Plate 126 · Continental Europe
Cesky Terrier
捷克㹴
“A Czech terrier made by one man's plan.”
- Origin
- Czechia
- Bohemia, near Prague
- Region of origin
- Created by František Horák, who hunted in the forests outside Prague; the marker is Prague's reference point.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- From about 1948–1950 (sources differ)
- Today
- Companion · Earthdog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Bohemia, near Prague
A short-legged, soft-coated terrier created by one Czech breeder for hunting in the Bohemian forests.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Going to ground after fox and badger, and working in packs on bigger game.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
František Horák began crossing the Sealyham and the Scottish Terrier around 1948–1950 (sources give different years). According to Wikipedia, the foreign mail his dogs' fame brought him drew attention from the communist-era secret police. The FCI recognized the breed in 1963.
04 · Today
Companion · Earthdog
A rare companion and earthdog.
Personality
- Clever
- Adventurous
- Family-oriented
- Calm
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Daily walks and play; always on lead or behind a fence because of its prey drive.
- Grooming
- Clipped rather than hand-stripped; regular brushing between trims.
- Training
- Less stubborn than many terriers, but shuts down under harsh methods.
Living with one
- Size
- Small
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Long, silky, slightly wavy coat, clipped on the body; grey-blue or light coffee
Field note
It has appeared on Czech postage stamps.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Terrier Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 3, standard 246), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Terrier Group, recognized 2011.
One of the rarer terrier breeds. AKC registrations: ranked 197 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Cesky Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cesky-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Cesky Terrier — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesky_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · František Horák and the 1948 crosses, secret-police attention, FCI 1963, imports to the US and UK.
- Czech Terrier — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/CZECH-TERRIER-246.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Czech Republic; Group 3, section "Small sized Terriers"; accepted 1963.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Created by František Horák, who hunted in the forests outside Prague; the marker is Prague's reference point.
