Cesky Terrier

The Cesky Terrier  is a small terrier type dog originating in Czechoslovakia.

History

The Cesky Terrier was created by a Czech breeder, František Horák, in 1948, as a cross between a Sealyham Terrier and a Scottish Terrier, to create a terrier suitable for hunting in the forests of Bohemia. Although not a trained scientist, Horák worked for many years as a research assistant at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciencesand used knowledge gained there in his dog breeding. Czechoslovakia was ruled by a communist regime at the time; when Horák's dogs became more popular around the world, he began to receive a large volume of mail from outside the country, which earned him the attention of the secret police.^[1] Horák died in 1997.

The Cesky Terrier was recognized for international competition by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1963 as breed number 246 in Group 3, Terriers. The breed is now recognized by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world. The Cesky Terrier is one of the six most rare dog breeds worldwide.

The breed was first imported into the USA in the 1980s by a group of enthusiasts. They formed the Cesky Terrier Club of America in January 1988. As interest grew, the breed became eligible to join theAmerican Kennel Club (AKC) Foundation Stock Service Program from January 1, 2004 allowing it to compete in AKC Earthdog tests. At this stage the American Cesky Terrier Fanciers Association was formed and recognised by the AKC. It is the club accepted as the parent club by the AKC. However, the Cesky Terrier Club of America remains active in promoting the breed in the USA. From mid-2011, the Cesky Terrier was able to compete in the terrier group in America as it was accepted for entry in the AKC Stud Book.

The breed first arrived in the UK in 1989 and had to compete from the imported register until January 1, 2000 when it gained rare breed status from the Kennel Club. It has since competed successfully in show competition in the UK.

Description

Appearance

The Cesky Terrier is a well-muscled, short legged, well-pigmented, hunting terrier of a rectangular format. The Cesky has natural drop ears, a natural tail, and sports a long, silky with slight texture coat in shades of gray from charcoal to platinum (black pigmented) or rarely brown (liver pigmented). The Cesky is longer than it is tall and has a topline that rises slightly to the rear.

Cesky Terrier

A Cesky Terrier in show cut
Other names	Ceský Teriér Bohemian Terrier
Country of origin	Czech Republic
[hide]Traits
[show]Classification and standards