Black Russian Terrier Dog Breed Information

Posted on Jun 18, 2019, Modified : Jun 19, 2021 Zina

Black Russian Terrier History and Behavior

Breeds

General Information

Dog Name	Black Russian Terrier
Other Names	Tchornyi Terrier
Scientific Name	Canis lupus familiaris
Breed Type	Terrier
Group	Working Group
Extinct	No
Country of Origin	Russia

Physical And Size

Min Life Span	10
Max Life Span	12
Min Ideal Weight for male	38
Max Ideal Weight for male	54
Min Ideal Weight for female	36
Max Ideal Weight for male	54

Ranking

Intelligent Rank
Trainability
Playfulness
Affection Level
Social Needs
Barking
Watchdog Ability
Territorial
Mouthiness
Adaptability

Characterisitics

Temperament	Calm, Smart, Courageous
Prey Drive	No
Fighting Dog	No

Friendliness

Stranger Friendly	Low
Child Friendly	High
Cat Friendly	Medium
Apartment Friendly	Medium
Senior Citizens Friendly	Medium
Service Dog	Medium
Search and Rescue Dog	Medium
Biting Potential	Low

Country of Origin	Russia
Nicknames and Other Names	BRT Tchornyi Terrier
Scientific Name	Canis lupus familiaris
Breed Type	Purebred
Group	Working Dog Guardian Dog
Bred For	working, guarding, and companion
Size	Large-sized
Recognized By	AKC, FCI, UKC
Life Span	10-12 years
Ideal Weight	80-130 pounds (male and female)
Ideal Height	Male: 27-30 inches Female: 26-29 inches
Fur Type	Slightly wavy, rough, dense
Common Colors	Salt and Pepper Black
Markings	None
Availability	Moderately available
Achievements	Military dogs
Suitable for Apartments	No
Used in World War	Used as a service dog in World War I and II
Most Similar To	Giant Schnauzer

Black Russian Terrier is a medium to large-sized dog breed which was bred to be a military dog. They are a very active dog that needs an active owner with an open space house where they can perform their regular activities. They are not suitable for apartment life.

Black Russian Terrier is a powerful dog with a head that is proportionate to the body. The eyes are oval, set wide apart and the ears are medium length, triangular and set high. They have a double-coated, slightly wavy coat. The hair falls from the head to the level of eyes and their muzzle is covered with mustache and beard.

Origin and History

The origin of the Black Russian Terrier is in Russia as a working dog. It was created by the team of scientist and a group of breeders that wanted a super dog for the Russian army.

It was bred in a Red Star Kennel by the Soviet Army scientist as they need a military dog with a protective and suspicious towards strangers temperament. It was bred by crossing Giant Schnauzer with different breeds like Airedale Terrier, Rottweiler, and Newfoundland after World War II.

The American Kennel Club recognized this breed in 2004 as the member f the working group. It ranks 118 of the 193 AKC registered breed.

Is Black Russian Terrier Child-Friendly?

Black Russian Terrier is gentle and tolerant of small kids, so they make an excellent companion for them. They love spending time with them and are always protective of kids. Although they do great with children, their interaction should always be supervised as they might accidentally knock over small kids and hurt them.

Black Russian Terrier posing with a older girl.
Image Source: Instagram-@blackpowderkennel

Temperament, Behavior, and Personality

Temperament: The temperament of the Black Russian Terrier is calm, intelligent, and affectionate towards its people. Although they are a calm dog, they are very protective of their people and guard them like a good guard dog. However, they do not tend to be aggressive but will alert their people by barking.

Behavior: Black Russian is a very active dog that needs regular exercise to keep itself healthy physically and mentally. If they do not get the required amount of exercise, they will become destructive and anxious. Therefore, take them out for a walk, run, play or hike regularly.

Personality: The personality of Black Russian Terrier is friendly, active, and suspicious. It is a great family companion it is loving and affectionate towards its people. It is protective of its people and their property due to which they are suspicious of any approaching strangers.

Trainability

Training Black Russian Terrier is not a hard job to do as they are eager to please their owner. Although a firm and consistent leadership are needed. If you do not develop a leadership upon them, they will take themselves as a leader and training will become tough after that.

Reward them with treats and lots of vocal praises which will encourage and motivate them to be focused on the training.

Video of Residential Training Black Russian Terrier.

Facts

Although the Black Russian Terrier has got the word terrier on its name, the American Kennel Club has kept it under the working group.
It is believed that 17 breeds were used to create the Black Russian Terrier.
The Soviet military used this dog as a guard dog at border crossings, prisons, and military installations

Health Issues

General Health	Healthy
Common Health Issues	Hip Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Urinary Stones, Elbow Dysplasia
Hypoallergenic	No
Vaccination Required	Rabies, Canine Distemper, Canine Parvovirus, Canine Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, Kennel Cough, Canine Coronavirus
Shedding	None to Minimal
Drooling	Average Drooler
Grooming	Average
Weight Gain Potential	Average
Separation Anxiety	Moderate Chance
Allergies	Skin and Food Allergies
Diets and Supplements	Protein: 25%-30% Fat: 8%-12% Multivitamins Glucosamine

The Black Russian Terrier is generally a healthy breed with few possibilities of hereditary health problem.

Hip Dysplasia: The condition where the hip joints are either underdeveloped or dislocated is called hip dysplasia. It causes sharp pain on the back of your dog making them difficult to move from one place to another.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: It is mostly caused due to hereditary and your dog will face night blindness in the beginning and slowly began to lose sight during the day too. Consult a vet for proper and timely treatment.