ABOUT THE BREED
The history shortly
Black Russian Terrier was developed in the 1940s in Red Star kennel in the Soviet Union. They mixed at least seventeen different breeds (Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler, Airedale terrier, Newfoundland and Caucasian Ovcharka among other breeds) together to get a suitable working dog for the army and the police force. The goal was that the breed would withstand also the harsh weather.
The result was a large and strong (but not too heavy) breed with quite a sharp working dog temperament.
The first BRTs did resemble the modern BRT only remotely. (Click here to see pictures)
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To the year 1957 BRTs were only owned by the Red Star kennel and the military but then they sold a few dogs to civilian breeders. These breeders continued the work and while the breeding was so far mainly focused on the working abilities of the dogs, now they also wanted to standardize BRT's appearance. Of course, they wanted to maintain the qualities that the former breeding had obtained.
The first BRTs were sold to Finland (as the first country in Europe) in the 1970s and the first litters here were registered the year 1988. Suomen Mustaterrierit ry (The Finnish Black Russian Terrier Association) was founded in 1978.
You can read more about the breed history by clicking here!
The temperament
BRT's ideal temperament is described in the following way in the FCI breed standard;
"A dignified and confident dog; well controlled in all situations. When circumstances require, he immediately assumes an active-defensive posture; however, quickly calms down at the disappearance of threat. This handsome breed is amiable and has great endurance; it is undemanding, smart, and friendly. It adapts well to training and various climate conditions and is hardworking and reliable."
One should remember that this is the description of the ideal temperament, and only a few dogs reach all the preferred qualities.
According to my own experience, the trainability of BRTs varies a lot between individuals and nowadays this feature is not greatly considered when breeding BRTs at least in Finland. Here the population of BRTs is small and breeding is mostly determined by health.
When the number of people interested in working dogs is limited and most of the dogs are going to families to become pets and show dogs the breeding is concentrating on producing so-called "easy family dogs". In practice, this means that the dogs have transformed from active and fierce military dogs to calm and easy-to-handle companions. In my mind, we are losing a significant part of the breed history by breeding BRTs this way.
Less and less people are searching for an active BRT that is at it's best while being trained and getting to work. This leads us to the situation that we are losing something that originally was much valued in this breed.
One characteristic which seems to be here to stay is BRTs tendency to guard. BRT is usually very attached to its home, and it tries to banish unfamiliar people at least by barking. However, they typically trust their owner to decide if the person coming is welcomed or not. If the owner reacts positively, will BRT stop the guarding.
If the dog's family is not home, it's probably now worth trying to go into the house guarded by the dog. I've heard about cases where the dogs even let the person into the house, but when he/she was going to leave, has the BRT blocked the door.
The guarding tendency can reach outside the home; while walking in a dark street, a suspicious passerby will at least get a tense and watchful eye. If that doesn't make the unknown person take distance, there may be some growling and barking. If the situation would escalate even more and there would be an attack towards the dog and the owner, the dog's bravery would determine the outcome. Some of the dogs would probably start opposing the attack, but in the current BRT population, fewer and fewer dogs would have it in them.
More likely is that the dog would take distance and start barking intensively. The will to protect the family members is not only determined by the dog's genetics but also by the training and relationship with the owner. Some dogs trust the owners to solve the threatening situations by themselves.
The social behavior can vary between the individuals, but typically BRT is quite reserved towards new people. They usually accept handling if the owner is beside the dog, but they keep a close eye on the handler.
In my experience, BRTs read people well. If the person is honestly relaxed, they are most likely greeted friendly, but if BRT notices any insecurity or even fear they act more vigilantly before the situation starts to loosen up.
Familiar people are greeted with great joy, and the dog can be even a little cheeky while trying to get attention.
Towards other dogs, BRT act in a similar manner. There might appear aggression between males, but typically it's mostly stiff walking and some growling. When BRT is a member of a pack, hierarchy can be seen in the dynamics of the dogs. There is probably no clear leader and the individual making the decisions changes depending on the situation. For example, the dog who rules the pack inside the home might look for support from the apparent inferior dog when something scary happens outside.
BRT has a clear understanding of their status over the other dogs (or people) that it encounters and it might behave despotically when seeking self-interest. Especially with females, I have stumbled upon individuals who make sure that the smaller and weaker dogs are aware when they are not welcomed nearby. The situations usually are food-related.
Food can trigger aggressive behavior in some dogs, and it can be directed to both dogs and people. Fortunately, this aggression is normally quite mild and can be resolved with training.
The easiest way to train BRT is to make clear guidelines for the dog and hold on with them. If something is forbidden, it's always forbidden. The dog must be consistently told when he/she is doing wrong and rewarded when he/she is doing right.
If the dog is showing signs of resource (food, toys, etc.) related aggression, it's reasonable to make clear to him/her that there is no competition of the resource, and therefore, there is no need to protect the resource. This way, you can avoid problems with the relationship with the dog.
At home, BRT is typically quite calm, and they don't necessarily need extra activities every day along with regular walks though they are always ready for training or any shared action with the owner.
Walks in the forest are especially enjoyed, and you may even let BRT run freely, but some individuals are more interested in the wild animals, and they may go after them. Typically BRT wants to keep close to the owner, but if they see a lot of other animals, they can pick up the habit to hunt them. That's why you should take care that the dog learns basic obedience before going to animal rich environments for walks.
Training BRT
Typically the males are more motivated for training than females. An average BRT has a moderately high will to play with toys, which makes the training and rewarding with toys easier. In my experience, the most effective reward for BRT is food.
Compared, for example, to shepherd dogs, BRT doesn't necessarily stand so many repeats at one session of training, which makes it possibly a little slower learner. Even is so, BRT is an intelligent breed, and with carefully planned training, they pick up new things with fewer repeats.
Commonly, BRT's motivation rises along with his/her skills, and one should not be worried if the dog is first slow and puzzled when introduced to a new trick.
The best way to reach the preferred results in training is when the training is based on rewarding, not punishing.
Optimally BRT is excited and energetic in training but generally at least cheerful and willing to learn. The eagerness of the dog depends much on the general temperament of the dog: a calmer individual needs more motivating, and the more lively dog might need more training by focusing on the task.
BRT is fit for almost any dog sport, excluding perhaps agility, which might not be the right choice for a large and robust breed. Some breeding lines have smaller and lighter dogs, which in principle could do agility, but maybe for a person who is aiming to compete in agility is not likely to buy a BRT.
In Finland, BRT has the right to compete in the service dog trials. That means that after they have taken part and passed a temperament test called BH (Begleithundprüfung, which translates as "traffic-sure" companion dog test"), they can participate in trials like tracking or protection (IGP).
The number of entries has been declining quickly over the past decade, and there are fewer and fewer BRTs competing in them.
Partly this can be explained with the new easier-to-train forms of dog sports. But also the rising level of dog training and other dog breeds (like herder breeds) being profiled being more trainable and high-performing in dog sport have affected the popularity of BRT as a working dog.
Currently, more popular sports in Finland are Obedience, Rally Obedience, and Nose Work. For this breed, there are not many entries to competitions yet, but many have started training in them, and I'm hoping to see more competing dogs in the future.
Health
The health status of BRT is moderate, and the biggest threat is the narrow gene base. Small genetic material sensitizes the breed for doubling of the defecting genes, which cause many health issues. Examples of this are autoimmune diseases, allergies, and problems with breeding.
Disorders of the bones are one of the biggest challenges of the breed at the moment. Especially the hip dysplasia statistics (in Finland, for example) are worrying. D hips are quite common, and there is room for improvement with the health of the elbows too.
Typical problems with the hips are looseness and shallowness of the acetabulums. This may expose the joint for arthritis and cause pain and related issues.
In Finland, FKC (Finnish Kennel Club) rates the joint structure of x-rays, which are usually taken when the dog turns 18-24 months old. The rating is really strict compared to many other European countries. This has led to challenges, especially when the breeding dog population in Finland is already narrow. This makes improving the statistics in the current situation problematic.
D/D hips, looseness and shallow acetabulums
In recent years, developmental bone disorders have been an emerging problem with young dogs. Examples of these are OCD (osteochondritis dissecans), UAP (Ununited Anconeal Process), and CD (Chondrodysplasia).
These are generally diagnosed at the age of 3-12 months, and only some of them can be treated with surgery if the disorder is found in the early stage. The prognosis depends on the severity and the placement of the problem.
The susceptibility to developmental bone disorders is probably genetic, but also the nutrition and the quality and quantity of exercise the puppy gets can affect. Structural faults can also be an exposing factor.
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Hyperuricosuria (HUU) means elevated levels of uric acid in the urine. This trait predisposes dogs to form urate stones in their bladders.
HUU can be tested from the dog by a gene test, and practically all puppies born in Finland are either genetically healthy (N/N), or they only carry the gene (N/HUU). In principle, only the dogs who are genetically affected (HUU/HUU) can suffer for this disease, but there have been few cases that carriers have formed urate stones. We are waiting for more information.
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JLPP (Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy) is an autosomal recessive, hereditary disease. The affected puppy dies at the age of six months at the latest. The symptoms start with problems swallowing and breathing. As the disease progresses the puppy loses coordination first of the back legs and then front. At the final stage, the dog gets fully paralyzed, and it chokes to death.
Fortunately, the disease can be tested genetically, and the carrier-carrier breeding is forbidden. After the gene test was brought to Finland, there have not been affected puppies.
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Breeding related problems are also worth mentioning. Inbreeding has decreased the vitality of the breed, and that has caused a spectrum of breeding problems. The males are not willing to mate, and the breeder wants to save her/his breeding plans with artificial insemination. The females have issues with giving birth and then the only option to save the female and the puppies is to go the vet to a section.