Page 290 - ShowSight, March 2020
P. 290

                THE
Cesky Terrier
Everyone judging Terriers has a breed standard to which he or she can refer. Sometimes, however, in a group that is so diverse beyond “essential terrier char-
acteristics”, a judge might wonder how to fairly eval- uate the individual members of this unique Group. As a part of this diverse collection, the Cesky Terrier is perhaps even less easily critiqued. Why?
It could be the Cesky’s relatively recent entry into the Group that makes it largely unknown. Its small population in the US may also make it less recognizable. Maybe more tradition-bound judges rely exclusively on more general Terrier character- istics. For example, a Terrier must spar or must be hand stripped. Neither is true of the Cesky. Con- ceivably it could be a lack of formal classroom edu- cation. Whatever the reason, it’s easy to understand why a judge may have concerns about the Cesky ranging from it variation in size, color and tempera- ment to its gait, tail carriage, etc.
What is a Cesky Terrier supposed to be? Simply, it was created to be a pack-friendly hunting dog that worked the watershed area about the Danube River in the Czech Republic. This is an environment of bogs, thickets, thick forests, fields and burrows. Here the Cesky stalked rabbit, fox, other burrow dwelling creatures as well as deer, wild pig and boar.
The new Cesky Terrier Standard approved by AKC on July 11, 2017 was refined from its original version to approximate its European counterpart and the original design of the Cesky creator Fran- tisek Horak. For those who understand this new Standard, appreciate the hunting terrain, as well as the dog’s mission as a hunter, questions about its design and nature give way to genuine education.
Eager to the hunt, the Cesky races to contain a wild pig.
Above: It took over 2 decades for the Cesky’s creator, Frantisek Horak, to realize his dream of a pack-friendly hunting dog.
Size matters. Dimensions specifically stated in the Standard should be followed. Those dimensions in conjunction with how they fit together in the dog (proportionality) are crucial. It is understandable why a muscular, 25 to 28 pound male Cesky would catch a Terrier judge’s attention. However, that Cesky should weigh 22 pounds which is the top of the ideal weight range in the Standard. A lighter-weight dog would fare far better navigating the terrain of his native country. Some judges in the Czech Republic think American Ceskeys are “too big” and/or “too fat”. A Cesky Ter- rier, dog or bitch, must be lean, solid and compact to do the job for which the breed was developed.
BY BOB COMER
  288 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2020
 






















































































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