The Russian Black Terrier

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Carol Blyth

Appearance

The Black Russian Terrier is a large, robust and powerful dog with large bone and well-developed musculature. He/she should be proportionate with an overall balanced structure which is slightly longer than tall at the withers.

He/she should have high, pronounced and well developed withers with a slightly sloping, wide and muscular topline.

The rump is large and muscular with a barely visible line slope towards the tail, which is high set on the croup.

The head should be well proportioned with a moderately broad skull and rounded cheekbones. The topline of the muzzle should be parallel to the topline of the skull. The muzzle should be solid with a slight tapering towards the tip and length a little shorter than the length of the skull. The whiskers and beard give the muzzle a squared-off shape and the head an overall ‘brick’ type shape.

The neck should be substantial, of medium length (approximately equals to the length of the head) and muscular. It should be set at a 40-45 degree angle to the line of the back.

Bitches are not generally as substantial in size and musculature but this may depend on lineage and environment.
The Black Russian Terrier is a large, robust and powerful dog with large bone and well-developed musculature. He/she should be proportionate with an overall balanced structure which is slightly longer than tall at the withers.

He/she should have high, pronounced and well developed withers with a slightly sloping, wide and muscular topline.

The rump is large and muscular with a barely visible line slope towards the tail, which is high set on the croup.

The head should be well proportioned with a moderately broad skull and rounded cheekbones. The topline of the muzzle should be parallel to the topline of the skull. The muzzle should be solid with a slight tapering towards the tip and length a little shorter than the length of the skull. The whiskers and beard give the muzzle a squared-off shape and the head an overall ‘brick’ type shape.

The neck should be substantial, of medium length (approximately equals to the length of the head) and muscular. It should be set at a 40-45 degree angle to the line of the back.

Bitches are not generally as substantial in size and musculature but this may depend on lineage and environment.

Bite: Scissor bite with a full, complete set (42 teeth) of strong white teeth, fitting closely one to the other. Incisors set on one line.

Gait: Ground-covering movement with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. When trotting, the legs must move in a straight line, with the front legs converging slightly towards a median line. The back and loin should have an elastic, springy movement with good driving power from behind. A shortened or ewe neck will result in a shortened, choppy movement in front. It is not in the standard but one should see full footpads in the hind feet as the dog moves away.

Feet: Feet should be thick with well arched pads and rounded in shape.

Colour: Black with a few white or grey hairs. There should be dark pigmentation in the eyes, nose, and gums.

Height: Dogs - 66-72 cm at the withers and bitches 64-70 cm at the withers.

Eyes: Small, dark brown to black, oval shaped and slightly slanted.

Coat: The outer hairs are rough and thick, with a softer undercoat. On the muzzle, the coat should form a rough, brushy moustache on the upper lip and a beard on the lower lip. Above the eyes, the eyebrows are rough and bristled. (Be aware in the warmer parts of Australia coats tend to stay softer and with a less dense undercoat).

History

Work commenced in the early 1950’s to develop a guard and protection dog for the Russian Army. The state-owned Red Star kennel in Russia aimed to create a large, high-spirited universal military dog with a stable temperament, always willing to work and able to withstand the dramatic climatic differences in Russia.

The breeds used to develop the Black Russian Terrier were primarily the Newfoundland (for size and coat), Rottweiler and Giant Schnauzer (for temperament and working ability) and Airedale terrier (for “spirit”). Several other breeds (Great Dane, Caucasian Ovcharka and East European Shepherd) were also used in the early days including several breeds of terrier no longer in existence.
By the 1970’s the foundation dogs of what have become the Black Russian Terrier of today were established.

The first Black Russian Terriers imported into Australia arrived in 2001 – Best Guard Deniza (“Zaya”) from Russia via Finland and Zornoi James Bond (“Stryka”) from Finland. Dot and Ross Sweeney selected these particular dogs for their temperament and working lines.

They and their subsequent progeny have proved to be successful in a variety of roles including obedience, tracking, agility, conformation showing and at least two are earmarked for future work as therapy dogs.

Temperament

The Black Russian Terrier is not known to have an especially dominant nature, but they can be wilful or stubborn and are very intelligent. They have a wonderful, well-balanced, strong character but are not for everyone.

They may be aloof to strangers and, unless socialized early, may not tolerate handling by anyone outside the family. They are, however, courageous, self-confident, lively and reliable.

They are generally dog tolerant but may defend themselves if threatened. They also have a long memory and will remember prior incidents with certain dogs (and certain people).

As they were created as a guard and protection dog they are highly trainable and thrive with a variety of stimulation. In Europe they are being used for both herding and sledding as well as protection work.

They do well in a housing situation but not as well when kennelled, kept outside in yards or garages or removed from human contact for long periods of time.

They are slow to mature both physically and behaviourally – the girls being slightly quicker than the boys in both areas.

Because of their size and temperament BRTs are not your average pet. They are a true guarding breed and need to be with experienced dog owners and preferably those with prior knowledge of working/guarding breeds.

In the right household, however, they flourish and tolerate well children and other animals.

Care / Grooming

Because of their size and quick rate of growth a high quality diet is a necessity for this breed. Tinned or processed meat is NOT recommended. Instead fresh beef/lamb/chicken either in pieces or mince with a good quality dry biscuit should be on the menu. Until approximately 8 – 12 months the dry food should be for a giant puppy (some brands make specific dry foods aimed at this size and age group) before switching to an adult, large/giant breed dry food.

Pups from approximately 3 – 6 months need to be fed approximately twice daily. It is very important not to overfeed or underfeed this breed. Being overweight can cause serious skeletal problems during puppyhood or adulthood. Likewise, underfeeding or feeding a poor quality diet can result in poor skeletal formation and possible organ damage. Ask your breeder for a recommended diet sheet. It is also highly recommended that your dog have a regular supply of raw meaty bones for its teeth. This will be far less expensive than having to get teeth cleaned by a vet later down the track! Alternately, dried pigs ears or chicken feet will assist in this area.

DO NOT SUPPLEMENT YOUR DOGS’ OR PUPS’ FOOD WITH CALCIUM. If you are feeding a healthy, balanced diet this type of supplementation can do more harm than good.

Not a dog for a first time groomer – requires time and lots of patience. BRTs need to be brushed at least weekly and professionally groomed every six weeks (at least). They shed more than an Airedale but much less than a Golden Retriever or Labrador.

Any time from approximately 18 months of age onward their coats start to change from being a soft puppy coat to a harsher adult coat. During this period some matting will occur as the puppy coat sheds into the harsher coat coming through. Increased grooming and professional advice will assist during this period.

If intending to show your BRT then extra grooming including scissoring and clipping skills and equipment will be required.

Will self exercise if given the opportunity. Black Russian Terriers have competed in a wide range of activities from obedience and agility to protection work and tracking and are well suited to all. They enjoy working and being active and activities such as agility, rally obedience and tracking are highly recommended.

NOTE: If intending to agility train your BRT you should wait until they are approximately 12 months old so as not to cause any damage to growth plates and joints from increased impact. It may also be worth consulting a vet with your BRT before commencing this particular activity.

BRTs generally enjoy water – the more the better. They love to swim and a wading pool can be a great asset in the backyard. They also need a considerable source of fresh drinking water daily.

Health

Allergies, hip and elbow dysplasia, Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD), Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) can be problems in Black Russian Terriers.

The following are recommended tests:
• Hips (BVA/GSDL – see this site http://www.maremmano.com/chd.htm, OFA, or PennHip)
• Elbows (OFA or OVC)
• Eyes (yearly by an ophthalmologist)

For its emotional health, a BRT needs your love, respect, and the companionship of you and your family.

As this is still such a new breed the occasional off-coloured pup is born. If this occurs the pup must be registered on the Limited Register and, although entitled to compete for working titles, cannot be shown in conformation shows or used for breeding. Generally the off-colour may be an entire red/brown coat or black coat with noticeable brown patches (not sunburn to the coat). Apart from coat colour there is nothing wrong with these pups.

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