Most people who are “into” dogs know that the Black Russian Terrier was developed by the Red Star kennel in Moscow, and that seventeen different breeds went into the making of the breed. Most folks also know that the breed, not a terrier at all, was used by Soviet military police as guard dogs at border crossings, prisons, and military installations.

K.C. Cordell’s Black Russian Terrier puppy, “Vlad” at 1 day old

One or two things a casual dog geek might not know about the BRT: In Russia, the breed has always been known as the Tchiorny Terrier, and when it was granted international acceptance from the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) in 1984, it was as the Black Terrier. It was renamed the Black Russian Terrier in 1992, though in the UK, the words are reversed and it’s known as the Russian Black Terrier or RBT. In its short history,  Black Russian Terriers have also been called Sobaka Stalina (Stalin’s Dog), the Chornyi, the Russian Bear Schnauzer, and the Terrier Noir Russe. The breed moniker is the Black Pearl of Russia, but many breed fans affectionately refer to these impressive dogs as “Blackies.”

Image: Malahovkaja Serenada, a two year old female at the International Expo Empoli, photo taken by Guidopatek – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17532353