Cesky Terrier

It was created in 1949 by Czech geneticist and hunter Frantisek Horak, who crossed a Sealyham Terrier with a Scottish Terrier to produce a smaller, narrower-chested dog able to work down fox and badger earths in Bohemian woodland without getting stuck. Horak kept meticulous breeding records, and the result was recognised as a distinct breed by the FCI in 1963. Its development behind the Iron Curtain meant it remained little known outside Czechoslovakia and neighbouring countries for decades.

Living with a Cesky Terrier suits owners who want a genuine working terrier's brain in a calmer, quieter package than most terriers offer. It is notably less excitable and less prone to nuisance barking than many terrier breeds, and it tends to be more biddable, though it retains a terrier's independent streak and a strong prey drive around small animals. Its silky, slightly wavy coat does not shed much but needs regular trimming, traditionally clipped short on the body with longer furnishings left on the legs, beard and eyebrows.

The breed remains rare, with only a few hundred puppies registered worldwide each year, which keeps the gene pool narrow and makes health testing and careful breeder selection particularly important.

Today the Cesky is kept mostly as a companion and occasional earth-working or show dog, valued for combining terrier grit with an unusually calm, affectionate temperament indoors.