The Czech terrier does not leave anyone indifferent, since when we see it it usually makes us laugh due to its morphology, since it looks as if a larger dog had had its legs cut off.
Do not be fooled by its appearance, since it is a very strong and vigorous animal , which was created by and for hunting.
- Size : between 25 and 32 cm
- Weight : 6 to 9 kilos
- Hair type : long, very fine, with some wavy and shiny
- Character : it is a happy and affectionate animal, although somewhat stubborn
- Health : very strong, like that of all his group mates
- Life expectancy : 12 to 15 years
Origin of the Czech Terrier
Unlike what happens with the vast majority of breeds, the origin of the Czech terrier is documented and occurred in what is now the Czech Republic, being one of the few dog breeds for which we know how it emerged.
Its creation is very recent and dates back to 1948 , when a person named Frantisek Horák was looking for a way to get a dog that would be the best for hunting in the forests of Bohemia.
This man was a research assistant at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences , so he used everything he learned in the laboratories and crossed the Sealyham Terrier and theScottish Terrier .
The breed did not take long to establish itself, since in 1963 it was recognized in the world by the FCI, although right now it is not one of the most famous dogs, quite the opposite, as it is one of the rarest breeds in the world. current and it is not at all easy to see a copy.
Characteristics of the Czech Terrier
It has a very characteristic feature such as its legs , since they are very short and support a long body that seems not to go well with those very few limbs.
Furthermore, his head is very long and is adorned by a very close beard, mustache and eyebrows, which gives him a most peculiar appearance if we combine all these features.
We can see that the hair is silky and soft, quite fine and with colors such as gray, blue, gray, white, yellow, etc., although as a curiosity, we can say that when all the puppies are born they are black, acquiring their own shade. final as the months go by.
As for the color of the eyes, this is linked to the color of the coat. Thus, gray dogs have brown eyes, while brown dogs have blue or yellow eyes.
The color of the nose and lips also changes, which can be blue if the coat is black or liver if the coat is a brown tone.
Character
Very affectionate with the people he knows, although with strangers he will be distant, without ever being aggressive.
Despite its appearance, its instincts are present, so it can create problems with small animals by chasing them, although this can be solved with a little training.
We must warn that he is somewhat stubborn and stubborn , so we will have to educate him positively from a young age, for which we can take advantage of sports in which the dog has to be obedient and agile, in which he has excelled.
He barks a lot, something that should be considered before locking him in an apartment for several hours, and you have to be careful if he is going to live with cats, especially if he is not used to them.
Health
He is not one of those dogs that will make us spend a lot of time at the vet, but he does have a couple of diseases that can affect him more.
One of them is patella luxation, a displacement that causes lameness, inability to walk and is common in smaller breeds.
The other is rarer and is called Scotty Cramp, coming from the Scottish terrier that was one of the parents of the breed , and which causes spasms and problems in the paws, especially in puppies and young animals.
It is noticeable that the dog does not walk well and that he does so as if he were a goose, with his spine arched, which only resolves after a few minutes, although it can be treated with medication.
It is a hereditary disease, so if our Czech terrier suffers from it we should never breed with him, nor with his parents and siblings.
Apart from these two health problems, there is nothing else to worry about.
Czech Terrier Feeding
In specialized stores we will find dog food for small breeds , the one that best suits the Czech terrier , since these foods take into account both the size of the animal's mouth and stomach.
For this reason, they make very small croquettes, easy to break and at the same time with just the right resistance to clean the teeth, at the same time that they are easier to digest for a stomach that is not too large.
There are feeds intended for each phase of the life of these mini and small breed dogs, so we can take the opportunity to give them the most suitable one, which is more important when they are puppies and in the last years of their life.
There are several brands, but you should always opt for a premium one that we will find in pet stores, and that we will recognize because in many cases they do not have grains or advertise high percentages of meat.
Care
The main care of the Czech terrier comes from the hair, which requires constant maintenance if we do not want it to become tangled, although it is not necessary to cut it by hand at the hairdresser.
We must brush it at least three times a week , focusing on the hair on the face, legs and belly, just where it is longest and where the spikes, scratches and all the dirt from the skin will accumulate. street.
About three times a year, you will have to go to the hairdresser to have your hair shaped and what makes it so characteristic, although if we don't mind that it doesn't look as good the first few times, it is something that we can do ourselves.
Another of the main cares has to do with walks, since although it seems like a dog that can be at home all day, this is not the case and it has a lot of energy that must be expended.
He is not a fan of fast walks, but he does like to go outside and explore while barking, and he is a fairly noisy animal.
Perhaps the city is not the best place for this Czech terrier, whose natural habitat is the countryside, but if we decide that he is going to live with us in the city, we must know that he will need a lot of attention and that he will have to go outside often. or in the end you will end up destroying the cushions, sofas, etc.
Finally, although he is far from other terriers, the truth is that he is a stubborn animal, which we must take into account when we want to teach him new commands, not to chase small animals, using positive training.
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