This small, short-legged, square, and muscular terrier, although looks quite comical at first glance but wait! You shouldn’t let their animated stature fool you around since these Cesky terriers are the perfect description of what we call; big personality in small packing.
When it comes to energy, these small dogs can outperform many other so-called energetic furballs. And do you know that Cesky terrier dogs have incredibly strong jaws? With their sharp teeth and immense mouth strength, they can destroy any toy, in a minute – and the same goes for any stranger whom they don’t consider a friend.
It’s not that this Cesky terrier dog will bite every passerby. Instead, it will stay reserved and alert toward strangers as long as they maintain a safe distance. However, we can’t guarantee what would happen if those strangers tried to invade these dogs’ territory.
That’s the main quality that makes them excellent family pets and watchdogs but, are these Cesky terriers actually compatible with your family and living conditions?
To get the answer, you need to go through the points below since here, we’ve mentioned almost everything about this dog’s personality, health, history, care & exercise needs, and training requirements.
Please give it a read so you’d be 100% sure that you’re not going to put the well-being of both, your family members and this dog, at risk.
About the Breed
Cesky terrier, pronounced as Chess key and also known as Bohemian terrier, is a working, agile purebred dog with a lot of stamina and a rough ‘n tough sort of build. Yes, the size they have might make anyone think that this breed comprises somewhat fashionable or fancy dogs, but that’s not the reality.
In fact, these dogs were originally developed to chase small animals and catch vermin during hunting. Due to this very reason, they still come with strong working instincts, making them tenacious canine companions.
These dogs will love to accompany you in all sorts of activities and prefer fast-paced existence, which makes them your perfect partner for daily walks. They are much quieter than other terriers and don’t pack in the tendencies to communicate through loud barks or casual barking on other dogs or humans – if trained a bit.
Around their friends and families, they play the real softies and shower them with endless cuddles, hugs, and wet kisses. Due to their small size, these canines also suit well to apartment living as they don’t need a way too big yard to play freely.
Likewise, they are equally compatible with both country and city life. Just keep in mind that these dogs come with special exercise needs, which if not catered to, may lead to seriously destructive behaviors.
Also, this breed can do well in both warm and cold environments but prefer moderate ones. During extreme temperatures, they might struggle to survive, if proper precautions are not taken.
And the best part is that their big, square heads hold genius brains that can learn new things quickly. For this reason, experts recommend Cesky terriers to novice or first-time pet owners.
They know when and whom to trust. Still, these dogs have independent thinking, which sometimes makes them stubborn towards training. Also, they might be a bit aggressive towards new faces, so they better be adopted by single-owner or households with no other animals or children.
History of the Cesky Terrier
Cesky terrier is one of the rarest dog breeds, and besides being rarest, it can also be considered the newest canine to join the terrier family. The very first Cesky terrier dog was developed in 1948 by František Horák, a Czech breeder who, from a very young age, began to take interest in dog breeding.
Horak belonged to the bohemian culture, where hunting and dogs are considered part and parcel of life. Thus to make hunting easier, Horak wanted to develop a new dog breed that could catch vermin even across the thickest, and narrowest dens of Bohemain forests (the main reason why it’s also called bohemian terrier).
For this purpose, Horak crossbred the Sealyham terrier with a Scottish terrier, at the beginning of World War II. The main reason why he chose the Scottish terrier and Sealyham terrier breeds is because these terriers were known for their impeccable hunting abilities and strengths.
The only things which both these terriers lacked were the aggressiveness and fighting skills with which these Cesky terriers can not only catch rabbits, pheasants, foxes, badgers, and ducks but also bears. However, producing a new breed from two existing ones wasn’t that easy and took Horak various years.
After the end of World war ii and the sudden regime change in the Czech republic stole Horak’s job as an accountant. But soon after that, he was assigned to the national science academy as a professor.
Thus, after his retirement, Horak combined his experience in the science academy and his learning in accountancy to finally produce his perfect hunting dog – the Cesky terrier.
Due to their special, unusual appearance and extraordinary working strengths, the Cesky terrier soon caught the attention of the international world.
A group of dog lovers brought the very first dog of this breed to America in 1980. To improve, promote, and preserve the Cesky terrier in America, they created a special Cesky terrier club in 1988.
However, it wasn’t until 2011 that the Cesky terrier got recognized by the American kennel club. On the other hand, Cesky arrived in England around 1989 and got recognized by the UK kennel club much before (in 1990) than other breed clubs, including the national breed club of America (AKC).
Today, this ideal hunting terrier of Horak is recognized in almost all the English-speaking states of the world and has taken part in many dog sports competitions. In the year 2000, the breed club gave Cesky terrier the status of a rare breed.
Cesky Terrier Facts
- The average life expectancy of Cesky terriers is 12-15 years. However, it can manage to live 1-2 years longer if given a proper diet and daily exercise.
- Having low-shedding coats, these dogs are hypoallergenic
- Cesky terriers are not too slobbery as they come with low drooling tendencies.
- Cesky terrier is the very first national dog of the Czech Republic and it was recognized by FCI in 1963.
- The very first Cesky terrier which Horak developed in 1949, was shot by a hunter accidentally. This incident slowed down the breeding program even further.
- All the Cesky terriers are born completely black. However, as time passes and these pups age, their coats’ shade gets lighter.
- Generally, 4-5 pups are born in a single litter but sometimes, they could be six, too.
- The average Cesky puppy price is somewhere between $1500-$1800 but since it’s a rare breed, you might have to wait for your turn, in a long line.
- These dogs were developed only to CHASE the prey, not to kill them. Therefore, they are not all harmful to other animals or birds as they won’t kill them.
- Only 600 Cesky terrier dogs live in the entire United States.
Cesky Terrier Appearance
According to the breed standard, Cesky terriers should have droopy ears set high and close to the cheek. The overall expression on their face is gentle and calm with a long, wedge-shaped head and neatly fitting, thick lips.
Speaking of body frame, they feature strong, medium, and muscled necks, whereas the chest is not too deep but cylindrical. The tail is generally low set which may be 7-8 inches long with a slight bend at the tip.
Size
Since they fall in the category of small dogs, they are only 10-13 inches long. Generally, the average height of a male Cesky terrier is 11-5 inches, whereas that for a female Cesky is 10.5 inches.
Weight
As per their size, Cesky terriers are not too heavy as they weigh around 13-22lbs. Any Cesky canine with a weight higher than this will be considered obese.
Coat
A Cesky terrier can be recognized easily by its silky coat. However, their coats are not completely straight or smooth but slightly wavy. The coat length is also quite long, and that’s why it is required to be clipped around several parts of the body (except for the area from mid-eye to foreface).
Color
Cesky terriers are grouped into two categories, based on their coat colors. The very first group comprises Cesky terriers with coffee brown coats with liver pigment, whereas the second group comprises coats in multiple shades of gray (charcoal gray to platinum gray).
Besides this dominant base color of the Cesky coat, some Cesky terriers might also have yellow, brown, white, and gray markings on some parts of the body. However, these markings are acceptable if they cover only 20% of the total body area.
Cesky Terrier Temperament and Personality
Cesky terriers are much friendlier and calmer than other terriers. Unlike other dogs, they don’t bark excessively, without any reason. The only time you’d get to hear a loud bark from a Cesky terrier is when it would be in severe pain or feeling threatened.
However, despite being quiet and calm, they are extremely playful and cheerful around their humans. Cesky loves being around its family members and accompanying them everywhere, from daily jogs to camping adventures.
When left alone, these dogs might develop separation anxiety, so you better be with them all the time or arrange company for them.
As mentioned before, these dogs were bred originally to chase, detect, and hunt so they could be a little problematic around other pets (especially if you have rodents). They could chase them the entire day, making your other pet prone to trauma.
The good part is that they would never hurt any bird, animal, or even a stranger out of aggression. Various Cesky owners have confirmed that their Cesky terriers go well with other dogs (and even cats), but it’s possible only if you socialize them from an early age.
Likewise, Cesky terriers can be great fun around kids but beware of leaving them all alone with your toddlers. As with other small breeds, this one is also prone to get knocked out by your child, accidentally, during playtime, so you better supervise the whole interaction.
To keep your Cesky terrier super happy, keep them engaged in activities that could deliver both physical and mental stimulation. These activities could be of any type, from hiking, running, jumping, and playing interactive mind games.
Remember that this dog loves to dig, out of boredom and curiosity. Therefore, make sure that their play area is allocated at a fair distance from your garden. Also, to put a pause on their curious nature, fence your entire property completely but never do with an electric fence since it could be quite harsh for these sensitive canines.
Cesky Terrier Health and Care
Despite being one of the purebred dogs, Cesky terrier is prone to develop certain health issues such as:
Scotty Cramp
It’s a neurological disorder that affects Cesky’s ability to move his limbs. It’s a temporary condition and may show itself in the form of seizures, right after stress or exercise. One episode of Scotty cramp may last for about ten minutes. As time passes by, this condition gets even worse. The only effective remedy is Valium.
Patella Luxation
It’s one of the most common health problems which affects energetic dogs and most terriers due to too much exercise. In this condition, the kneecap of your dog pops out of its place or gets dislocated.
A dog can live normally if the condition is at a low stage. However, as time passes by, the condition can get worse, making it painful and uncomfortable for your dog.
Primary Lens Luxation
It’s one of the genetic health problems which affects the eyes. In this condition, the eyeball of your canine moves or slips out of its normal place, which in turn causes pain, inflammation, and redness.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
It’s also an inherited eye disorder, but it’s not as painful as primary lens luxation. In this condition, your dog begins to lose his photoreceptor cells gradually, located in the retina. Eventually, he gets completely blind. Unfortunately, any treatment for his eye condition has not been found yet.
Besides this disorder, Cesky terriers are also highly prone to developing skin infections, if not kept cleaned and pampered up. Since they feature a long soft coat, it requires daily grooming – especially in certain areas with more hair growth.
For example, you need to brush around their legs, underarms, and face daily to prevent matting and tangling knots. On the other hand, brush their entire body once a week to keep it in a neat form.
Hand stripping won’t be sufficient, and you’d need to undergo regular trimming using specialized brushes like a pin brush, comb, and a soft-bristled brush.
Remember that since Cesky are keen diggers, their nails need to be cleaned and trimmed every week. And since their ears are droopy, remove dirt and debris from them daily and check for infections, too.
Cesky Terrier Training
Since Cesky terriers are quite intelligent, they are much easier to train than other dogs present in the terrier family. Due to the very same reason, these dogs are highly recommended to first-time owners.
Yes, they might get stubborn sometimes, but you don’t need to think about using negative reinforcement methods. Try to make the training sessions fun and keep them short so your terrier won’t feel overwhelmed.
Positive reinforcement methods, like the reward-based method, always work for these puppies but avoid offering too many treats since they are prone to weight gain. Instead, it’s better to stick with verbal praise and toys.
A Cesky pup needs to be socialized with other pets, especially other dogs, from a very young age so it won’t be too intolerant around them when growing up. For this purpose, consider taking your dog to dog-friendly places and letting them socialize with other animals and humans.
Conclusion
Cesky dogs are versatile as they can serve as an excellent companion, error-less watchdogs, and even therapy dogs if trained properly. So, without any doubt, this dog breed is compatible with most living conditions and households.
However, buying a new pup costs an arm and leg therefore, it’s much better to consider adopting a Cesky from rescue groups and shelter homes.
