I'm a German Shepherd guy through and through. However, a friend of mine has been offered a working line Black Russian Terrier pup. Once fully grown they rememble a Giant Schnauzer. Has anyone had any experience of these dogs or knows anything about them that I can tell my friend.
Thanks for the opportunity to pick so many brains from here in England...
Gary..

We have our own resident BRT expert in fact. Richard Cannon, maybe you want to field this question? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Depending on the lines the males are BIG. Generally over 125, 130 isn't uncommon. They are also tall, so they can get as tall as 30+ inches. Working lines tend to be a little smaller. They need to be groomed regularly. Every 6-8 weeks.

They are said to have no prey drive, I don't think that is accurate. They have the prey drive it is just demonstrated differently than with Shephard breeds. They are described as a defensive breed, but they will make a bite that would be a severe challange for a Shephard breed is a prey bite for a BRT. If you charge them they are in their element. They also act to protect someone that is attacked. If someone is screaming the BRT will wade in to the middle of it. They are not that wild about a runaway bite. That seems to be the toughest thing to teach them.

They mature slowly, often taking up to 4 years to be completely mature. That is physically and mentally. They are defintly a thinking breed. They will watch things and figure them out. This can make for frustrating training. You will see long plateaus in traing with sudden big leaps in abilities. Followed by another plateau.

Temperament wise they are very stable. They were developed primarily from the Giant. They have many of the same chacteristics of the Giant. Territorial, dominant, hard headed, and smart. Unlike the Giant they are not handler aggressive at all. They do not require huge corrections. They tend to live better with other males than the Giant does. They are fairly calm in the house and tend to be less noisy. They are very attached to their people and will try and keep them in sight, but they will stay out of the way (Except when they are demanding attention). They don't make good kennel dogs because of their attachment to their people. They also seem to really like children.

They can be a handful as a puppy, espicially the working lines dogs tend to be very mouthy. They will also be very sensitive to what they percieve as a threat and will defend against it. So you have to watch them a bit. They require more socializtion than other breeds I have dealt with. I think it is important to get them handled by many people as they are growing up. There will be no problem of suspicion of strangers and they are so big and strong that you want them to understand social conventions. THey also need early obedience. It is much easier to do when they are small and more managable.

In sport they have not been used much. There are some in Russia and other Eastern European countries that have been trained in SchH. I have seen a couple of III on pedigrees. They are also used in Russian Great Ring. There are not many people working them at this point.

There are issues with hips, elbows, and some skin disorders. I haven't heard much about other health issues.

See <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />


Richard, I have not seemed to be able to find much in the way of history on the BRT.


What was the main intended purpose of the breed as it was formed? Military/Police use in Russia, or protection? I'm a little fuzzy.

If you have some good links, I'd like them.

How popular is the breed in their native land?