Instructions
Identifying A Black Russian Terrier
Begin by looking at the dog’s shape and size. It should be large, between 25 and 30 inches high at the shoulder and weighing between 80 and 150 pounds. The males are much higher up on this scale than the females. The dog should be very square and heavyset in build, with a short stump of a tail, deep chest, straight back, and thick limbs.
Examine the dog’s coat. It should be made up of uniformly black, curly, wiry, weatherproof hairs between 1.5 and 4 inches in length depending on where they are on the body. The sides of the dog are reminiscent of a sheep’s fur in texture.
Look at the dog’s head. It should seem a little too small compared to the rest of the body and be rectangular and blocky in shape. Their fur covers the head as thoroughly as it does the body, making the eyes often hard to see. The ears are short, rounded, and flopped over. The jaw should be thick and strong. The most defining part of the species are the eyebrows framing the top of the skull and the long black beard growing down from the lower jaw. If the dog matches this description then it’s a Black Russian Terrier.
How to Identify a Black Russian Terrier
The Black Russian Terrier or BRT is the result of a Soviet breeding program begun in the 40s. It included Giant Schnauzers, Rottweilers and Airedale breeds, and the Russian Water Dog. Almost 20 other species were melded to create a massive, robust breed that was intelligent, tireless, loyal, and able to withstand the climate extremes of Russia. The breed wasn’t finished and standardized until 1984. At that point it was used as a military animal, a watchdog and police animal that could do all the same things a German Shepherd could do with none of the unwanted aggression. Over time the breed became popular as a household protector and, though common enough in Russia, is still particularly rare in the rest of the world. For that reason it is often miss-identified. Here is guide on how to identify a Black Russian Terrier.