Black Russian Terrier
Made by the Soviet military in the 1940s out of more than a dozen breeds, for work in the cold. Not really a terrier: a guardian the size of a giant schnauzer.
Photo by Томасина, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Black Russian Terrier was created by the Soviet military in the 1940s and 50s at the Red Star kennel, deliberately assembled from Giant Schnauzer, Airedale, Rottweiler and around seventeen other breeds, to produce a large working dog that could function in extreme cold.
It is not really a terrier. It is a working guardian, eighty to a hundred and thirty pounds, with a coarse dense weatherproof coat and a beard.
Temperament
Confident, calm and protective. Blackies are deeply loyal to their families and naturally suspicious of strangers, and they are not aggressive so much as watchful and decisive.
They are intelligent and trainable and they need an owner who leads. They are slow to mature, taking two to three years, and they can be dog reactive. Early and continuing socialisation is essential rather than advisable for a dog of this size and instinct.
Care and grooming
The coarse double coat needs brushing two or three times a week plus professional trimming every couple of months. The beard needs daily attention because it collects everything.
Hip and elbow dysplasia are common, and juvenile laryngeal paralysis and polyneuropathy occurs in the breed with a DNA test available. Ten to twelve years is the expectation.
Living and exercise
Ninety minutes to two hours a day plus training. They enjoy protection sports, obedience and tracking.
They want to be with their family rather than in a kennel, which is unusual for a guardian of this size. A Blackie isolated in a garden becomes a problem dog.
Something here wrong or out of date?