Cesky Terrier Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Cesky Terrier is a relatively new breed, a Czech terrier, that was created in 1949 by a Czech breeder called Frantisek Horak in Czechoslovakia. Horak crossed the Sealyham with Scottish Terrier to create the ideal Bohemian woodland hunting dog, which would explain why the occasional Cesky Terrier has a Scottish cramp.

Prior to the creation of the Cesky Terrier, Horak worked for many years as a geneticist at the Academy of Science located in Prague. There, he bred dogs as part of his work as a research assistant. Horak was not only a geneticist but a hunter as well. It is said that the Cesky was created as a hunting dog to track rats and foxes to their dens, and Horak intended to produce a breed with a small head and chest to allow the dog to follow the prey into the burrow. Horak was also interested in breeding a dog with a good temperament because he considered the Scottish Terrier in his possession to be a bit too aggressive for his taste, so when he came across a Sealyham Terrier owner, he discussed with him a possible cross-bred Terrier, a pleasing mix of the two breeds.

Moreover, for all European dog breeds and their breeders, the World Wars were devastating. Horak would not be able to start working on the Cesky Terrier until after World War II ended. The breed’s genesis would occur in 1949, when a female Scottish Terrier, Donka Lovu Zdar would be mated to a male Sealyham Terrier, Buganier Urquelle. Donka was a conformation dog as well as being used for hunting. Buganier was kept as a member of a hunting pack of Terriers. These two dogs produced the first Cesky Terrier pup. The new puppy was called Adam Lovu Zdar and it was born on the 25th of December in 1949. Horak bred his dogs to have very specific physical and psychological features. During his breeding program, he documented everything. He recorded and kept track of bloodlines and any other pertinent information about the dogs in his kennel. As a result of this, the Cesky Terrier is one of the few breeds that have a complete account of its genesis, as well as its breeding lines and development since that time. Unfortunately, in the 1950s. the first Cesky puppy was accidentally shot and killed, causing a minor delay in the breeds development. Horak continued to breed the Scottish Terrier and the Sealyham Terrier despite the dog’s tragic death. Six puppies were born from the second try, making the true start of a brand new breed of Terrier.

Furthermore, the Scottish Terrier was chosen for its hunting abilities, while the Sealyham was chosen for its pleasant temperament. The Cesky Terrier would go on to become known as a small but dependable Terrier breed that was slightly calmer than most other Terrier types. The Cesky Terrier is well suited for hunting in the Bohemian forests where it was raised. The breed became popular not just in its native country, but also in other countries. It is also interesting to know that because the little Terrier was so loved during the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Horak even received visits from the secret police as there were excessive amounts of mail coming to him from other countries regarding his new breed of hunting Terrier.

In the homeland of the breed, a club dedicated to hunting with the Cesky Terrier was formed. The breed was initially introduced to the public in 1956, and it was formally shown for the first time in 1959. The Cesky Terrier became recognized by the Czechoslovakian Kennel Club, and just a few years later it was granted full registration as a unique and separate breed by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1963. The breed was considered a national dog and there was a ban placed on the exportation of the dogs from the country for a period of time. Moreover, they became very popular, especially with hunters, but they also had much success in the show arena. A Cesky Terrier called Javor Lovu Zdar was the first of the breed to achieve championship status, which he received in 1964. The breed’s popularity resulted in high demand for the dog. As a result, the breed began to spread outside Czechoslovakia into other countries. The Cesky Terrier can now be found in the United States, England, Canada, and Australia among other places.

However, later in his breed program, Horak wanted to bring some fresh Terrier blood to the well-established Cesky Terrier line he had been developing for all those years. Eventually, Horak was granted permission by the FCI to bring some new blood into the breed’s lineage. He decided to reintroduce a Sealyham Terrier to the Cesky line. The chosen dog was used twice, originally brought into the breeding in 1984, and then again in 1985.

Overall, the Cesky Terrier is truly a delightful chap and skilled hunter. The breed has gained tremendous acclaim in both its homeland and throughout the world. The American Cesky Terriers Fanciers Association was established and would go on to become the American Kennel Club’s parent club to the breed. Although the Cesky Terrier has been well-liked since its inception, it is still considered a rare breed, one of the six rarest breeds in the world. The Cesky is currently recognized as a unique breed by all the major kennel clubs, and it was granted full recognition as an independent breed by the AKC in 2011.