Cesky Terrier

The Cesky Terrier is the Czech Republic's own terrier — deliberately bred to be calmer than the British terriers it came from.

History

It was created from 1949 by the Czech geneticist František Horák, who crossed the Sealyham with the Scottish Terrier to get a terrier that could work in a pack in the Bohemian forests without fighting its kennelmates. Horák kept meticulous records, so the breed's ancestry is documented in a way almost no older breed's is.

Temperament

The breed is known for being calmer, more sociable and less quarrelsome than most terriers — which was the whole point of making it — while keeping the courage and the hunting instinct.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise. The silky coat is clipped rather than stripped, unusually for a terrier, and needs regular attention. Training is easier than the terrier reputation suggests.

Health

Generally robust, with a metabolic muscle condition known in the breed and screened for, and a small gene pool as the standing caution. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.