meet the...Black Russian Terrier
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 5: Pinschers and Schnauzers
Sub-group :
Origin Country Russia
Weight Males: 80-143 pounds. Females: 80-143 pounds.
Height Males: 26-31 inches. Females: 25-29 inches.
Other Name(s) Black Terrier, Chornyi, Russian Bear Schnauzer, Russian Black Terrier, TChiorny Terrier, Terrier Noir Russe
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
The Black Russian Terrier breed was created by Red Star Kennels between the 1930s and 1940s. Red Star Kennels was a military facility used to carry out dog breeding, along with training research and projects for the Russian military. The goal of the program for the Black Russian terrier was to create a multipurpose military service dog. Reportedly, up to seventeen different breeds were used in the development of the breed, including Rottweilers, Airedale terriers, Newfoundland, and most often, the standard and giant schnauzers. These dogs were used exclusively by the Russian military until the mid-1950s, after which they were released to private breeders and citizens. The breed was accepted by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1984.
Contrary to their name, the Black Russian Terrier is not a terrier at all. Due to the large influence of the Schnauzer, their temperament and working style are all pinschers. Although they don't share the same appreciation as that of the more popular schnauzers, the Black Russian Terrier breed is steadily gaining a following for being an excellent working dog and companion dog.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type is elongated and rectangular, moderate in size, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The head is long and narrows just slightly, almost imperceptibly, from the back skull to the end of the muzzle. The topskull is relatively long and flat from the front and in profile. The occiput and superciliary arches are moderately pronounced. The head is never overly narrow but with a good balance of strength and substance. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond shape, and medium to dark brown (preferable) color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never rounded or bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Medium in size, set high on the skull and level with the plane of the skull. They are neither too high and breaking the plane of the skull nor too low and dropping below the plane. Ears should be natural, never surgically cropped. V-shaped, dropped, or buttoned (preferred), and the tips should hang close to the cheeks.
Muzzle: The muzzle is strongly developed, long, full, deep, and broad. It ends bluntly and, along with the beard and mustache furnishings, gives the head an ax-head-like appearance. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, appearing strong and equal in length. They are never snipey or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well opened.
Neck: Moderate length (approximately equal to the length of the head) allows for proud head carriage and is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed.
Body: Deep, compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set somewhat high on the croup, thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, the tail is usually carried above the level of the topline but never tucked. The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Natural tails are either straight or will form a hook, saber, or sickle. The tail may be straight or gently curved. Docked tails are cut short, within two to three vertebrae in length.
Movement: The Black Russian Terrier breed's movement is effortless, efficient, agile, and powerful. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Black Russian Terrier breed is renowned for its versatility and ability to be trained to do a number of jobs, from watchful family guardian to all-around farm dog. They are intelligent, eager to learn and work, responsive to their handlers, and courageous. They make for excellent family pets or working dogs, taking special interest in the companionship and guardianship of the family’s children. They do remain aloof towards strangers, which is not considered a fault in the breed. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 5: Pinschers and Schnauzers
Proportions: Somewhat rectangular, with the length of the body measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump being slightly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal body-height-to-length ratio is approximately 5:4. Females may be slightly longer. The body is compact, robust, hardy, and well put together, with sturdy substance and fairly strong bone. It is never light or racy. The weight of males or females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type is elongated and rectangular, moderate in size, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The head is long and narrows just slightly, almost imperceptibly, from the back skull to the end of the muzzle. The topskull is relatively long and flat from the front and in profile. The occiput and superciliary arches are moderately pronounced. The head is never overly narrow but with a good balance of strength and substance. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
Expression: The expression is reserved, imposing, highly intelligent, and watchful.
Stop: The stop is pronounced but not steep.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 5:4, with the topskull being just longer than the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
Muzzle: The muzzle is strongly developed, long, full, deep, and broad. It ends bluntly and, along with the beard and mustache furnishings, gives the head an ax-head-like appearance. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, appearing strong and equal in length. They are never snipey or weak.
Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit fairly tightly over the teeth and jaws. They are well-pigmented.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well opened.
Cheeks: The cheeks are smoothly muscled to denote strength and give some breadth to the head and face. However, the cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work is not to be penalized.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond shape, and medium to dark brown (preferable) color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never rounded or bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Medium in size, set high on the skull and level with the plane of the skull. They are neither too high and breaking the plane of the skull nor too low and dropping below the plane. Ears should be natural, never surgically cropped. V-shaped, dropped, or buttoned (preferred), and the tips should hang close to the cheeks.
Body and Tail
General Description: Deep, compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length (approximately equal to the length of the head) allows for proud head carriage and is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed.
Topline: Straight and gently sloped from prominent withers to croup. The back is of a good length without appearing long and slack. It equals approximately ½ the length of the topline. It is broad, powerfully muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, equal to ½ the length of the back, and may be flat and level or slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never long, swayed, or roached.
Croup: Broad, powerfully muscled, and gently sloped.
Underline: A slight tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set somewhat high on the croup, thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, the tail is usually carried above the level of the topline but never tucked. The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Natural tails are either straight or will form a hook, saber, or sickle. The tail may be straight or gently curved. Docked tails are cut short, within two to three vertebrae in length.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated, with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately 50-52% of the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are long, equal in length, strong, sturdy, moderate bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The coat consists of a double coat. The undercoat is dense and soft. The outer coat is harsh, wiry, bristly, and protective, with the longer coat on the forelimbs and hindlimb, and facial furnishings being longer and less harsh may be straight or slightly wavy. The length can range from two to six inches; however, the furnishings on the head are always well developed, forming brows, mustache, and beard.
The Black Russian terrier’s unique appearance is thanks in part to the breed-specific grooming performed on the breed. The coat on the body is traditionally clipped, plucked, or stripped to neaten the overall appearance, with the coat on the limbs, brows, and muzzle being left longer. Black Russian Terriers should never be completely shaved or clipped to the point that coat texture and quality cannot be determined.
Coat Color or Pattern: CKC recognizes two color varieties of the breed equally: the standard and nonstandard.
Standard coat color variety: includes solid black, with a small amount of gray interspersed into the coat (covering less than 1/3 of the entire body.
Nonstandard coat color variety: Black with tan points.
Movement
The Black Russian Terrier breed's movement is effortless, efficient, agile, and powerful. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Black Russian Terrier breed is renowned for its versatility and ability to be trained to do a number of jobs, from watchful family guardian to all-around farm dog. They are intelligent, eager to learn and work, responsive to their handlers, and courageous. They make for excellent family pets or working dogs, taking special interest in the companionship and guardianship of the family’s children. They do remain aloof towards strangers, which is not considered a fault in the breed. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper, healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
