By Lori Moody

 
     The Cesky Terrier has been known as being more mellow than other terriers and this is true in most cases. I always tell people who are inquiring about the breed that as puppies, the Cesky is a typical active terrier pup. He can sometimes be an imp, a rascal and even a “holy terror” when he is young. Usually, by the time the dog is around a year of age, he does settle down and shows more of his mellow side. Good obedience training that is firm, but gentle and consistent is extremely important.

      When we in NCTC did our health survey a few years ago, the most commonly listed problem was shyness. This is not the type of shyness that causes fear-biting. It is simple shyness and it is common in the Cesky Terrier. Since many of the extremely shy dogs came from a few breeders, who started with the same few dogs, I believe that part of the problem was genetic. Cesky Terriers need a lot of socialization, especially as pups, or they may become shy. Socialization should be started by the breeder and continued by the owner. It is essential during the first year.

     Several years ago I wrote about the one Cesky that I met who was vicious. I saw aggression with people and dogs and have never witnessed this type of aggression in any other Cesky. Since this dog was used for stud, there may be some Cesky Terriers in this country who have inherited this problem. I do not know if the dog’s aggression was genetic or from lack of socialization or lack of good training. If any part of it was genetic, we will be seeing more of this in the breed.

     Recently, I have heard of 3 cases of Cesky Terriers who have shown aggression. Each case was different. One was dog on dog aggression in a household with 4 dogs. This is most likely the case of an “alpha” bitch and more competition than she can handle. The owner seems to have worked it out. As I said in the last newsletter, anytime you have three or more dogs, care must be taken to prevent pack mentality. The second case was an older dog in a new home. He bit the owner and showed aggression when anyone tried to touch him in the rear. My first impression was that this dog had some type of pain and associated it with anyone getting near the source of the pain. He was later found to have an infected foot. I don’t know the outcome, but he was taken back by the breeder. The third and saddest case was in an older pup. After many discussions with the owner I believe that this may have been a case of what is known as “rage”. This condition has been found in a number of breeds—particularly sporting breeds. It is considered a neurological problem and certain medications may help, but there is nothing that will bring about a total cure.

     Back in 1996 I bought a book called “The Dog Who Loved Too Much” (Tales, Treatments and the Psychology of Dogs). The author is Dr. Nicholas Dodman and the publisher is Bantam. This book describes some of the different forms of aggression (including rage) and also gives suggestions for treatments and diagnoses. If anyone is having any type of aggression problems with their dog or dogs, it would be a helpful book to read.

     Meanwhile, we must all be aware that any dog can show aggression under the right (or wrong) circumstances. Since most Cesky Terriers love to eat, it would not be unusual for them to show aggression against any person or dog who threatens to take their food away. Our dogs are fed in their crates and they get their special treats—such as rawhides, hoofies or other tasty items—in their crated. The really special treats can cause problems quicker than a bowl of food. We actually learned about food aggression when we got our first Wheaten. I used to feed my Westies in a circle in the kitchen. Well, that ended the first time I added the Wheaten, so we were already using crate feeding when we got into Cesky Terriers.

     Breeders must take care in their breeding programs and never breed a dog who is showing a lot of aggression. I don’t count the food aggression as part of this, since it is natural for most dogs and can be controlled. Aside from crate feeding, pups can be hand fed to get them used to someone touching their food. That won’t help with dog on dog aggression, but it will stop any problem with people.

     After many years of breeding dogs and owning terriers, I have learned that all terriers must be trained in a way that does not confront the dog. As I have said many times, a terrier must believe that the good behavior you want is his idea. Harsh methods of training will only make him fight back and show aggression or shyness. Many problems can be helped by lots of exercise. That doesn’t mean that you must run your dog (and yourself) for miles. He can get his exercise by chasing a ball or a toy in the house or yard. It is said that a tired dog is a good dog.

     Overall, I still believe that the Cesky Terrier is generally a more mellow dog than other Terriers, but he is still a terrier with his genes going back to the Scottie and the Sealyham—two Breeds who are not known for being mellow. Careful breeding, good training and exercise can help to reduce any aggression in the breed.