Cesky Terrier
Made in Czechoslovakia in the 1940s by crossing the Sealyham with the Scottish terrier, to get a narrower dog that could work a burrow and come back out.
Overview
The Cesky Terrier was created in Czechoslovakia in the 1940s by geneticist Frantisek Horak, who crossed the Sealyham Terrier with the Scottish Terrier to make a hunting terrier narrow enough to work a burrow and, crucially, to back out of it again.
That last requirement shaped the dog: it is longer, narrower and less broad chested than its parent breeds, and its coat is soft and clipped rather than harsh and stripped.
Temperament
Calmer and more biddable than most terriers, which was deliberate. Ceskys are affectionate with their families, patient with children and less inclined to pick fights than a Scottie.
They are still terriers. The prey drive is intact, they dig, and they are alert watchdogs. They are also sensitive and respond poorly to harsh handling, and they can be reserved with strangers.
Care and grooming
Unlike most terriers, the soft silky coat is clipped rather than hand stripped, every six to eight weeks, plus brushing twice a week. It sheds very little.
Scottie cramp, a movement disorder inherited from the Scottish Terrier side, occurs in the breed and has a DNA test. The gene pool is narrow, since the breed was founded on a small number of dogs, and that is worth asking about.
Living and exercise
An hour a day plus play. They suit flats and families.
The breed is genuinely rare, with only a few hundred registered worldwide in some years, so finding a puppy means a long wait. Twelve to fifteen years is normal.
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