Czech Terrier

A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

UTILISATION:
Formerly a Terrier breed for hunting foxes and badgers, today more a house and companion dog. 

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:

The Czech Terrier is the result of an appropriate crossbreeding between a Sealyham Terrier dog and a Scotch Terrier bitch, with the aim to develop a light, short legged, well pigmented hunting Terrier, with practical drop ears, easy to groom and easy to train. In 1949 Mr. František Horák from Klánovice near Prague started to improve the breed by fixing their characteristics. In 1959 these dogs were shown for the first time and the breed was finally recognised by the FCI in 1963. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE:

Short legged, long haired, well made and well-muscled Terrier with smallish drop ears, of a rectangular format. 

IDEAL MEASUREMENTS:
                                                          Male                                      Female
Height at withers                               29cm                                      27cm
Length of skull                                   21cm                                     20cm
Width of skull                                    10cm                                      9cm
Girth of thorax (behind elbows)        45cm                                      44cm
Length of body                                 43cm                                      40cm

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT:

Balanced, non-aggressive, pleasant and cheerful companion, easy to train; somewhat reserved towards strangers; of calm and kind disposition.

HEAD:

Shaped like a long, blunt, not too broad wedge, the plane of the forehead forming a distinctive breaking with the bridge of the nose.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Not too broad between the ears and tapering moderately towards the supraorbital ridges. Occipital protuberance easy to palpate; cheek bones moderately prominent. Frontal furrow only slightly marked.
Stop: Not accentuated but apparent. 

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Dark and well developed. It should be black on Terriers with a grey-blue coat and liver coloured on light-coffee brown Terriers.
Nasal Bridge: Straight.
Jaws/Teeth: Strong jaws. Scissors or level bite; complete dentition (the absence of the 2 M3 in the lower jaw not being penalised). Teeth strong, regularly aligned and set square to the jaw. 
Lips: Relatively thick, fitting neatly.
Cheeks: Cheek bones not very prominent.
Eyes: Of medium size, slightly deep set, with a friendly expression; well covered by the overhanging eyebrows. Brown to dark brown in grey-blue coated dogs, light brown in light-coffee-brown dogs.Eyelids black in grey-blue dogs, liver-colour in light-coffee-brown dogs.
Ears: Of medium size, dropping in such a way as to well cover the orifice. Set on rather high and falling flat along the cheeks. Shaped like a triangle, with the shorter side of the triangle at the fold of the ear. 

NECK:

Medium long, quite strong, carried on a slant. The skin at the throat is somewhat loose but without forming a dewlap. 

BODY:

Oblong.
Upper line: Not straight because loins and rump are always moderately arched.
Withers: Not very pronounced; neck set on rather high.
Back: Strong, of medium length.
Loins: Relatively long, muscular, broad and slightly rounded.
Croup: Strongly developed, muscular; pelvis moderately slanting. Hip bones often slightly higher than the withers.
Chest: More cylindrical than deep; ribs well sprung.
Belly: Ample and slightly tucked up. Flanks well filled.

TAIL: 
The ideal length is 18-20cm; relatively strong and low set. At rest hanging downward or with a slight bend at the tip; when alert the tail is carried sabre shape horizontally or higher.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS: 

The forelegs should be straight, well boned and parallel.
Shoulders: Muscular.
Elbows: Somewhat loose, yet neither turned in nor out.
Forefeet: Large; well-arched toes and strong nails. Pads well developed and thick.

HINDQUARTERS:

Hindlegs strong, parallel, well angulated and muscular.
Lower Thigh: Short.
Hock Joint: Set relatively high, strongly developed. 
Hindfeet: Smaller than the forefeet.

GAIT/MOVEMENT:

Free, enduring, vigorous, with drive. Gallop slow but lasting. The forelegs extend in a straight forward line. 

SKIN:

Firm, thick, without wrinkles or dewlap, pigmented. 

COAT:
Texture: Hair long, fine but firm, slightly wavy with a silky gloss; not too much overdone. The Czech Terrier is groomed by scissors (clipping). At the forepart of the head the hair is not to be clipped thus forming brows and beard. On the lower parts of the legs, under the chest and belly the hair should not be clipped either. In show condition the hair at the upper side of the neck, on the shoulders and on the back should not be longer than 1-1.5 cm; it should be shorter on the sides of the body and on the tail and quite short on the ears, cheeks, at the lower side of the neck, on elbows, thighs and round the vent. The transition between clipped and unclipped areas should be pleasing for the eye and never abrupt. 

COLOUR:

The Czech Terrier has 2 varieties of coat colour:
• Grey-blue (puppies are born black)
• Light-coffee-brown (puppies born chocolate brown)
In both colour varieties yellow, grey or white markings are permitted on the head (beard, cheeks), neck, chest, belly, the limbs and round the vent. Sometimes there is also a white collar or a white tip of the tail. The basic colour, however, must always be predominant. 

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT:
Height at withers: Between 25 - 32cm. Ideal size for a Dog: 29cm Bitch: 27cm.
The weight must not be less than 6kg and more than 10kg. 

FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
• Weak construction
• Temporary loss of nasal pigmentation (snow nose)
• Weak, short or snipey foreface, with weakly developed teeth
• Absence of one (1) incisor
• Eyes too big or protruding
• Ears too big or too small, or different in shape or carriage as described in the standard
• Back too long or too short.
• Crooked forelegs, incorrect front
• Coat too fine or too coarse. 

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressive or overly shy.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified
• Absence of more than 4 teeth altogether; absence of 2 or more incisors
• Canine placed in vestibulo position
• Entropion or ectropion
• Chest circumference more than 50 cm
• Curled tail or carried over the back
• Long brindled coat on dogs older than 2 years
• Coarse or curled cotton-wool type hair
• White markings covering more than 20%; white blaze on the head
• Irregular, jerky, spasmodic movements (‘Scottie cramp’)
• Weight above 10kg or less than 6kg
• Shyness, unbalanced or aggressive disposition 

NB:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.