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Black Russian Terrier

The breeds · working

AKC Working · UKC Guardian · FCI standard 327

Black Russian Terrier.

A Soviet military working dog, not a gun dog and not a true terrier. FCI 327: working dog, guarding dog, sporting and companion dog; created in Russia in the late 1940s and early 1950s under the military cynological school outside Moscow (kennel name Red Star) from the Rottweiler, Giant Schnauzer (the main ancestor), Airedale Terrier and Newfoundland; the aim was a large, brave, strong, manageable working dog with pronounced guarding instinct useful for many services and adaptable to climate; classed in FCI Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer), with working trial optional. RKC: developed by the Russian army after World War II as a specialised guard dog and general service dog; one duty was to round up fugitives; first working examples shown in Moscow in 1955, first standard published in 1958. Black Russian Terrier Club of America: bred for the sole purpose of protecting Russian military installations; 'above all else protection/guard dogs'. AKC: 'initially bred to guard and protect'; calm, confident, courageous, aloof with strangers. Wikipedia (editorial): bred by the state-owned Red Star Kennel until 1957, when puppies were first sold to civilian breeders; despite the name it is not a true terrier..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

10.9YRMedian lifespan10.2 to 12.3, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
80–132LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 80 to 132 lb; breed bitches 80 to 130 lb.
2.5+ HRSExercise, every dayMore than 2 hours per day (RKC band). The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 27 to 31 in · bitches 25 to 29.1 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2009

No standard prints a single ideal, so center is blank. Low and high span the outer limits each registry prints (UKC 25 in minimum, FCI 74 cm maximum); desired bands are 26-28 (AKC and UKC) and 68-72 cm (FCI).

Weight

dogs 80 to 132 lb · bitches 80 to 130 lb

Breed clubAKC

The breed-wide AKC page and club range (80 to 130 lb) counts in this row as well, so high is 130; the registries' own female weights are 99 to 110 lb (UKC, FCI), inside it.

Coat

AKC: double coat, natural untrimmed length 1 1/2 to 6 in; outer guard hair coarser than the undercoat but not wiry or curly; only solid black or black with scattered gray hairs (any other color disqualifies). UKC: rough, thick double coat, outer coat coarse, extremely dense and wavy, 2 to 6 in untrimmed. FCI 327: rough, thick double coat of coarse, slightly waved outer coat over a soft, short, dense undercoat, 5 to 15 cm untrimmed; black, with grey hair not over one-third of the body. RKC: coat length medium, colours black or black with grey hairs.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2009

Shedding

RKC: does not shed. AKC breed page: shedding level 3 of 5. Wikipedia (editorial): low-shedding coat.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Heat tolerance

2 of 5 · AKC: double coat, natural untrimmed length 1 1/2 to 6 in, coarse guard hair over a softer undercoat, slight to moderate wave. UKC: rough, thick double coat, 2 to 6 in untrimmed, a long dense coat on the legs. FCI 327: rough, thick double coat, 5 to 15 cm untrimmed.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2009

Derived from the coat (a dense double coat on a large dog = 2). UKC adds that the breed is adaptable to a wide range of climates, including harsh conditions; that is climate tolerance in general, not heat.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

10.9 years (10.2 to 12.3)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

Dogs Trust UK table from McMillan et al. 2024 (all-dog median 12.5 y in 584,734 dogs), listed as 'Black Russian Terrier'. A small sample: the confidence interval is wide. Other measures, shown and not averaged: AKC breed page life expectancy band 10-12 years (a band, not a median); RKC band 'over 10 years'.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day (RKC band)

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: more than 2 hours = 150. A floor, not a ceiling.

Exercise need

RKC: more than 2 hours per day; large house and large garden suit. AKC breed page: energy level 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4. UKC: energetic, stable and lively, with great endurance. Black Russian Terrier Club of America: not dogs to be left outside, chained or alone in a fenced yard; they need a lot of human companionship to be socialised and trained.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

4 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

4 of 5 · Every day (RKC grooming band); coat length medium; does not shed

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: every day = 4 (daily or regular clipping). AKC breed page rates coat grooming frequency 4 of 5. Trimming of the natural coat is needed for shape and upkeep (AKC standard); FCI 327: grooming in the correct form is required.

Grooming

RKC: every day, medium coat, does not shed. AKC standard: trimming of the natural coat is needed for suitable shape and upkeep; head furnishings form a fall over the eyes and a moustache and beard. FCI 327: grooming in the correct form is required. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 4 of 5. The Black Russian Terrier Club of America says it supports no single grooming style and links to three breeder grooming guides.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

A Soviet military working dog, not a gun dog and not a true terrier. FCI 327: working dog, guarding dog, sporting and companion dog; created in Russia in the late 1940s and early 1950s under the military cynological school outside Moscow (kennel name Red Star) from the Rottweiler, Giant Schnauzer (the main ancestor), Airedale Terrier and Newfoundland; the aim was a large, brave, strong, manageable working dog with pronounced guarding instinct useful for many services and adaptable to climate; classed in FCI Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer), with working trial optional. RKC: developed by the Russian army after World War II as a specialised guard dog and general service dog; one duty was to round up fugitives; first working examples shown in Moscow in 1955, first standard published in 1958. Black Russian Terrier Club of America: bred for the sole purpose of protecting Russian military installations; 'above all else protection/guard dogs'. AKC: 'initially bred to guard and protect'; calm, confident, courageous, aloof with strangers. Wikipedia (editorial): bred by the state-owned Red Star Kennel until 1957, when puppies were first sold to civilian breeders; despite the name it is not a true terrier.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2009

Name trap: 'terrier' here is a name, not a group. Alias in use: Russian Black Terrier (UK Royal Kennel Club and FCI), Chornyi Terrier.

Field trial standard

No hunt test or field trial applies. FCI 327: 'working trial optional' (Group 2, Section 1.4).

Breed clubFCI Standard No. 327, 2011

The only trial statement read; the breed is shown and worked as a guard and service dog.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

37.8% · 37.8% dysplastic of 1,337 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 61.0% normal; mild 21.9%, moderate 13.8%, severe 2.1%; breed rank 18

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence in the wider population is higher. OFA rank 1 = highest rate among the breeds listed. A small, young US population: 1,337 evaluations is a small sample next to the common breeds. RKC good practice names hip and elbow scoring and 'prioritising genetic diversity'.

Elbow dysplasia

28.8% · 28.8% abnormal of 1,221 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 70.9% normal; grade 1 21.1%, grade 2 6.8%, grade 3 0.9%; breed rank 12

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence in the wider population is higher. OFA rank 1 = highest rate among the breeds listed. Most of the abnormal fraction is grade 1 (21.1 of 28.8 points). A small sample.

Most common disorders

Wikipedia (editorial) lists as major concerns hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, hyperuricosuria and juvenile laryngeal paralysis and polyneuropathy (JLPP), and as minor concerns hypertrophic osteodystrophy and panosteitis in fast-growing puppies, heart disease (aortic stenosis, mitral valve dysplasia, cardiomyopathy), ectropion, entropion and conjunctivitis, and allergies. RKC good practice: BVA/RKC elbow and hip schemes and prioritising genetic diversity; best practice: hyperuricosuria (HUU) DNA test, JLPP DNA test and prcd-PRA testing. AKC CHIC list (parent club): hips, elbows, cardiac exam, eye exam and JLPP DNA test.

EditorialWikipedia

Editorial and registry lists, not a prevalence ranking; no VetCompass Black Russian Terrier paper or club health survey was opened.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 4; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 5; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 2; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 4; Drooling Level 3; Affectionate With Family 3; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 8 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Russian Black Terrier, Russkiy Tchiorny Terrier, Chornyi Terrier, Tchiorny Terrier, BRT

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