Black Russian Terriers FAQ

• To book a puppy contact me (chat, phone or email) OR fill in the online form.
• Tell me a few words about you.
• Tell me about your expectations.

• I can delivery your puppy to your home or you can pick up the puppy from my home. 
• Puppy can go to new home at 8 weeks age.
• Some countries allow to import puppies no younger than 15 weeks.
• Your puppy will have all import paperwork necessary to enter your country legally.

The puppy can go to a new home at 8 weeks of age.

Of course. The puppy can be collected at my home, or I can arrange transport to your home. I prepare and am responsible for all export documentation.

I transport puppies to any place in Poland and abroad. In the case of delivery abroad, the puppy will have all the documentation necessary for legal import.

You do not have to arrange anything because each puppy before departure will have all the export documentation and all the formalities to legally cross the border. I regularly send black terrier puppies abroad and am up to date with changes in regulations. I am responsible for the correctness of the documents and for the transport to your home.

Of course, you can also arrange the transport and formalities yourself.

Every black Russian terrier puppy from our kennel already comes with a leash and collar. They are sufficient for a long period of time.

The puppy eats four times a day.

Each food has a different dosage, but usually (in the case of a black terrier puppy) it will be around 500 grams a day, or 4x 125 grams. 

Most foods have the dosage listed on the back of the food bag. See the dosage for a target weight of 50-60kg.

The puppy should have unlimited access to fresh water. You can give water in a bowl.

Every puppy from our kennel is taught to settle physiological needs outside, on the grass. As soon as the puppy wakes up, you should go with him to the lawn as soon as possible. However, we must remember that it is still a little kid and sometimes a "toilet accident" will happen at home.

Black Russian Terriers are very intelligent so if the puppy is regularly taken outside as soon as he wakes up, nothing more should happen in the house than a "pee" from time to time, less and less with age.

A black terrier puppy will take care of its needs on the lawn very quickly, usually as soon as it steps on the grass.

Most black terrier puppies love to sleep and rest on their bed. As they grow up, however, some black terriers prefer to sleep on the floor, especially during the warmer seasons.

The life of a black terrier puppy is an endless cycle: sleeping > toileting > playing > eating > sleeping > toileting > playing > eating...

The puppy sleeps most of the time. He can also play for long periods of time, especially if he experiences new stimuli, meets new people or animals. Do not overdo the amount of play in puppyhood and when you see that the little one is already tired you should let him sleep.

A black terrier puppy usually wakes up around 6-7 am. Most puppies sleep through the night, going to bed around 8-9 p.m. For the first few nights after arriving in a new home, the puppy may not sleep through the night. It is best if the owner can sleep with the puppy for the first few nights and go out for a short walk and toilet if it wakes up. After a few days, the situation should normalize and the puppy should sleep through the nights on its own.

The typical black Russian terrier is composed, calm and confident. He is very attached to his owner and therefore cannot be locked in a pen without human contact.

The black terrier is very composed and self-confident. It knows its strength but does not abuse it. It is not afraid of other dogs but usually does not attack them. There are individuals that do not tolerate other dogs and react very nervously in such situations.

Character traits are already visible at the age of 6-7 weeks. Experienced breeder will recognize at this age what predispositions a puppy has and will choose a dog most similar to the expectations of the buyer. Let the breeder know what kind of dog you are looking for, whether it is a guarding dog, family friend etc.

Contrary to the breed name, the black Russian terrier is not a terrier at all. According to the terminology and classification of dog breeds of the FCI (The Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the black Russian terrier belongs to FCI group 2 (molossers, Swiss mountain and cattle dogs, pinschers and schnauzers) while the terriers belong to FCI group 3 (terriers). 

The black terrier is a large dog. An adult male is 72-76 cm at the withers* and weighs 50-60 kg, while a female grows to 68-72 cm and weighs 45-50 kg. 

*Height at withers is the distance from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder blades. To measure the height at the withers a special instrument is used - a zoometric stick.

A black Russian terrier raised from puppyhood in a home with small dogs does not become dangerous to them when he grows up. Many of our terriers live in houses with small dogs, be it miniature schnauzers, Scottish terriers or soft coated wheaten terriers (I invite you to see the photos in the News section) and so far we have not had a single case of aggression problem.

Despite the external similarity, the Russian terrier is very different from the giant schnauzer. The black terrier is larger, broader and heavier.

Both breeds have a similar type of hair, double-layered black.

The black terrier is calmer, reacting only when it is really necessary. The Giant Schnauzer barks much more frequently and is more active.

Detailed information about the black Russian terrier and the giant schnauzer.

The black Russian terrier, despite its size, can live even in small flatsblack Russian terrier in a small flat. Black Russian Terrier doesn't need a lot of exercise and is not hyperactive. When nothing is going on, it can lie still on the floor for hours. It does not bark for no reason. The Black Russian Terrier does not cause problems typical for many small breeds which often bark for hours and run around the house.

Puppy or junior will be much more active and has unlimited inventiveness in inventing various games and mischief.

It is necessary to provide a quiet place in the house where the black terrier can rest, preferably away from walkways and radiators. The bed for your black terrier should be comfortable and big (choose the biggest size available, i.e. XL or XXL, and if the size is given in centimetres, it should not be smaller than 120x80 cm). However, it often happens that a black terrier will ignore the bed and choose a place next to it, for example directly on tiles or a wooden floor. Especially in summer, black terriers usually prefer a tiled floor which allows them to cool down.

Most black Russian terriers tolerate children very well. They are calm and composed dogs, but before you leave your dog alone with a child make sure that your dog is not showing any signs of aggression.

Black Russian Terrier brought up from puppyhood in a house with cats becomes accustomed to them and shows no signs of aggression towards them.

However, it is necessary to supervise the puppy's contacts with cats during the first days in the new house. The black terrier is very intelligent and has an excellent memory. If it is attacked by a cat (usually by hitting the dog's nose with its paw) while trying to make friends, it can remember the incident and may want to retaliate in the future.

The black terrier eats the same as other dog breeds - usually dry food or BARF (raw meat based diet). In the case of dry food, use a high quality, premium or super premium food.

A black terrier puppy eats four times a day, a junior eats three times a day and an adult Russian terrier eats once or twice a day.

The Black Russian Terrier eats 400 - 600 grams of dry food per day, depending on the type of food. You will find the dosage on the package of the food.

If a black terrier is on a BARF diet (a diet consisting of raw meat, vegetables and other additives) then it eats around 700-1200 grams of food a day.

Remember to check regularly that your black terrier is not overweight or too thin and, depending on the situation, adjust the daily portion of food

A premium or super premium quality food contains all the nutrients and trace elements needed in a puppy, junior, adult or senior Black Russian Terrier. Good food has the correct ratio of all ingredients which ensures optimal growth and body structure. 

The Russian Terrier is a heavy, massive dog. During the growth period, it is a good idea to supplement ingredients that support the formation of joint cartilage, i.e:

• collagen
• hyaluronic acid
• glucosamine
• chondroitin

MSM
We do not supplement calcium when using a high quality food.

After a meal, the black terrier (like most large dogs) should go to sleep. Running and playing with a full stomach can lead to gastric torsion. This is a very dangerous disease (which can end in the death of the dog) requiring immediate vet intervention.

The hair of the Black Russian Terrier grows and needs to be sheared. The optimal frequency of shearing is 6-8 weeks, but not less frequently than every 2 months.

The black terrier should be combed once a week. It is important to be regular, as if you do not comb your dog regularly, the hair will become knotted and the next combing will take much longer or you will need to shave the hair.

The black terrier does not shed. It does not shed its coat periodically like e.g. German Shepherd, Golden Retriever or Labrador. Instead, periodic (weekly) brushing of the undercoat is necessary. If you neglect to comb out the undercoat, you will find small tufts of hair on the floor.

The black terrier is very intelligent and learns new things quickly. However, it does not like repeating the same actions many times.

He learns even difficult commands without any problem.

It is best to use rewards, so called treats, i.e. pieces of dog treat (e.g. from the company Alfa Spirit) or even balls of dog food, to teach commands such as sit, stay, etc. We start learning by repeating the command loudly, e.g. "Sit!" and at the same time manually moving the dog to the given position. When the dog sits or stands (no matter if on its own or with our help) we praise it loudly and show great enthusiasm while giving it a reward - a treat. Repeat it until it succeeds.

Black terriers learn commands very quickly, sometimes it is enough to repeat a command several times to teach it to a dog.

You can start training your dog just a few days after it arrives at its new home. These few days are necessary for the dog to become familiar with its new surroundings. Even an eight-week-old Black Russian Terrier is able to start training. We start with simpler commands, e.g. calling the dog by name, sit, come to me.

A well-managed black terrier in the hands of an experienced person should not rebel during adolescence. If the owner is inconsistent and allows too much, in such cases, around 13-15 months of age, there may be an "attempt to take over" by the growing black terrier. This may be manifested by lack of obedience, not listening to commands, growling, attempts of aggression towards dogs and other people. To prevent this, it is necessary to be consistent from the first days with the dog. The dog must know what is allowed and what is forbidden. If, for example, the dog is forbidden to enter the bedroom, this prohibition is always in force and not only sometimes, so as not to confuse the dog. If, despite being consistent, the owner cannot cope with his black terrier, then you should seek the help of an experienced trainer.

The black terrier likes several kilometres of quiet walks, but they are not essential for him. If we don't like to walk or we don't have time for it, short walks "for toilet" 3-4 times a day will be enough. 

In the case of a puppy long, forceful walks are not recommended.

Black Russian Terrier is a great swimmer and not afraid of water. However, everyone is different, some like water and if they get a chance they run into it, some don't like water and we shouldn't force them to swim.

The most common diseases in the Russian black terrier breed are dysplasia, hyperuricosuria (HUU) and juvenile laryngeal paralysis (JLPP). The latter two diseases are now rare thanks to genetic testing.

In order to exhibit your dog in dog shows you must:

• have a purebred dog, from a kennel belonging to the FCI,
• have a pedigree FCI
• register your dog for the show in good time

Each puppy will have appropriate documentation allowing registration in a given cynological association (either Polish or foreign) and participation in dog shows.

Some black terriers sleep most of the way and some get nervous. However, there are no major problems and no need for any tablets. An added plus is that most are very quick to arrange a 'toilet' at a rest stop.

To travel abroad with a black terrier you will need a passport (Pet Passport) and a valid rabies vaccination. In some cases, you may also need to give your black terrier a treatment against tapeworms or other parasites.

A black terrier does not have any problems when travelling by plane. Due to its size it is not possible to carry a dog in the cabin (well, our Astra Fidelis TORO flew to the States on the passenger seat ) but in the cargo hold.