Working · Giant (80-130 lbs) · 10-12 years
Black Russian Terrier
Confident, calm, intensely loyal; Soviet-engineered guardian ('Black Pearl of Russia').
80–130 lb
At a glance
Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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What this is
What they’re great at
✓ Willing, capable learner
✓ A steady, capable partner
Why it matters
Honest challenges
Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: ['Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one', 'The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots', "Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing"]
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.
What helps: ['Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one', 'The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots', "Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing"]
Needs a real outlet, rain or shine
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: ['Build the outlet into the routine: IGP', 'Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School', 'A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes']
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.
What helps: ['Build the outlet into the routine: IGP', 'Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School', 'A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes']
What you can do
Exercise & training
Exercise: High - 1-2 hrs/day plus training
Training profile — Versatile working type: Working breeds without work self-employ - as tax auditors of your belongings. Twenty minutes of training tires them more than an hour of fetch.
Sports and outlets that suit them: IGP · Carting · Obedience
What you can do
Grooming & coat
Grooming: High - brushing 2x weekly plus trimming every 6-8 weeks; beard maintenance.
Shedding: Light-moderate.
Good to know
Health to know about
Hip/elbow dysplasia, JLPP (tested), hyperuricosuria, PRA
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
Why it matters
Emergency red flags
Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
BLOAT / GDV - the minutes-matter emergency for this breed
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
Good to know
The numbers
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Working |
| Size | Giant (80-130 lbs) |
| Lifespan | 10-12 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 80–130 lb |
| Original purpose | Military and border patrol work in harsh climates. |
| Monthly care | $140-$230 |
| Typical puppy price | $2,000-$4,000 |
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