Last Updated on August 23, 2022 by Pets Feed
The Cesky Terrier is one of the rarest breeds. However, if you manage to acquire one of its representatives, consider that you are already a happy person. After all, the Czech Terrier is one of the most flexible, intelligent and calm dogs.
Of course, he is very mobile, playful and active, like all terriers, but at the same time he is not characterized by stubbornness, pride and pride. These wonderful terriers treat all family members with great love, including old people and children. They easily get along with other pets, unless of course, these are rodents.
On a walk, they never get into a fight with other dogs. Although, on occasion, they will always be able to stand up for themselves and for the owner. The Czechs’ protective and hunting instincts are very well developed. They are not only excellent working dogs, but also wonderful companions for the whole family.
Cesky Terrier photos
Breed standard
The Cesky Terrier is a small dog of moderately elongated size. He may appear squat, but he is more muscular and sturdier.
At the withers, dogs reach 25-32 cm and weigh 7-10 kg. A distinctive characteristic is the coat: soft, long, thin, silky, slightly wavy texture. On the face, it forms a mustache and beard, in front of its eyes, thick eyebrows.
The color of the coat is mostly gray with black pigmentation. Rarer color: coffee brown with black pigmentation on the head, beard, cheeks, ears, paws and tail. White and yellow spots on the head, neck, chest, paws are acceptable. Puppies are born black, but gradually the coat changes color.
Cesky Terrier description
The Bohemian dog belongs to the hunting terrier. It has a rectangular shape, well-developed muscle mass, short, stable limbs and small hanging ears. The ideal height of males is 29 cm, bitches – 27 cm, a deviation of 2 cm is allowed – up and down. Dogs weigh from 5.9 to 10 kg.
Representatives of the breed move freely, run slowly but confidently. According to the standard, representatives have the following appearance:
- The shape of the head is an elongated blunt wedge, ideally the length should be 20 cm, with a width of 10 cm. The forehead is flat with a slight smooth transition to the bridge of the nose.
- The nape of the head is palpable, the cheekbones are moderately pronounced. The groove is present, but poorly marked. Males have a greater distance between the ears than females.
- The bridge of the nose is straight; a narrowed muzzle is undesirable. The transition from the forehead to the muzzle is noticeable, but not abrupt.
- The lips are thick, well matched, pigmented with black color.
- The jaws are strong with strong, even teeth forming a scissor bite. The standard allows for the absence of two molars at the bottom.
- The nose is well developed, colored black, regardless of the color of the coat.
- The eyes are deep-set, medium, with a brown or dark brown iris, a calm, benevolent expression.
- The ears are small, triangular, well covering the auricles.
- The neck is set high, well-muscled, strong, and has a smooth curve.
- The body is rather elongated, elongated, well-muscled, with a slightly pronounced withers, without dewlap. The croup is sloping, well developed. The lumbar region is long, wide and round. The back in the pelvic region is slightly higher than the withers.
- Chest with good volume, deep, cylindrical. The ribs are smoothly curved, the belly line is tucked up, the groin area is well filled.
- The tail is set low, ideally 19 cm long, thick at the base, and tapering towards the tip. When the dog is calm, he goes down or has a slight bend at the end. During active movement, it becomes saber-shaped and rises horizontally to the level of the back. If he wraps himself in a ring, then this is a vice.
- The front and rear legs are parallel, short, with strong bones, moderate angulation and well-developed hocks. The shoulders and hips are well muscled, the elbows are slightly loose.
- The paws are well arched, the toes are tightly knit, with strong nails and thick pads. The front feet are slightly larger than the hind feet.
Coat / Colors
The coat of the Cesky Terrier consists of a long guard hair, wavy, silky, with a natural shine. High density undercoat, soft. Dogs of this breed are cut in a special way, leaving elongated hair above the brow ridges and at the bottom of the body.
The color of dogs is fully formed by the age of 3 years and older, acquiring the final saturation. The standard identified 2 types of colors:
- gray – any shade – from coal to platinum, gray with black pigment;
- coffee – brown tone with sandy pigment.
Black hair can appear on the head, beard, cheeks, ears, limbs and tail. White, gray, brownish or yellow markings are allowed on the head, beard, cheeks, neck, sternum and near the anus. Cesky Terriers can have a white collar or tail end. But a prerequisite is the predominance of the main color.
Cesky Terrier character
The Cesky Terrier is a loving and devoted companion with a softer temperament than other terriers.
He is not aggressive and tries to please the person by being patient. Also, not so independent and headstrong, can be a good companion to anyone. Behaves well with adults and children, friendly to other animals. Small, good-natured and athletic, he is cheerful and easy-going.
Despite being kept more as a companion today, it is still a hunting dog. She retains a predisposition to hunting, stamina, enthusiasm. The Cesky Terrier is fearless while hunting, does not give up even in front of larger animals.
In the role of a companion, he, on the contrary, is calm and relaxed. It’s easy to train and maintain. He is protective by nature, can be a good watchdog, but at the same time he is not aggressive and does not attack first.
In addition, he is very empathetic and will always alert you of suspicious activity. It is a great choice for families with children, as it combines calmness and gentleness, friendliness and patience.
Socialization will help the Cesky Terrier stay calm in the company of other people and animals. He is usually polite to strangers, but reserved.
Socialization will help him see new people as potential friends. However, this is still a hunter and small animals such as rodents cannot feel safe.
It is easy enough to train it, but you need to be patient.
In these dogs, attention is not long, so training should be short and varied. Consistency and toughness won’t hurt, but toughness is unnecessary.
A raised tone or a raised hand will only upset and distract him. But the delicacy will stimulate. Cesky Terriers can be stubborn and headstrong at times, so you need to train your puppy as early as possible.
These dogs are full of energy and enthusiasm. They love to play and run, so the activity is high. They love hunting and digging, for example, blowing up a fence. They are adaptive and small, they can live in any conditions, if they pay attention and walk with them.
Whether it will be a house or an apartment, it does not matter, the main thing is that he lived with his family. They are not adapted to life on the street or in an aviary. One of the features is that they love to eat and are able to steal food.
In general, the Cesky Terrier is a cute, soft, funny, loyal companion, a dog that loves its owner. They are friendly to people of all ages and large animals. Small and easy to train, he is well suited for keeping in an apartment, but he is a good hunter.
Health
Cesky Terriers have excellent, good health. Since the breed is relatively recent, no specific genetic diseases have been identified.
But from the Scottish Terriers they still inherited one hereditary disease – “scotty crump”, accompanied by muscle cramps that develop during intense exertion or with excessive overexcitation of the dog.
To prevent pathology from manifesting itself, you should protect your pet from stressful situations. In addition, this disease is rarely diagnosed in Czechs.
Care
The owner should know the basics of grooming to keep his dog healthy and cheerful. To do this, it is necessary to periodically perform a number of care manipulations:
Regular brushing of the coat. It is important from the very first days to accustom your baby to such an event. Then, in the future, there will be no problems with an adult dog. The skirt and beard are combed out with a comb with long teeth; for the rest of the coat, you can use a massage brush. For a shaved pet, brushing is sufficient.
A haircut. Cesky Terriers can be trimmed from 3 months: the skirt and beard are trimmed for puppies, the hair of the tail, head, chest, back is trimmed. You can do it yourself or ask for help from professionals, but dogs of this breed are cut once every 7-8 weeks.
Bathing your pet. The “Czechs” are washed once a month, and more often if necessary. It is recommended to use special detergents that soften the coat. On the eve of the exhibition, you should not bathe your pet, as its fur will acquire excessive volume and it will be difficult to fit.
Dental care. The teeth are the weak point of this breed, so it is recommended to visit your veterinarian regularly for check-ups. Experts advise brushing the dog’s teeth 2-3 times a week and giving them bones or special dental treats that prevent the formation of plaque and calculus.
Walked. Such a pet is not for the lazy, since you need to walk with it strictly twice a day and for a long time. In addition, it is not enough just to walk, it should be an active pastime, with games, jogging, exercises.
Life conditions
These small, intelligent dogs are great for keeping in an apartment or a country house. They are quite clean, unpretentious and can behave in a very disciplined manner. The Cesky Terrier is an excellent companion for walking, jogging, hiking, any active activity will bring pleasure to the pet.
At home, it should be provided with a separate place, bowls and toys. It is necessary to immediately outline the framework that the pet should not go beyond.
Nutrition
A representative of this breed can be fed with both natural food and ready-made dry rations. Produced feed should be of high quality, balanced and suitable for active dogs, small in size with long coats.
Natural food is considered more suitable for representatives of this breed, but this type of feeding will require more time and effort from the owner – you will have to cook every day. It is important to design the menu in such a way that the dog gets enough meat, vegetables and other healthy foods. Twice a week, the dog is given fermented milk products, eggs – chicken or quail, sea boiled fish.
The list of prohibited food is quite wide, you cannot give the dog sweets, smoked meats, salty, pickled food, dishes with spices and seasonings, baked goods. You should not feed this handsome guy with sweets from your table, as such food can significantly undermine the health of the pet.
You should feed your pet after a walk, as otherwise, there are high risks of developing volvulus. On the recommendation of a veterinarian, when feeding a pet with natural food, vitamins and minerals are introduced to maintain all organs and systems in a healthy state.
Training
Dogs of this breed are designed to bring joy to people, such a pet agrees to anything to make its owner happy. Therefore, difficulties in education and training usually do not arise. However, the owner must have patience and restraint, respectfully treat his four-legged friend. Puppies of this breed are quite active and do not always catch what the owner requires of them.
You cannot treat your pet rudely, dismissively, use force or a harsh tone. In this case, the dog will protest, refuse to follow the commands. Some more capricious individuals may even bite, outraged by unfair treatment. In addition, such a situation can cause psychological trauma to the dog, which will negatively affect the psyche of the animal.
Breeders and owners of Cesky Terriers argue that solving behavioral problems in dogs of this breed is not too difficult, and in most cases, they are the result of lack of exercise or attention deficit. You cannot pamper the dog too much, punishment during training must be present. Aggressive, dominant behavior must be suppressed.
Long-term regular walking and early socialization – that’s what is the basis in the formation of the character of the animal. You should vaccinate your pet as soon as possible so that he can get to know the world around him earlier.
The puppy can learn new knowledge almost from the first day – get acquainted with the place, learn his nickname and learn to respond. It is not difficult for him to learn basic skills that will definitely come in handy in later life.
History of the Cesky Terrier breed
Since the history of the breed is well preserved, we know that it descended from the Scottish Terrier and the Silichim Terrier. The Scottish Terrier is an ancient breed native to the highlands of Scotland and we know quite a bit about its history.
The first mentions of this breed date back to 1436. The Seelyhim Terrier is not so ancient, it appeared between 1436-1561 in Pembrokeshire, created by Captain John Edwards.
It is from these famous breeds that the Cesky Terrier appeared. Its history is not ancient and begins in the middle of the twentieth century.
The creator of the breed is Frantisek Horak, an amateur cynologist. Before starting to create the breed, he worked for many years as a geneticist at the Prague Academy of Sciences. And working on the Cesky Terrier is part of his scientific work.
Since he was not only a geneticist, but also a hunter, in 1932 he got himself his first Scottish Terrier. The dogs that he used in scientific work, he also used in hunting. Gorak considered the Scottish Terrier a little more aggressive than necessary, and when he met the owner of the Silichim Terrier, he thought to cross these dogs.
He himself was the owner of the Lovu Zdar kennel, which translates as a successful hunter.
At that time Europe was experiencing cataclysms and wars, there was no time for new breeds. He managed to get down to work only after the end of the Second World War.
The birth of the Cesky Terrier took place in 1949, when a Scottish Terrier female Donka Lovu Zdar was crossed with a Silichim Terrier male Buganier Urquelle. Donka was a show-class dog, but regularly took part in the hunt like Buganier. They had one puppy on December 24, 1949, who was named Adam Lovu Zdar. Horak very carefully selected dogs for scientific work on physical and psychological parameters, painstakingly recorded all the results and steps.
Who, when, what lines, results – all this was preserved in his herd books. Because of this, the Cesky Terrier is one of the few breeds whose history is perfectly preserved, right down to the genetic nuances.
Unfortunately, the first representative of the breed was accidentally killed while hunting, which led to a delay in its development. Gorak continues to work and from the second crossing six puppies are born, this was a full-fledged start.
The Scottish Terrier is famous for its hunting qualities, and the Silichim Terrier has a good character. The Cesky Terrier became a typical representative of the group, but calmer than other terriers and well adapted to hunting in the forests of Bohemia.
In 1956, the breed was presented to the public, and in 1959 she first participated in a dog show. A few years later it was recognized by the Czech Kennel Club, and in 1963 by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI).
Popularity came to her not only among hunters, but also among amateurs. A dog named Javor Lovu Zdar received champion status in 1964, which caused a demand for dogs. From this moment, the breed begins its journey to other countries.
Gorak later wants to strengthen his breed by adding the blood of other terriers. FCI will allow him to do this and the choice will again fall on the Silichim Terrier. They are used twice: in 1984 and 1985.
The breed will enter America in 1987, and in 1993 there will be 150 registered dogs and the American Cesky Terriers Fanciers Association (ACTFA) was created. Despite the fact that the Cesky Terrier enjoys international recognition, it remains one of the six rarest breeds in the world.
