Properly raised, it will not harass foreign quadrupeds, but if it is attacked by them, it can be dangerous.

The representative of this breed needs a lot of movement, but does not require intensive training. Long walks combined with fun and training are enough for him.

Skills

The original task of the black terrier was guard service. Currently, he is mainly a companion dog. It is occasionally used by border guards, as well as a hunting and rescue dog. Some animals of this breed work well in dogotherapy. Black Russian terrier will handle PT (companion dog) and obedience; you can practice agility, flyball or dogtrekking with him.

Black Russian terrier. Training and education

The black terrier is intelligent and perceptive. He likes working with the owner, learns willingly and easily remembers commands. However, sometimes stubborn, that’s why motivation and varied exercises are important during learning. It is not worth repeating the same task many times, because the dog will get bored and refuse to cooperate.

Also, do not force him to do anything, only prizes and praise will bring the desired results. Black Russian terrier can participate in defense training if it is conducted by a proven and experienced helper.

Puppies must not be treated dryly and sparingly, but they should not be allowed anything. They require consistency combined with gentleness and warmth. Correct socialization is important – the toddler must learn about new phenomena, places, people and other animals. Dog nursery school classes are useful.

Who is this race for?

Black terrier is not suitable for everyone. It requires a patient, responsible and time-consuming owner who has experience in raising large dogs. He also needs labor-intensive and systematic care, which, unfortunately, people who decide on it do not always remember.

Black Russian terrier. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• requires systematic and labor-intensive care
• expensive to maintain

Advantages

• requires systematic and labor-intensive care
• expensive to maintain
• attached to the family
• good defender
• not noisy
• intelligent, eager to learn
• tolerant of children from his own family
• accepts other dogs and pets
• willingly surrenders to the owner

Health

Black terriers have a tendency to hip dysplasia as well as gastric extension and twist. Growing puppies sometimes appear: enostosis, putrefact (affects animals aged 2-8 months) and rickets caused by vitamin D3 deficiency.

There may be defects in eyelid positioning (ectropion – eversion) and eye inflammation mainly caused by irritating them through long hair. Sometimes there are fungal infections around the chin, mustache and bangs – they are usually caused by improper care. Black Russian terrier also has a tendency to urolithiasis and sporadically to heart disease and allergies.

The dog of this breed is resistant to low temperatures. It tolerates heat much worse, so in summer you have to protect it from too much sunlight and remember about constant access to water.

Feeding

The dog of this breed needs perfectly balanced food with medium protein content. Many breeders use ready-made feeds from reputable companies with substances that protect the joints (glucosamine and chondroitin) for large or giant breeds. You can also prepare meals yourself, remembering to add the appropriate calcium and vitamin preparations – preferably after consulting your veterinarian.

Because cherries have a fairly sensitive digestive tract, it’s worth choosing one feeding method. It is not recommended to exchange ready-made food at home. Dry food can be varied with white cheese, vegetables, fruit, kefir or yogurt. Some owners successfully use the BARF diet (natural raw food).

Puppies of this breed require particularly careful nutrition. You must also remember not to overfeed them – they should be slim and grow slowly. The daily portion should be divided into at least two meals and ensure the dog rest after eating.

Care

Black terrier requires systematic and professional care – combing and proper haircut. Although he does not molt seasonally, his fur is constantly changing. This usually goes unnoticed by the owner, but the dog must be combed regularly to prevent the formation of tangles. We are already getting used to the little puppies, when their coat does not require intensive care yet.

Chernysh’s coat reaches the final shape when the dog is 18-20 months old, and by that time it should be combed up to three times a week. Then we do it depending on the type and quality of the coat, e.g. once a week.

Remember to comb the hair thoroughly from the skin itself, in the direction of their growth, removing them in batches – preferably with a rare metal comb with blunt teeth and a powder brush. You can also use preparations that facilitate combing and prevent felting.

After each walk, remember to remove dirt from the coat, e.g. seeds, Velcro or sticks.

We bathe Czernysz as needed (e.g. once a month) in shampoos for rough-haired dogs and those highlighting black color. If the coat is not in the best condition, you can use a nutrient, e.g. protein, or a balm with stiffening properties. After bathing, dry the hair slightly, drying the hair with your fingers. Only after that, we dry the dog thoroughly, combing the brush with the powder in all directions – do not comb the wet dog, because it will straighten the coat.

If it is warm and we do not prepare the pet for the exhibition, we can let him dry himself. A non-show dog should be trimmed every 3-6 months.

Large, drooping and profusely hairy ears are susceptible to infection, so proper care is important. The hair on their outside and inside must always be cut short. Hair growing in the middle of the auricle must be regularly plucked with your fingers or clamp surgical pliers (peanuts).

So that the bangs do not irritate the eyes, you can tie long hair into a ponytail or braid them in a pigtail. You must also remember to remove tartar and trim your claws. Care also needs a beard and mustache, which – if the dog gets homemade food – needs to be thoroughly washed, dried and combed after each meal. When feeding with dry food, this should be done at least twice a week.

The preparation of the black terrier for the exhibition depends on the type and condition of the coat. Because it requires a lot of skill and a good knowledge of how to build a dog, it’s better to entrust this task to a specialist. Tetrapods with exemplary stiff hair can be bathed and cut even a week before the show (the day before, only the chin and paws are washed). In contrast, dogs with softer coat are prepared the day before the show. For bathing, you can also use a foam that increases the volume of the coat and agents that shine it.

After thoroughly drying the dog shears according to the current pattern. All transitions between short and long hair should be smooth and give a natural impression. The fur on the neck from the base of the ear to the handle of the sternum is shortened to a length of 1-3 mm with the machine. The same length of hair is left on the buttocks and back of the thighs up to the heels, on the forehead from the eyebrows to the edge of the ear and on the ear up to 2/3 of the length. With scissors (ordinary and thinning scissors), the hair on the neck is cut to a length of 1.5-3 cm, forming a mane. On the back and sides of the torso, the coat should be 3-5cm.

Long hair is left on the chin, mustache, bangs, limbs, at the bottom of the chest and the abdomen (so-called dress). The tail can be sharpened evenly on each side or left on its underside flag.

Accessories

It is best to walk him in a strong leather collar (some owners also use braces) and on a long cord or automatic leash. Halti (bridle collar) works well for older puppies and young dogs.

Suitable toys for blackberry are latex or plush mascots, cotton cords, balls, natural chews (smoked ears, beef masseurs). It is also worth getting the pet used to the metal or material cage, which will be useful during exhibitions and trips. Black terrier is best displayed on a ring in the color of the coat or in a decorative chain.

History

The black terrier is a young breed – it is about 60 years old. He is considered the greatest achievement of Russian cynology – a successful combination of a utility dog ​​character with an effective appearance.

In the 1920s, military schools were established in the former Soviet Union, at which kennels and dog training centers were established. Most often they used German shepherds, Scottish shepherds, rottweilers, giant schnauzers, dobermans, airedale terriers, and even Newfoundland.

From 1924, the Krasnaya Zwiezda kennel started operating at the Central School of Military and Service Dogs established near Moscow. quadruped training for the army. Unfortunately, during World War II, most military dogs (even German Shepherds) did not work well in a harsh climate. In turn, the native breeds (Caucasian, Central Asian or South Russian shepherds) that were attempted to train were too independent and unpredictable.

After the war, Russian cynologists decided to breed a breed that would match the versatility and ease of learning of a German shepherd, and at the same time tolerate difficult weather conditions. Breeding work started in Krasna Zwiez under the direction of Maj. Gen. Medvedev and biology professor Iljin. After the first unsuccessful crosses, incl. German dog with German Shepherd (Moscow dog), Newfoundland with Caucasian and German Shepherd (Moscow Newfoundland), attention was paid to giant schnauzers, airedale terriers and rottweilers.

The father of the first puppies was a schnauzer named Roy, who was associated successively with bitches airedale terrier, rottweiler and Moscow Newfoundland, from which three groups of hybrids arose. The offspring were characterized by, among others strong build, good coat, mostly black coat and proper psyche.

Then the fourth group of hybrids was introduced to the breeding, whose fathers were rottweilers, and the mothers, among others bitches of Moscow Newfoundland and Airedale Terrier. The obtained dogs were not evenly matched in type, so mating in a close relationship was continued.

In 1955, the first description of the racial group was developed, which was called the black terrier. As the breeding work progressed, it was updated several times. In 1979, the cynologists from Krasna Zwieździe published the final model. In 1984, the breed was recognized by the FCI under the name of Black Russian Terrier. Initially, he was placed in group III (terriers). In 1994, he was transferred to the group II – closer to his origin (pinschers, schnauzers, molosses). Recently also returned to the original name – black terrier.

In the second half of the 1980s, Zofia Szczepańska brought her first dogs of this breed to Poland. They were: Bojarin-Aga, Puma (belonging to the Salewicz family), Jermak-Żan, Kluska-Ikra, Arna-Murka.

Template

Black terrier – group II FCI, section 1.4, reference number 327

• Country of origin: Russia
• Size: height at the withers of dogs 66-72 cm, bitches 64-70 cm
• Coat: rough, hard, dense, wavy; the entire body is covered with hair 4-10 cm long, the coat forms a mane on the neck and withers; the forelegs to the elbows and hind legs are covered with hard, long hair; on the head, long hair forms eyebrows, a mustache and a beard; dense, soft undercoat; proper haircut required
• Color: black or black with slightly gray hair
• Maturity: 3-4 years
• Lifespan: 9-11 years
• Weather resistance: high

Interesting facts

In the United States, more than 20 black cereals work in dogotherapy. Interestingly, in Russia nobody does it. For sure, however, not everyone is suitable for a therapist.

As a guard dog, the black terrier was to be distrustful of strangers and in fact some of the representatives of the breed have this feature, but many of them are very open – this is probably the heritage of Newfoundland.