Black Russian Terrier vs Bohemian Shepherd - Breed Comparison

Black Russian Terrier vs Bohemian Shepherd - Breed ComparisonBlack Russian Terrier is originated from Russia but Bohemian Shepherd is originated from Czech Republic. Black Russian Terrier may grow 20 cm / 8 inches higher than Bohemian Shepherd. Black Russian Terrier may weigh 35 kg / 78 pounds more than Bohemian Shepherd. Both Black Russian Terrier and Bohemian Shepherd has almost same life span. Black Russian Terrier may have more litter size than Bohemian Shepherd. Black Russian Terrier requires High maintenance. But Bohemian Shepherd requires Moderate maintenance

History

black russian terrier - historyDuring the cold war, the Soviet Union developed the Black Russian Terrier as a working military dog. During the early 1950’s, the Red Star Kennel developed this breed and in 2004 by the American Kennel Club. The Black Russian Terrier is not really a terrier at all, but a mid-sized working dog used for hunting and guarding or as a pet. The Red Star Kennel is thought to have developed the BRT using a wide variety of breeds – as many as seventeen – including breeds like the Newfoundland, the Rottweiler, the Caucasian Shepard Dog and a Giant Shepard and an Airedale. So, you can see the wide variety and several more breeds were added. The Red Star Kennel in Moscow was owned by the state and they developed the BRT for specific working conditions and not for appearance. They did not really care how it looked except that it had to be black. In 1957 the state allowed a few puppies to be sold to non-military breeders. These breeders began to breed the Black Russian Terrier for appearance as well as function.

As these breeders worked with the dogs, they spread the breed throughout Russia and into Finland, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Germany. From there they spread to Australia, Canada and the United States. The breed standard was developed in 1958 and by 1996 an updated version of the standard was developed to reflect the dog we see today. In 1996 the United Kingdom also got their first introduction to the breed. They are still rare outside of Russian or previous Soviet Union states.

bohemian shepherd - historyKnown as the Chodský pes or the Chodenhund, the Bohemian Shepherd is native to the Czech Republic and is a herding breed. Like many other old dog breeds, nothing is 100% certain about is history. This is thought to be because the breed was developed centuries before the keeping of records. It is certain however, that the breed developed in the south-western portion of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic.

It is believed the Bohemian Shepherd came from herding dogs such as the Pinscher/Schnauzer, Spitzen or even a dog/wolf hybrid. It was in November 1991, that the Bohemian Shepherd Lover’s Club was founded. Many Bohemian Shepherd breeders have been registered and today the breed has earned the reputation for being a superb family dog. The dog has also been granted recognition with the Czech National Kennel Club.

Description

black russian terrier puppy - descriptionA little larger than a mid-sized dog, the Black Russian Terrier is strong, powerful, stable and alert. His head is block shaped and has a broad skull. The muzzle is square with a beard and mustache. A black, large nose and full black lips are matched with powerful and large jaws. He has a scissor bite and his ears should be triangles with rounded apexes. They have very large paws that are bear-like in appearance with thick black pads. They are also covered with hair. Their legs are muscular, powerful and strong. They have a cropped tail.

bohemian shepherd puppy - descriptionThe medium sized Bohemian Shepherd looks much like a combination between the Collie and German Shepherd. He is 48-55 cm in height and weighs about 15-25 kg. The Bohemian Shepherd has a thick, long coat which is black and tan in color and with an undercoat, allowing him to cope in icy weather conditions. His well proportioned body is muscular and compact with a long bushy tail and erect ears.

Temperament

The Bohemian Shepherd makes a wonderful family pet, becoming very attached to his human family. He has a good reputation with children too and will get on well with other pets in the home. He is so amicable that he makes a good pet choice for those looking to own a dog for the first time.

He is intelligent and alert and also protective of his family, making him an excellent guard dog. He is easily trainable, and just like with any other dogs, will require training and socialization.

Characteristics

black russian terrier dog - characteristicsThe Black Russian Terrier is a working dog and he is confident, calm, self-assured and confident. He is responsive and intelligent, protective and fearless, loyal and aloof. He is not welcoming to strangers. If socialized well, he is enough of an independent thinker to be able to decide on his own who or what poses a threat to his family and what doesn’t. They get bored quickly because they are so smart. Keep him stimulated. These are strong, athletic dogs who will love to run with you, jog along side your bike, hike the mountain or just walk with you. Whatever your form of exercise is, the Black Russian Terrier can adapt to it. They also have a strong prey drive so don’t trust them with animals they do not know. They are ok with cats and dogs that they grow up with. They love to play with kids but be careful they don’t unintentionally knock the little ones down.

The Black Russian Terrier matures later than other dogs. Treat the puppy the way you want the adult dog to be. If you don’t want a large dog on your bed don’t let the puppy sleep on the bed. He will soon be a large, powerful and strong dog with a mind of his own and you will not be able to keep him off the bed.

bohemian shepherd dog - characteristicsPlayful by nature, friendly, gentle and co-operative, your Bohemian Shepherd will make a wonderful pet and he is a real social character, loving to spend lots of time with his human family. With minimal health conditions and without requiring much maintenance, he is an adaptable dog and will easily settle into city- or country living, so long as he is given regular exercise and attention.

He is courageous and intelligent and also makes an excellent guard-dog. With so much going for this beautiful dog, he simply makes a loyal, loving and devoted family pet.

Health Problems

black russian terrier puppies - health problemsThis is a healthy breed who faces some of the same issues other large dogs face such as dysplasia in the elbows and hips. Then they also face their own hereditary diseases such as Juvenile laryngeal paralysis, hyperuricosuria and polyneuropathy. They are also susceptible to heart disease, eye diseases, allergies, Panosteitis and hypertropic osteodystrophy. Let’s look at the major hereditary disease that are not so common.

Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis

This occurs when the larynx arytenoid cartilages stop working and don’t operate so then the adjoining muscles don’t work either and the dog cannot swallow without the possible damage to the airway and the cannot breathe properly during exercise or while panting.

Hyperuricosuria

This is a condition that can occur in people and animals. This condition can lead to kidney or bladder stones as there is too much uric acid in their urine.

Polyneuropathy

Like any form of neuropathy, in this disease many different nerves are damaged, and this can cause weak reflexes and tremors. There are effective treatments however.

bohemian shepherd puppies - health problemsBreeding organizations are continually trying to minimize the diseases within limited-gene-pool dog breeds. While the Bohemian Shepherd is a generally health breed, there are diseases that are more common with the Bohemian Shepherd and which you need to be aware of -

Hip Dysplasia

This is a painful disease – a problem with the formation of the hips – where the dog can develop arthritis and even become lame.

Bloat

This is a condition where gas gets trapped in the stomach of your pet, so that he swells up, sometimes causing the stomach to twist. This is an emergency for your pet and it is extremely painful. Nobody really knows the cause, but when the gas is trapped inside the stomach, the bloated stomach of your pet requires you getting to the vet as quickly as you can.

Eye Conditions

Look out for Progressive Retinal Atrophy known as PRA . This is a group of degenerative diseases that affect the photoreceptor cells where the cells deteriorate and can result in blindness with your pet. Fortunately it isn’t a painful condition.

Caring The Pet

Feeding

black russian terrier dogs - caringThis is a large, working dog that needs healthy nutrition. Feed once or twice a day but do not overfeed. Don’t let your Black Russian Terrier get overweight. Proper nutrition for puppies is critical given the nutrionally based diseases discussed below.

Health issues

  1. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) – Watch out for this in your puppy. Like other large, puppies that grow fast the Black Russian Terrier is susceptible to this bone disease.
  2. Panosteitis (Wandering Lameness) – Again an issue for puppies of larger breeds as a nutritional issue causes an abrupt lameness at 6-8 months of age.
  3. Heart Disease – Cardiomyopathy, Mitral Valve Dysplasia and Aortic Stenosis
  4. Eye Diseases – Conjunctivitis, entropion and ectropion.
  5. Allergies – Food, contact and inhalant. Hot spots and fungal infections of the beard and ears.

Exercise and games

This is a high energy dog that needs to work. He doesn’t just want to work, he needs to work. So, find him a job and one that includes a lot of exercise. He needs consistent and firm training but will respond well and excel in Obedience Trials. They are good at Schutzhund and agility. They need plenty of exercise and will be unhappy and destructive without enough and a job. He needs to burn off that energy.

Keep Him Exercised and Busy

bohemian shepherd dogs - caringThe Bohemian Shepherd is an energetic breed and will need to be exercised regularly. He’ll love to run alongside your bike on your cycling trips or you can take him on a long walk. Having said that, he is an easy going dog and can adapt to city- and country life, but if it’s city life, you can’t leave him cooped up in a small yard and think that will suffice. He has a personality that longs to be part of the family.

Grooming

Your Bohemian Shepherd is a moderate shedder in spite of his thick beautiful coat. The coat will certainly need a good brushing at least twice a week to get rid of that loose hair. Not only that, your social Bohemian Shepherd will love the closeness to you that the brushing brings.

Keep his nails short and his teeth brushed at least 2 or 3 times a week to ensure there is no plaque build up. There are special toothbrushes and toothpastes made for dogs. Don’t use human toothpaste as the ingredients will be harmful to your pet.

Feeding Time

Your Bohemian Shepherd, after one year of age, will eat one or two bowls of food a day. You’ll be able to tell what suits your dog, because the amount will eat about 2 to 4 cups of a good quality dry dog food a day, split into at least two meals. The amount can vary depending on its health, build, age, activity level and metabolism. Make sure it has access to water at all times and that it is changed as often as possible.

Basic Information

Group:
Working dog
Herding dogs
Origin:
Russia
Czech Republic
Height Male:
72 - 76 cm
28 - 30 inches
48 - 56 cm
18 - 23 inches
Height Female:
68 - 72 cm
26 - 29 inches
46 - 56 cm
18 - 23 inches
Weight Male:
50 - 60 kg
110 - 133 pounds
16 - 25 kg
35 - 56 pounds
Weight Female:
40 - 50 kg
88 - 111 pounds
14 - 25 kg
30 - 56 pounds
Life Span:
9 - 14 Years
9 - 13 Years
Litter Size:
6 - 12
4 - 6
Size:
Large dog
Medium dog
Other Names:
BRT Russian Black Terrier • Russkiy Tchiorny Terrier • Chornyi • Terrier Noir Russe • Russian Bear Schnauzer • Black Terrier • Tchiorny Terrier
Chodský pes, Czech Sheepdog, Bohemian Herder
Colors Available:
black only
Black and Tan
Coat:
Rough and thick, slightly waved
Long, dense and straight
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Alert, Courageous, Energetic, Independent, Intelligent, Loving, Loyal, Protective, Responsive, Stubborn, Territorial
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Responsive, Social, Sweet
Grooming:
High maintenance
Moderate maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

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