Breed library

Black Russian Terrier

Also known as Chornyi Terrier, Tchiorny Terrier‎.

Black Russian Terrier photograph.
Wystawa Rybnik 02.10.2011 czarny terier rosyjski 2pl.jpg - Pleple2000. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wystawa_Rybnik_02.10.2011_czarny_terier_rosyjski_2pl.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The Black Russian Terrier (Русский чёрный терьер), also known as the Chornyi Terrier (chornyi being Russian for black), is a breed of dog from the USSR. It was originally bred in the Red Star (Krasnaya Zvezda) Kennel during the late 1940s and the early 1950s for use as a military/working dog. The Black Russian Terrier is a breed recognized by the FCI (September 1983), AKC (July 2004), CKC, KC, ANKC, NZKC and other cynological organizations. The contemporary Black Russian Terrier is a working dog, guarding dog, sporting and companion dog. Despite its name, the Black Russian Terrier is not a true terrier: it is believed that about seventeen breeds were used in its development, including the Airedale Terrier, the Giant Schnauzer, the Rottweiler, the Newfoundland, the Caucasian Shepherd Dog, the South Russian Shepherd Dog and other breeds.

  • Breed classification: SchnauzerBreed reference breed group.
  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
  • Country of origin: Soviet UnionBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • The Black Russian Terrier was developed in the former USSR in Red Star (Krasnaya Zvezda) Kennel by the state for use as a military/working dogs.
  • The breeding stock was largely imported from countries where the Red Army was active during the Second World War, especially East Germany.
  • Breeds used in the development include the Giant Schnauzer, Airedale Terrier, Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd Dog and other breeds.
  • The Black Russian Terrier was bred for working ability, rather than appearance, and early examples only resembled today's Black Russian Terrier in their build and coat type.
  • In time, the breed spread to the other parts of USSR like Saint Petersburg, Siberia, Ukraine and later to the first European country Finland and next to the other European countries: Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany and finally to the United States, Canada, Australia and others.

Size and appearance

The coat is a double coat with a coarse outer guard hair over a softer undercoat. The coat is hard and dense, never soft, woolly, silky or frizzy. It should be trimmed to between 5 and 15 cm in length. It should form a beard and eyebrows on the face, and a slight mane around the withers and neck that is more pronounced in males. The coat is low-shedding and the colour is black or black with some scattered gray hairs.

  • Body mass reference: 45 - 50 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 45 - 50 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: Up to 50 kgBreed reference body mass. female, maximum.
  • Body mass reference: 45 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. female, minimum.
  • Body mass reference: 50 - 60 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 50 - 60 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: Up to 60 kgBreed reference body mass. male, maximum.
  • Body mass reference: 50 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: 68 - 72 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 68 - 72 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: Up to 72 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
  • Height reference: 68 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
  • Height reference: 72 - 76 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 72 - 76 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 72 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 76 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.
  • Coat layers: double
  • Height category: very_tall
  • Height category: tall
  • Weight category: giant

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

The Black Russian Terrier, because of its breeding as a working dog, has a very strong "work ethic", and needs a job to do in order to be happy. Early training is a must and they are very responsive to firm, consistent training, excelling at obedience competitions. They also perform well in other dog sports, such as agility, and Schutzhund training. They have a low-shedding coat, and need grooming several times a week. Dogs who compete in conformation need to be groomed a minimum of every three weeks to keep the coat in show condition. This breed forms a strong bond with a single person and will not thrive if sent to boarding facilities. The young Black Russian Terrier should not be forced to exercise as a pup and tend to sleep the majority of the day because they grow so quickly [around 1 kg per week], they may become hyperactive and destructive when older if not provided an outlet for its energy. Once the dog has reached maturity their energy level decreases dramatically and they are most content lying near their owner.

  • Coat layers: double
  • Shedding amount: low

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 10.9 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

Add Black Russian Terrier to a comparison

Breed history

The Black Russian Terrier was developed in the former USSR in Red Star (Krasnaya Zvezda) Kennel by the state for use as a military/working dogs. The breeding stock was largely imported from countries where the Red Army was active during the Second World War, especially East Germany. Breeds used in the development include the Giant Schnauzer, Airedale Terrier, Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd Dog and other breeds. The Black Russian Terrier was bred for working ability, rather than appearance, and early examples only resembled today's Black Russian Terrier in their build and coat type. They were bred solely by the state owned Red Star Kennel in Moscow until 1957, when some puppies were sold to civilian breeders. These breeders began to breed for looks (as the original was rather plain) while retaining working ability. In time, the breed spread to the other parts of USSR like Saint Petersburg, Siberia, Ukraine and later to the first European country Finland and next to the other European countries: Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany and finally to the United States, Canada, Australia and others.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Black Russian Terrier - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Black Russian Terrier, revision 1368873833. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Russian_Terrier&action=history
  2. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  3. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  4. File:Wystawa Rybnik 02.10.2011 czarny terier rosyjski 2pl.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Wystawa Rybnik 02.10.2011 czarny terier rosyjski 2pl.jpg - Pleple2000. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wystawa_Rybnik_02.10.2011_czarny_terier_rosyjski_2pl.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.