Cesky terrier
The Cesky Terrier was created in 1949 by Czech geneticist František Horák, who crossed the Sealyham Terrier with the Scottish Terrier to produce a narrower dog that could work in packs in the Bohemian forests.
He documented the breeding programme meticulously.
It stands 25 to 32 centimetres, weighs 6 to 10 kilograms and lives twelve to fifteen years, with a soft silky wavy coat in grey-blue or light coffee. Its temperament is the deliberate part: Horák bred for a calmer, more biddable and less confrontational terrier than its parent breeds, and the result genuinely is easier to live with than most of the group. It remains rare.
- Origin
- Czechoslovakia, 1949, from Sealyham and Scottish Terriers
- Size
- 25–32 cm; 6–10 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Soft, silky and wavy; clipped rather than stripped
- Temperament
- Calmer and more biddable than most terriers, by design
- Health
- Scottie cramp, patellar luxation; a small gene pool
Related: Airedale terrier · American hairless terrier · American pit bull terrier · American Staffordshire terrier · Australian terrier
2 cesky terrier photos, newest first
Living with a cesky terrier
Unlike almost every other terrier the coat is clipped, not stripped — it is soft rather than harsh — and needs a professional groom every six to eight weeks plus brushing twice a week.
Scottie cramp occurs in the breed through its Scottish Terrier ancestry: episodes of stiffness and difficulty walking brought on by excitement or exercise. It is not painful and is not epilepsy, and affected dogs live normally.
The gene pool is very small — this is a rare breed built from few founders. Ask what a breeder does about diversity.
They are less driven than other terriers but still need real exercise and enjoy scent work.
Ask about patellar luxation and eye testing.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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