Bohemian Terrier: This breed was obtained through a series of scrupulous crossbreeding by Dr. Horàk Frantisek, who wanted to select the perfect den dog.
Despite the small size, the Cesky terrier is a particularly strong and resistant to fatigue dog. In the wild it is tenacious and fearless, both in the den and in outdoor hunting. The Bohemian terrier is a breed originating from the Czech Republic, belonging to group 3 of terriers, according to the classification of the FCI Some experts consider this breed as a real work of genetic engineering. It was Dr. Horàk Frantisek of the Prague Institute of Physiology, expert in heredity, to create the Bohemian Terrier.
Dr. Horàk Frantisek was a breeder of "Scottish terrier" and "Sealyham Terrier" and, in 1950, he began a series of crossings between these two breeds, with the aim of obtaining a perfect den dog. The result of these crossings was a well pigmented, lighter terrier with V-shaped ears and an intact tail. Already starting from 1979 the new breed had reached the twelfth generation, this last sign of the popularity it was enjoying in Eastern Europe. Having established the typical characteristics of the breed, the latter was officially recognized by the FCI in 1963, becoming part of the Terrier group. Some vets claim that there has been the inclusion of other breeds in the Cesky terrier's formation, but Dr. Horàk has always denied.
We now describe the characteristics of the Bohemian terrier. It is a small dog, dolichocephalic anacolymorph, morphologically classified as a Lipoid type. With a very harmonious line, the Bohemian terrier has a commendable musculature in proportion to the size of the trunk, with the bone of the right diameter. The body build is typical of a terrier, with the trunk of medium length and the rib cage rather cylindrical.
The Bohemian terrier or Cesky terrier, due to its size, is endowed with excellent natural predispositions and qualities for an effective and profitable activity both in the wild in burrows and in outdoor hunting. Despite having short legs, it is very agile and resistant to fatigue, to the point that in the fight with the wild and the harmful it proves strong and tenacious, but not imprudently aggressive. A peculiar quality of this breed is the ability to adapt not only for hunting purposes, so much so that it is also considered an excellent companion for the home and for children.
The height is between 27 cm and 35 cm at the withers, for both sexes, with a weight that is between 6 and 9 kg. The trunk is of medium length, with the dorsal line running straight, but only in the renal part is it moderately arched. The rib cage is somewhat cylindrical and not very descending. The ideal circumference of the chest, measured behind the elbows, should be 40-45 cm. The ribs are circled and the musculature of the renal part must have a length in harmony with the measurements of the trunk, it must be broad and moderately raised. The belly is rather broad and moderately retracted, while the inguinal region is full. The well developed, muscular and moderately depressed rump participate in the aesthetic harmony of the Bohemian terrier.
The head is long, with straight nasal bridge, full lips in the right proportion. The nasal-frontal depression is not very pronounced, but it is still visible. The frontal bone forms a sharp angle with the longitudinal axis of the nasal bridge. The skull is not too broad, with slightly hinted zygomatic arches. The frontal sulcus is scarcely marked and the occipital protuberance is well evident. Overall, the head is similar to an obtuse-angled parallelepiped, long and truncated, with not too open angles.
The nose is well developed and of good shape, black or liver in color, corresponding to the color of the coat. The jaws are strong, with scissor or pincer teeth. The neck is of medium length, carried oblique and proportionately robust. The skin is slightly loose at the throat point, but does not form the dewlap. The ears are of medium size, hanging down to completely cover the opening. They are set quite high and adhere completely to the cheek. The auricle forms a triangle with its shorter side at the point of the fold.
The eyes are of medium size, rather sunken, giving the Bohemian terrier a friendly expression. The fur that covers them almost completely hides them. In specimens with a gray-blue coat, the color of the eyes is black, while in those with a gray-brown coat or light coffee, the color of the eyes can vary between light brown to dark brown. The forelegs are upright and of sturdy bone, with rather large feet. The hind limbs have a robust bone structure and a well muscled thigh. The hind feet are smaller than the front ones, they are parallel to each other and their movement is wide and free.
The movement of both the anterior and posterior limbs is slender and facing forward. The step and the trot are wide, to the point that the dog follows the human step without too much difficulty. The gallop is slow but long lasting. The tail is 18-20 cm long and is quite robust. The hair is dense and shiny like silk, with a length of about 2 cm. According to the standard, the permitted colors are gray-blue or light coffee-brown, with possible shades of yellow, gray or white.
As with all hunting dogs and terriers, the Cesky terrier also needs constant and careful daily training, in order to enhance its characteristics in the hunting field. In our country it is not well known and the puppies are very difficult to find. With this article we hope to have stimulated the reader's curiosity to evaluate the possibility of a hunting use of the Cesky terrier.