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Black Russian Terrier

intelligent / calm / powerful

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

27-30 inches (male)

26-29 inches (female)

Weight

80-130 pounds

Life Expectancy

10-12 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    80% 80%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    40% 40%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    80% 80%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    40% 40%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Black Russian Terrier is a huge, robust worker with strong bones and a coarse all-black coat. BRTs are recognized for their bravery, self-assurance, and cleverness. They are inherently wary of strangers because they were bred to defend and protect. What term are we looking for? Imposing? Massive? Majestic? How about ‘big?’ This brawny guard dog of the Siberian steppes can weigh up to 140 pounds and stand up to 30 inches at the shoulder. When the massive, brick-shaped skull is taken into account, they’re much taller. The disheveled, all-black garment is warm enough for BRTs to patrol some of the world’s coldest livable areas. The ancient adage “He moves well for a big guy” applies to this quick-footed giant.

What To Expect When Caring For a Black Russian Terrier

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

A responsible breeder will evaluate breeding stock for health issues like as allergies, urinary tract stones, hip and elbow dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy, which can cause vision loss and blindness. As with all breeds, a Black Russian Terrier's ears and teeth should be checked on a regular basis.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • JLPP DNA Test
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

The ruffled double coat of the Black Russian Terrier'a rich, soft undercoat covered by a coarse, protective outer coat'needs constant upkeep to prevent mats from forming, with a thorough brushing once or twice a week. To keep him looking his best, the owner will need to learn to scissor around his face, particularly his beard and mustache, or hire a professional groomer. A groomer can do a clipper trim every few months, but many owners learn how to do it themselves. The BRT's nails, like those of all breeds, should be cut on a regular basis.  

Exercise

The Black Russian Terrier needs at least 30 or 40 minutes of exercise every day. He is eager to take part in brisk walks, long runs, bike rides, swims, and hikes with his owner. In the backyard, he and his owner can play with a ball or a flying disc. A BRT who doesn't get enough exercise will become unhappy and destructive, and one who doesn't spend enough time with his human family can develop aggressive tendencies. Many BRTs excel at canine sports such as obedience, agility, rally, and Schutzhund (protection) competitions.

Training

A Black Russian Terrier should not be owned by someone who is unable or unwilling to train a strong, independent dog. To prevent aggressive behavior, socialization must begin when the dog is a puppy and must last throughout the dog's lifetime. Additionally, obedience training must begin as young as feasible and last well into maturity. BRTs are aggressive and will use intimidation to their advantage while dealing with anyone. Although it must always be reward-based rather than punishment-based, training must be strict and constant. The BRT is intelligent and quick to pick things up, but only when he is given consideration and respect.  

Nutrition

The Black Russian Terrier should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

History

The Red Star Kennel was founded in the 1930s by the Soviet government in a covert site close to Moscow. A group of breeders and scientists labored there to develop a super dog for the Russian army. There were many difficult obstacles throughout the project. Following the mass murder of purebred dogs during the Russian Revolution, there was a world war, a financial collapse, and another world war. These turbulences wiped off Russia’s best stock, which had been scrupulously preserved for decades. Due to the destruction of kennels across Europe caused by war and the economic crisis, importing high-quality dogs into Russia was next to impossible. The Red Star team was essentially starting from scratch.

The genetic jigsaw piece included 17 breeds, including Rottweilers, Giant Schnauzers, and Airedale Terriers, with a dash of Newfoundland to temper the disposition. Following World War II, when the superior breeding stock was among the war booty handed to Russia by defeated Germany, the program was revitalized.

The outcome was the Black Russian Terrier, a relentless fence dog with enough coat to perform a Siberian night shift and the speed and strength to down and hold a prisoner in Stalin’s infamous prison camps. (The English breed name is incorrect; the Black Russian Terrier only contains between 15 and 30 percent terriers.)

The dogs were effectively used at military locations, isolated jails, and border crossings. By the middle of the 1950s, as the number of dogs required decreased as the Stalin-era gulags were closed, the army had started selling extra litters to hobby breeders and dog shows. The Russian people became more familiar with this endearingly steadfast protector during the late 1950s when retired officers brought their K-9 partners home to civilian life, earning the nickname “Black Pearl of Russia,” or simply “Blackie.”