Breed Standard Tutorial

CESKY TERRIER BREED STANDARD

(Adapted to AKC Format from the FCI Standard 246 as translated by Mrs. Dipl, Ing K. Bechova and Mrs. R. Binder-Gresly, and adopted by the American Cesky Terrier Club in 2000)

The Cesky Terrier is a relatively new breed.  As such, it is extremely important that breeders worldwide work together to broaden the gene pool and continue to produce healthy dogs that can perform the function they were originally bred to do.  A single standard worldwide is critical to this objective and was the strong desire of the breed's founder, Frantisek Horak. 

 ACTC is proud to adopt the FCI standard as our own.  Although the format has been modified to AKC format, the content is identical to the FCI standard.

History

The Cesky Terrier was developed by Frantisek Horák in the Czech Republic and is the result of an appropriate crossbreeding of a Sealyham Terrier dog and Scottish Terrier bitch. The aim was to develop a light, short-legged, well pigmented hunting terrier with practical drop ears, easy to groom and easy to train, that could hunt fox and badgers in groups, go to ground, and fit in burrows too small for it’s parent breeds. While it still retains these abilities, today the Cesky is primarily a companion dog.

In 1949 Mr. Horák began to fix the breed’s characteristics, in 1959 they were shown for the first time, and the breed was finally recognized by the FCI in 1963.

General Appearance

Size and Proportion

Height at withers is between 10-12 ½ inches, with the ideal being 11 ½ inches for males and 10 ¾ inches for females. Weight must be between 13 lbs. and 22 lbs.

Head

Shaped like a long, blunt, not-too-broad wedge; the plane of the forehead forms a distinctive break with the bridge of the nose. 

Skull should ideally be 8 ¼ inches long for males and 7 ¾ inches for females and should not be overly broad between the ears (ideal being 4 inches for males and 3 ½ for females). It tapers moderately toward the supraorbital ridges. Occipital protuberance is easy to palpate; cheek bones are not too prominent; frontal furrow is only slightly noticeable, and stop is not accentuated, but apparent. Nasal bridge is straight. 

Nose is dark and well developed, black on grey-blue dogs and liver colored on light-coffee brown dogs. 

Fault: Temporary loss of nasal pigmentation (snow nose). 

Jaws and teeth are strong with a scissors or level bite, full dentition (the absence of the 2 M3 in the lower jaw should not be penalized), teeth well aligned and set square to the jaw. 

Faults: Weak, short or snipey foreface, with weakly developed teeth; Absence of one (1) incisor, canine hold back. 

Lips are relatively thick, fitting neatly. 

Eyes are of medium size, slightly deep set, with a friendly expression, and well covered by a fall of hair that hangs over the eyes. Eye color is brown or dark brown in grey-blue coated dogs, light brown in light-coffee-brown dogs. Eyelids are black in grey-blue dogs, liver-colour in light-coffee-brown dogs.

Fault: Eyes too big or protruding. 

Ears are medium size, dropping in such a way as to well cover the ear opening. They are set on rather high and lay flat along the cheeks and are shaped like a triangle, with the shortest side of the triangle at the fold of the ear.

Fault: Ears too big or too small, or different than described here in shape or carriage.

Neck

Medium long, quite strong, set rather high on the withers and carried on a slant. The skin at the throat is somewhat loose but without forming a dewlap.

Body

Back is strong and of medium length.  The withers are not overly pronounced. Loins are relatively long, muscular, broad and slightly rounded. Rump is strongly developed and muscular, with the pelvis slanting moderately. Hip bones are often slightly higher than the withers. Topline is not level as the loins and rump are always slightly arched. 

Faults: Back too long or too short, soft back. 

Chest is more cylindrical than deep with well sprung ribs. 

Girth (measured behind the elbows) should ideally be 17 ¾ inches for males and 17 ¼ inches for females. 

Belly is ample with a slight tuck up and flanks are well filled. 

Tail is ideally 7-8 inches long, relatively strong and low set. At rest it hangs downward, usually with a slight upward bend at the tip; when alert the tail is carried sabre shaped, horizontally or higher.

Forequarters

Forelegs should be straight, well boned and parallel.

Shoulders are muscular.

Elbows are somewhat loose, but do not turn in or out.

Forefeet are large with well arched toes and strong nails. Pads are well developed and thick.

Fault: Crooked forelegs, incorrect front.

Hindquarters

Hind legs are strong, parallel, well-angulated and muscular.

The lower thigh is short.

The hock joint is strongly developed and set relatively high.

Hind feet are smaller than the front feet.

Gait

Coat

Fault: Coat too fine or too coarse.  

Skin is firm, thick, without wrinkles or dewlap, and pigmented.

Color

Temperament

Disqualifications

• Absence of more than 4 teeth altogether; absence of 2 or more incisors.
• Canine placed in vestibulo position.
• Overshot or undershot mouth.
• Entropion or ectropion.
• Chest circumference more than 19 ¾ inches.
• Curled tail or carried tightly over the back.
• Long brindled coat on dogs older than 2 years.
• Coarse or curled cotton-wool type hair.
• White markings covering more than 20%; white blaze on the head.
• Irregular, jerky, spasmodic movements ("Scottie cramp")
• Weight over 22 lbs. or less than 13 lbs.
• Excessive shyness, nervously unbalanced or aggressive disposition.