MyDogBreeds
Japanese Terrier is originated from Japan but Black Russian Terrier is originated from Russia. Japanese Terrier may grow 43 cm / 16 inches shorter than Black Russian Terrier. Japanese Terrier may weigh 55 kg / 121 pounds lesser than Black Russian Terrier. Both Japanese Terrier and Black Russian Terrier has almost same life span. Japanese Terrier may have less litter size than Black Russian Terrier. Japanese Terrier requires Low maintenance. But Black Russian Terrier requires High maintenance
The Japanese Terrier is native to Japan and is a rare pure bred dog. It is believed that the dog comes from Smooth Fox Terriers who arrived way back in the 17th century.
Certainly he looks very much like a regular Fox Terrier. It is thought that these smooth Fox Terriers were then interbred with local, Japanese dogs and used to hunt rats. Gradually he became a lap dog and companion.
Planned breeding of the dog began in 1920, and it was in 1930 that the dog was admitted to the Japanese Kennel Club with a breeding program being started.
Today you will find the Japanese Terrier in his home country and small numbers elsewhere. He was admitted to the United Kennel Club in 2006.
During the cold war, the Soviet Union developed the Black Russian Terrier as a working military dog. During the early 1950’s, the Red Star Kennel developed this breed and in 2004 by the American Kennel Club. The Black Russian Terrier is not really a terrier at all, but a mid-sized working dog used for hunting and guarding or as a pet. The Red Star Kennel is thought to have developed the BRT using a wide variety of breeds – as many as seventeen – including breeds like the Newfoundland, the Rottweiler, the Caucasian Shepard Dog and a Giant Shepard and an Airedale. So, you can see the wide variety and several more breeds were added. The Red Star Kennel in Moscow was owned by the state and they developed the BRT for specific working conditions and not for appearance. They did not really care how it looked except that it had to be black. In 1957 the state allowed a few puppies to be sold to non-military breeders. These breeders began to breed the Black Russian Terrier for appearance as well as function.
As these breeders worked with the dogs, they spread the breed throughout Russia and into Finland, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Germany. From there they spread to Australia, Canada and the United States. The breed standard was developed in 1958 and by 1996 an updated version of the standard was developed to reflect the dog we see today. In 1996 the United Kingdom also got their first introduction to the breed. They are still rare outside of Russian or previous Soviet Union states.
The Japanese Terrier is a small sized dog who stands at 20 – 33cm at the shoulders and weighs in at about 2 to 5kg.
He is a short, smooth haired dog with a tight skin and in colors of white and black. Sometimes you may find a little bit of tan color on the face too as well as 'freckles' around the neck area and legs. The black shading of the coat is essentially found around the head of the dog and also his ears.
His ears are set high on the head and are semi-erect, semi-floppy. The tail has always been traditionally docked, giving the dog a nice compact look but these days it is unfortunately often left long and then its a medium length tail which is thinly covered in short hair. The nose is black and the eye are brown, bright and alert.
Gentle, cheerful, intelligent, loving and loyal are some of the characteristics of the Japanese Terrier. People who have kept him as a pet will vouch for him being a wonderful companion.
He is an active dog, but he still loves to be petted and won’t do well if left alone and not part of his human family. Being a clever dog, he is easy to train, learning easily and quickly. He is quite amusing at times and you can even teach him some tricks.
He gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children. He is alert and will make a good watchdog, alerting you to an intruder.
Because of the Japanese Terrier’s small size and sensitive nature, this breed needs a calm owner and a quiet household. It is not recommended for boisterous households.
A little larger than a mid-sized dog, the Black Russian Terrier is strong, powerful, stable and alert. His head is block shaped and has a broad skull. The muzzle is square with a beard and mustache. A black, large nose and full black lips are matched with powerful and large jaws. He has a scissor bite and his ears should be triangles with rounded apexes. They have very large paws that are bear-like in appearance with thick black pads. They are also covered with hair. Their legs are muscular, powerful and strong. They have a cropped tail.
As a pet of yours, the Japanese Terrier is an animated, contented little dog. He loves playing games and gets on well with children who aren't rough and disrespectful of him.
He is smart and gentle and loves nothing more than to sit on your lap in the evenings and be your reading- or watching-TV companion. Give him the right amount of attention as any other family member receives and he is guaranteed to make you an excellent, low maintenance pet.
The Black Russian Terrier is a working dog and he is confident, calm, self-assured and confident. He is responsive and intelligent, protective and fearless, loyal and aloof. He is not welcoming to strangers. If socialized well, he is enough of an independent thinker to be able to decide on his own who or what poses a threat to his family and what doesn’t. They get bored quickly because they are so smart. Keep him stimulated. These are strong, athletic dogs who will love to run with you, jog along side your bike, hike the mountain or just walk with you. Whatever your form of exercise is, the Black Russian Terrier can adapt to it. They also have a strong prey drive so don’t trust them with animals they do not know. They are ok with cats and dogs that they grow up with. They love to play with kids but be careful they don’t unintentionally knock the little ones down.
The Black Russian Terrier matures later than other dogs. Treat the puppy the way you want the adult dog to be. If you don’t want a large dog on your bed don’t let the puppy sleep on the bed. He will soon be a large, powerful and strong dog with a mind of his own and you will not be able to keep him off the bed.
The Japanese Terrier has no particular health issues and has a lifespan of 12 – 15 years if looked after well.
There are always one or two illnesses to watch out for such as eye- and ear infections. Some dogs also develop conditions such as Patella Luxation. This happens when your dog's kneecap is dislocated. It can only be returned to its normal position when certain muscles in the back legs are relaxed and lengthened.
With this condition, your dog holds up one of his hind legs. This condition is more prevalent in small dog breeds.
This is a healthy breed who faces some of the same issues other large dogs face such as dysplasia in the elbows and hips. Then they also face their own hereditary diseases such as Juvenile laryngeal paralysis, hyperuricosuria and polyneuropathy. They are also susceptible to heart disease, eye diseases, allergies, Panosteitis and hypertropic osteodystrophy. Let’s look at the major hereditary disease that are not so common.
This occurs when the larynx arytenoid cartilages stop working and don’t operate so then the adjoining muscles don’t work either and the dog cannot swallow without the possible damage to the airway and the cannot breathe properly during exercise or while panting.
This is a condition that can occur in people and animals. This condition can lead to kidney or bladder stones as there is too much uric acid in their urine.
Like any form of neuropathy, in this disease many different nerves are damaged, and this can cause weak reflexes and tremors. There are effective treatments however.
The Japanese Terrier is an active dog and will require exercise every day. He’ll love to join you on your walks or have ball games in your garden. He can adapt to life in the city or in the country but will always need to have good exercise.
The Japanese Terrier is a medium shedder and you want to be sure then to brush him twice a week to get rid of all those loose hairs.
The Japanese Terriers will require the best commercially manufactured dog food, and instead of one large meal a day, rather feed him 2 smaller meals. You can mix some tasty home-made food into his dry kibble from time to time. Excellent home-made food would be something like cooked chicken, brown rice or pasta and some vegetables.
If you can, try to also include some raw meat occasionally. If you’re in any doubt as to how to feed your Japanese Terrier so that he remains healthy, speak to your veterinarian.
Your dog should never ever be without a continuous supply of fresh, cool drinking water.
This is a large, working dog that needs healthy nutrition. Feed once or twice a day but do not overfeed. Don’t let your Black Russian Terrier get overweight. Proper nutrition for puppies is critical given the nutrionally based diseases discussed below.
This is a high energy dog that needs to work. He doesn’t just want to work, he needs to work. So, find him a job and one that includes a lot of exercise. He needs consistent and firm training but will respond well and excel in Obedience Trials. They are good at Schutzhund and agility. They need plenty of exercise and will be unhappy and destructive without enough and a job. He needs to burn off that energy.