NEW AKC STANDARD APPROVED May 12, 2009, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2009
AKC STANDARD
(Effective July 1, 2009)
General Appearance
The
Black Russian Terrier is a robust, large, balanced, agile and powerful
dog. The Black Russian Terrier has
large bone and well-developed muscles. He has great strength and endurance. The
Black Russian Terrier must have a stable and reliable temperament, possessing
self-assurance and courage.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size: The height for males at
maturity (over 18 months of age) is between 27″ and 30″ with the desired height
being between 27″ and 29″. The height
for females at maturity (over 18 months of age) is between 26″ and 29″ with the
desired height being between 26″ and 28″.
Any height deviation is a serious fault. Height consideration should not outweigh that
of type, proportion, movement and other functional attributes. General balance is more important than
absolute size. Proportion: The desired height to length ratio of the Black
Russian Terrier is approximately 9.5 to 10. Thus the dog is slightly longer
than tall. Females may be slightly
longer than males. The length is measured from point of shoulder to rear edge
of the pelvis. Substance: The Black Russian Terrier must have large
bones and well-developed musculature. Females are definitely to appear feminine
but never lacking in substance. Light bone, lack of substance, and poor
musculature are serious faults.
Head
The head must be in proportion to the body and give
the appearance of power and strength. It is approximately equal to the length
of neck and not less than 40% of the height of the dog at the withers. The eyes are oval, of medium size,
dark, and set relatively wide apart. Eye rims are black without sagging or
prominent haw. Light eyes are a serious
fault. The ears are medium in size, triangularly shaped, set high, but
not above, the level of the skull. The
ear leather is dense, rounded at the bottom, hanging with the front edge lying
against the head and terminating at approximately mid-cheek. Cropped ears are not acceptable. The skull
is moderately wide with round, but not too pronounced cheek bones. The supraorbital arches and occiput bones
are moderately expressed. The back skull
is flat. The stop is moderate. The back skull is slightly longer than the
muzzle measured from the stop to the occiput and stop to end of nose, an
approximate ratio of 5:4. The muzzle is broad with a slight tapering
towards the nose. A moustache and beard emphasize volume and give the muzzle a
square shape. Viewed in profile, the topline of the muzzle is parallel to the
topline of the backskull. The nose
is large and black. Nose color other than
black is a disqualification. Lips are thick, fleshy, black, tight
and without flews. The gums have dark
pigmentation. The teeth are large and white with full dentition. Any missing tooth is a severe fault. The
incisors form a straight line at the base. A correct bite is a scissors
bite. Two or more missing teeth or bite other
than a scissors bite is a disqualification.
Neck, Topline and Body
Neck: The neck should be thick, muscular and
powerful. The nape is strong and well expressed. There should be no pendulous
or excessive dewlap. The length of the neck and the length of the head should
be approximately the same. The neck is
set at an approximate 45 degree angle to the line of the back. Body: The
whole structure of the body should give the impression of strength. The chest
is oval shaped, deep and wide with well-sprung ribs. The bottom line of the
chest extends to the elbows or below and is not less than 50% of the dog’s
height measured from the withers. The
forechest is pronounced. The withers are high, well developed and more
pronounced in the male than in the female.
There is a slight slope from the top of the withers into a straight,
firm back. The back is approximately ½
of the distance between the top of the withers to the base of the tail. The last half of the backline is comprised of
two equal parts, the loin and the croup measured to the base of tail. (The ratio of back to loin to croup measured
to base of tail is 2:1:1.) The loin is
short, wide, muscular, slightly arched and elastic. The croup is wide,
muscular, and slopes slightly (5 to 10 degrees). The tail is thick, set moderately high, and
is carried at an approximate 45 degree angle from the horizontal. When the tail is docked, there are 3 to 5
vertebrae remaining. An undocked tail is not to be penalized. The preferred shape of an undocked tail
resembles a sickle or saber. The abdomen is moderately tucked up and firm.
Forequarters
Shoulders are well laid-back with blades broad and
sloping. There is good return of upper
arm so that the angle between the shoulder blade and the upper arm is
approximately 100 degrees. Upper arms are muscular. Elbows sit close to the
body and turn neither in nor out while standing or moving. The forelegs are straight, thick, of medium
length, and parallel when viewed from the front. Length of the foreleg to the elbow is approximately
50% of dog’s height at the withers. Pasterns are short, thick, and almost
vertical. Front dewclaws should be removed. Feet are large, compact, and round
in shape. Nails are black.
Hindquarters
Viewed from the rear the legs are straight and
parallel, set slightly wider than the forelegs. The hindquarters are well boned
and muscular with good angulation to be in balance with the front shoulder angulation.
Thighs are muscular and broad when viewed from the side. The hocks are moderately
short and vertical when standing. Rear
dewclaws should be removed.
Coat
The
coat is a double coat. The natural
untrimmed coat length varies from 1½″ to 6″.
While the outer guard hair is coarser than the softer undercoat, it is
not wiry or curly. The body coat has a slight to moderate wave. The furnishings
on the head form a fall over the eyes and a moustache and beard on the
muzzle. The legs are covered and
protected by long, dense coat. Trimming of the natural coat is needed for
suitable shape and upkeep.
For
presentation in the show ring, the Black Russian Terrier should be trimmed so
that the dog’s outline is clearly defined.
The trimmed length of coat and leg furnishings may vary from 0.2″ to 6″
depending upon the location on the body. The fall and muzzle furnishings may be
longer than 6″. In no case should
grooming be given more weight than structure, movement and balance when
evaluating the Black Russian Terrier.
Color
The only acceptable color for the Black Russian
Terrier is solid black or black with scattered gray hairs. Any other color is considered a
disqualification.
Gait
A well-balanced Black Russian Terrier should move
freely in a smooth, fluid motion. In
movement the normal head carriage is extended forward and the backline remains
level. As movement accelerates, the feet will converge toward a centerline. The
Black Russian Terrier covers a lot of ground through strong reach of the
forelegs and drive of the hindquarters.
Temperament
The
character and temperament of the Black Russian Terrier is of utmost
importance. The Black Russian Terrier is
a calm, confident, courageous and self-assured dog. He is highly intelligent and adapts well to
training. The Black Russian Terrier was initially bred to guard and protect. He is alert and responsive,
instinctively protective, determined, fearless, deeply loyal to family, is aloof
and therefore does not relish intrusion by strangers into his personal space. Shyness or excessive excitability is a serious
fault.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing ideal should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded
is in proportion to its degree.
Serious
Faults
Light bone
Lack of substance
Poor musculature
Mature male under 27″or over
30″
Mature female under 26″ or over 29″
Light
colored eyes
One
missing tooth
Shyness or excessive excitability
Disqualifications
Nose color other than black
Two or more missing teeth
Any bite other than a scissors bite
Any coat color other than solid black or black with
scattered gray hairs
