Black Russian Terrier

Black Russian Terriers are smart, hard working and calm. The Black Russian Terrier breed was developed as late as the 1940s as a guard dog and it is still used very much today in law enforcement. Because Black Russian Terriers were bred to have a good sense of smell, it is likely they would do well at tracking and as service dogs with search & rescue and possibly drug & bomb detection.

Black Russian Terrier History:

The Black Russian Terrier is a fairly new breed, developed by the Soviet Red Army during the 1940s. The breed was intended to be part of the Russian military forces, with the goal being to create a dog that was large, strong, balanced, high-spirited and be capable of a range of abilities. The breed needed to be large and trainable for many situations, notably the harsh Russian winters. The Black Russian Terrier was created through the selective breeding of many breeds including of Airedales, Giant Schnauzers, Rottweilers and they used fourteen other breeds. The initial breeding of the Black Russian Terrier took place at the “Red Star” kennel club under the control of Colonel G. Medvedev. During development of the breed the focus was on character and ability. Because of this, there is no standardised appearance linked with these dogs. The popularity of the Black Russian Terrier more recently has spread beyond the Soviet Union into Europe and the United States.