The Czech Mountain Dog (AKA Bohemian Mountain Dog) is the youngest Czech breed – formed in the late 1970’s. Originating from a combination of the Slovak Cuvac and various Canadian mixed-breed working dogs, primarily those of sled-dog origins, they were eventually recognized by the Czech Kennel Club in 1984. While originally used as a mushing dog, today this Czech breed is used primarily as an avalanche rescue dog and loyal companion. They are well-suited to mountainous regions and are capable of being used for a number of hardy jobs, however are equally adept at numerous dog sports as well! This has given them a small but devoted following in their home country, despite the fact that they are basically unknown elsewhere. It is thought that there are only about 200 registered at the time of this blog’s publishing date.
The Czech Mountain should never be aggressive when raised correctly, and in fact tends towards being submissive in general. However if a real threat exposes itself he is fully ready and capable of defending the family! He gets along with all sizes of animals including other dogs, and is well-behaved and playful around children. It may take him a minute to warm up to strangers but will quickly make friends once he sees there is no reason to worry. In general he is devoted, friendly and easy to be around, with a sparkling personality and calm affectionate nature. He was created to be an easy-to-manage and undemanding dog.
Czech Mountain Dogs are generally easy to train for those who can be firm yet fair, and the breed tends to do well in competitions. They can naturally herd livestock, guard the homestead, work as therapy animals, and can be easily taught skills for search and rescue. This is a breed that needs a job in order to be happy so obedience is recommended as a baseline followed by other more-specific tasks. Agility, canicross, skijouring, bikejouring, canine freestyle, carting and sledding are all activities in which this breed excels! This intelligent breed is also known for solving problems on their own, making them wonderful partners in all manner of tasks. Because they form very strong bonds with their owners, they can become sensitive to their owner’s moods which can either help or hinder them in performance.
The Czech Mountain is lively and active so he does require daily exercise and a home with a large yard. He would be a great hiking companion as he enjoys being in the outdoors and thrives on exercise that is based on endurance. Cross-country skiers take note – this dog will gladly run with you! Barring that, a long daily walk and/or a several-mile jog is a necessity – and this will hold true even in the worst of weather! In his home country it is common for him to live outside since he is so hardy and built for harsh environments – so while he can live inside, his owner must provide plenty of “nature time” throughout the day. He’s also built for the cold and will likely be unhappy in a house with the heater blasting.
Czech Mountain Dogs are always parti-colored (white in combination with any other color) and the head must never be solid white. The coat is straight and medium-long in length, slightly longer on the back of the thighs and tail. This is a large breed with a body structure that should suggest strength. The hanging ears are set high and wide apart, and the eyes are oval shaped and dark in color, with dark pigmented eyelids. There is a slight variation in appearance between many members of this breed, likely due to to its versatile working background, but the breed’s standard seeks to regulate that appearance. Ideally this will be done while not losing any of the wonderful working abilities or even-temperament of the breed.
Photo By DeinaAjax