It is common to hear from breeders that they breed for conformation, health, and temperament. I strive for the same, however, I think it is important to define those broad and general qualities. What are the goals of the Starry Night Black Russian Terriers breeding program, specifically? What is the kennel’s interpretation of these qualities?

 

PURPOSE

My purpose for breeding is to contribute to the preservation of the breed in the most positive way given these are living creatures and our intervention in their existence can be unpredictable. I do not take this responsibility lightly. I use my research skills, ability to remain a student of the breed and to continually learn, to hopefully produce dogs that have a positive impact on the breed and for the families they join. Breeding, for me, is not my profession, or my source of income. I only breed a litter when I can comfortably assume the financial risks associated with a responsibly bred litter.

 

TEMPERAMENT

My goal is to maintain the proper temperament as described in the AKC standard, developed by the BRTCA:

 

“The character and temperament of the Black Russian Terrier is of utmost importance. The Black Russian Terrier is a calm, confident, courageous and self-assured dog. He is highly intelligent and adapts well to training. The Black Russian Terrier was initially bred to guard and protect. He is alert and responsive, instinctively protective, determined, fearless, deeply loyal to family, is aloof and therefore does not relish intrusion by strangers into his personal space. Shyness or excessive excitability is a serious fault.” (akc.org)

 

As with most aspects of the standard, there is room for interpretation. Some breeders believe the true BRT temperament of “… is aloof and therefore does not relish intrusion by strangers into his personal space” means growling or unable to be approached or touched by strangers even when the owner lets the dog know it is okay, is acceptable. Some believe a “friendly” BRT has lost the true and intended temperament. These beliefs are not wrong when considering the breed’s original purpose. My interpretation of this part of the standard is that BRTs can be aloof and certainly guard, but also should discriminate between actual danger/threat from an acceptance of a stranger by the dog’s owner. If the owner feels wary of someone or otherwise lets his BRT know this stranger may not be okay, the BRT guarding instinct is a great attribute, and one I have relied upon when out alone with just my BRT. If the stranger is accepted by the owner, however, the BRT should follow suit.

 

In my program, the focus is on a temperament where my dogs can be trusted to be approached and handled without growling or reacting when they are told the “approacher” or “handler” is okay. It is not necessary to have an indiscriminately - friendly - attitude - to – everyone temperament, but I want my dogs to be able to live reliably in families where there are children and visitors. Where families can include their BRT in their vacations and lifestyles. I want the dogs to participate in dog sports without concern of being dismissed for aggression. I want them to go to a groomer, the vet, a handler, etc., without concern. This may not be a popular view across the entire BRT community, but for me, BRTs have too many positive attributes to be labeled aggressive or people reactive. I don’t want to see the breed added to lists of breeds not allowed in rentals, homeowner’s associations, RV parks, etc. (also see "socialization" on the Puppies page)

 

This is not to say my BRTs are not suited for protection or bite work. Those dogs with the right mix of aptitudes should absolutely be competitive in these highly disciplined and admirable sports. While I have not trained in this myself, I would be honored to have a Starry Night dog chosen for and/or compete in IGP (IPO)/Schutzhund, police, prison or military work. 

 

My goal is to preserve the qualities that make a good working dog. This includes drive, biddability, versatility, and stability. While individual dogs have their own set of aptitudes, I want my dogs to be able to perform their job, whatever that is, to be able to successfully compete in dog sports, whatever they are, with confidence and predictability. This is why my breeding stock are proven in a variety of modalities.

 

My pairings consider these temperament traits as strongly as all other traits I am striving for. I do not necessarily look to pair with a top winning or a popular dog unless he has the demonstrated, verifiable, temperament type I have described above.

 

HEALTH

Breeding for health is a tall order, regardless of how a breeder may frame their goals. If done as the only or primary consideration, type, for one, can quickly be lost. Health is very important but like most breeders, I will assume a level of risk in order to balance all of my goals. I believe in the power of health testing, family histories/records, reproductive abilities, and longevity. I also believe health is very complex and we do not fully understand our role in it. 

 

Testing/Health Clearances

Currently, (and until new research comes out) I follow some absolutes and allow some tolerances for other conditions. All breeding pairs must have normal elbows and good or excellent hips, published on OFA. All must have a CHIC# with OFA demonstrating that breed-specific testing, as directed by the BRTCA, has been completed and is publicly listed. They all must be genetically health tested with results provided by the testing company, such as Embark.

 

Carriers

I do not fear or purposely eliminate autosomal carriers because I believe we do not fully understand their role in overall health and vigor. In humans, where the primary research as been done, autosomal variants (mutations) have been found to provide health benefits. These mutations are adaptations to a stress in the environment. Sickle Cell Anemia is one of the most commonly known autosomal variants and it was discovered to be a response to malaria. Here is another example of a variant prevalent in my family:

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"Recent studies have provided evidence that the HFE C282Y variant as well as the H63D and S65C variants can        positively influence the immune system, the general fitness and reproductive status of mutation carriers, and might even diminish the risk of developing diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, and atherosclerosis." (study)

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In both Sickle Cell Anemia, and the C282Y variant in my family, two copies make the person affected and sick while carriers have health benefits. It is highly likely the same will eventually be found to be true in dogs. Following this pattern in humans, as well as what we know about affected dogs with two copies of the same variant, I will not breed two carriers, of the same autosomal variant, so full genetic panels on both the male and female are a requirement for me. I will not knowingly breed dogs with severe or quality of life issues, including those issues that may not yet be tested for. Examples would be seizures, early onset cancers, etc. 

 

Tolerances I currently have in my breeding choices are related to the relatively small gene pool and the small number of available breeding dogs that meet my other criteria and where the direct genetic links vs. environmental causes are not as clear. Currently, these are mild allergies, some teeth/jaw issues, and some levels of dysplasia in ancestors and non-parental relatives. 

 

With allergies, the causes are often not known and most can be easily managed. This does not mean I am not monitoring this and knowingly perpetuate it. It only means I will consider breeding a dog that otherwise fits all my criteria, and otherwise contributes to the breed that may have a minor allergy that does not affect its quality of life. If I discover a strong genetic component in my lines, I will then consider eliminating that health condition. As it stands, we have had increased allergies in our human population as well as our dog population in the last several decades which points to something in our environment, food supply, or lifestyle. There is also some compelling research that hypothesizes that maintaining genetic diversity can decrease predispositions for allergies. I will provide full disclosures on any known allergies in the breeding pairs so puppy buyers can make their own informed decisions. Many allergies do not show up until the dog is over one year old.

 

With teeth and jaws, I assume there likely is a genetic component, but with some teeth issues, diet may also play a role. By teeth issues, I mean a missing tooth in a breeding dog, which is not ideal, but may not show up in puppies, and if so, those puppies can be placed in pet homes and not reproduce themselves. A missing tooth would have no effect on their quality of life. Also, plaque development can be managed with diet, enzyme supplements, and consistent dental care. Straight teeth and proper bite that meet the standard and provide the dog with a high quality of life are important factors when choosing breeding pairs. Jaw development in puppies can vary. At this time, I will not eliminate a breeding dog that otherwise meets my criteria but produces some puppies that don’t have a scissor bite by 8 weeks. This is common in other breeds as well and it has been my experience, many of these slower developing puppies do eventually have proper scissor bites. In the case of severe bite issues that negatively affect a dog’s quality of life, don’t resolve, and are being routinely produced by my lines, I will eliminate that breeding dog from my program.

 

With dysplastic ancestors or non-parental relatives, it nearly impossible to eliminate this. I can really only manage the breeding pairs and evaluate tested offspring of my breeding. This is because historically, in any given pedigree, verified testing results are not always available. This occurs domestically and is even more prevalent in foreign dogs. It is not always clear if the dogs were not tested or if their results were not published. It is also nearly impossible to find pedigrees of dogs of good type that do not have some dysplastic results in their siblings and/or offspring. With offspring, it is not always possible to tell if the dog or who they were paired with potentially contributed to the dysplasia. With siblings, sometimes they are half-siblings so the contributor could be the non-related dog. There are also some non-genetic causes that OFA identifies but the owners may not have this part of the results published. Overall, I do study the OFA database, vertical pedigrees, etc., when making breeding decisions. If a line emerges that has a high number of unpublished breeding dogs or a high percentage of dysplastic breeding dogs, I will not breed to that line. I do not however, eliminate dogs that otherwise fit my criteria that have some published cases of dysplasia somewhere in their pedigree. Further reading here.
 

REPRODUCTION

I want my dogs to be able to mate and reproduce naturally. This means I am likely to remove a dog from my breeding that must be (because she is unable to breed without intervention, not that is was a choice of convenience) surgically impregnated or a male that cannot breed naturally. (not the same as AI/TCI out of convenience or timing issue) The same would be true for a bitch that routinely cannot deliver without a C-section (depending on the situation), consistently has singletons or very small litters, or puppies that lack vigor, or cannot raise a litter on her own. 

 

LONGEVITY

BRTs reaching 10 – 14 years of age demonstrate a level of health. I recognize there are many factors that go into longevity. Aside from accidents or non-health related premature deaths, tracking the longevity of the dogs I breed is an important measure of the overall health and vitality in my breeding program. This is a long-term project but one that will be statistically available on this website as longitudinal data becomes available.

 

DIET

I subscribe to raw feeding, specifically the Prey Model Raw (PMR). I don’t believe dogs’ teeth and digestive systems are well-suited for cooked carbohydrate-based food. I believe their teeth and jaws need to crunch and chew on raw bones and their digestive system needs the enzymes, probiotics, and bacteria of raw prey animals. Mentally, I believe they receive needed stimulation from working meat off a bone and crunching a carcass. I see a shiny, healthy coat, healthy skin, vigor, strong bones, and efficient digestive systems with this diet. Full blood chemistry panels confirm the balance of nutrition. The topic of canine diets can be heated and strong in group - think. Join any feeding group discussion and you will find communities who truly believe they are on the right side of canine nutrition and anyone who doesn't agree is likely killing their dog with the wrong diet. I do not have strong beliefs in this area and have chosen raw because of the results I see and the logic of it in my mind. I also have seen many healthy, long-lived dogs on a variety of diet types.

 

For my puppy buyers, a raw diet may not be practical for every lifestyle and budget. This way of feeding is only as good as the source of the meats and animal parts. Cheaply and mass-produced meat products are full of antibiotics, hormones, etc. The animals are fed poor diets resulting in poor quality meat and organs that are not good for your dog.

 

Dogs can thrive a number of types of diet and feeding must fit a family’s lifestyle and budget. There are ways to minimize some of the issues with kibble alone and single-brand pre-mades while still having a feeding style that works. I am happy to help families in finding the best solution for their puppy and for them.

 

SPAY/NEUTER

With the most current research, I do not require or encourage juvenile spay/neuter. With males, current research points to neutering at any age does not add a clear health benefit and may negatively increase the chance for behavioral issues. However, there are circumstances where having an intact male is not conducive to a family’s lifestyle for a number of reasons. In that case, I strongly recommend waiting until at least 2 years old and better yet, 4 years old, if at all possible. BRTs mature very slowly, and it has been my experience that they continue to change physically until 4 years old. Giving them the benefits of all of their hormones during this time appears to be a best practice. Note –  one with a health-related concern in his reproductive system would need to be assessed differently.

 

Females are a little trickier. The risk of accidental pregnancy, pyometra, and mammary cancer exists. Females also need the benefit of maturing with their full hormones for overall health. Again, 4 years of age would be ideal, however, vigilance to prevent pregnancy can be difficult for some families. Mammary cancer can be monitored by simple exams at regular checkups, but pyometra has no real prevention or warning signs until it has infected the uterus. This may be a risk a pet owner may not want to take. In this case, the female puppy should not be spayed before 2 years of age, however, for proper development. This requires anywhere from one heat, up to about three heats, for remaining careful and vigilant.

 

Alternatives to traditional spay/neuter are available (vasectomy and ovary-sparing), but outcomes have been mixed. Read more here. The canine estrus cycles are unique and are under the influences of estrogen and progesterone even when not pregnant. Research is ongoing to fully understand it, but allowing ovaries to remain in attempt to retain hormones, may interfere with the female's overall hormone interactions and not provide the benefit of retaining just ovaries as once thought. At this time, I will leave it to the puppy owners to determine if these alternatives where hormones remain are the best choice for them.

 

VACCINATION/TITERS

Vaccination in puppies is necessary to prevent serious and often fatal diseases as well as being a requirement of most municipalities, events, classes, etc. These are what are considered core vaccines: 

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• Rabies – considered a core vaccine when required by law or wherever rabies is present

• Canine Distemper Virus (CFV)

• Canine Parvovirus (CPV or parvo)

• Canine Adenovirus-2 (CAV-2) – infectious hepatitis

 

After a puppy's initial vaccines and boosters up to their 2nd year, I highly recommend titers every 3 years to check immunity over routine vaccines. (source 1)(source 2) Your vet may not be on board with this. This newer research and view has just recently been incorporated into veterinary school curriculums. Also, pharmaceutical company funding backing some studies and clinics may challenge this to prevent loss of yearly vaccines revenue. See "Shots" on the Puppy page for more information.

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Some veterinarians will recommend vaccines that have low efficacy or are not necessary for the dog's lifestyle. These are considered non-core vaccines and should be carefully researched before accepting them. For example, Bordetella is for Kennel Cough which is similar to a cold. It is contagious and is most often found in places where dogs are kept in close quarters with unfamiliar dogs. This is not a common way for your BRT to live. In the case of boarding, if the facility has had issues with Kennel Cough, you could weigh the benefits to the vaccine, or let your dog build its own immunities. Lepto has shown little to no efficacy and one I personally believe will be pulled from the market. It also has a high rate of allergic reactions. I do not recommend this vaccine unless you anticipate your dog swimming in a body of water known to have Lepto, which you would likely not do. Non-core vaccines:

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• Bordetella Bronchiseptica

• Leptospira

• Borrelia Burgdorferi – canine Lyme disease

• Canine Parainfluenza Virus (CPIV)

• Canine Influenza Virus-H3N8 (CIV or dog flu)

• Canine Influenza Virus-H3N2 (CIV or dog flu)

 

FORM/FUNCTION

I believe this old adage, “form follows function”. Like an elite athlete, a dog should be well-structured and balanced. BRTs are a working breed and should be structurally sound. BRTs should be able to trot for miles comfortably, in the same way wild dogs and wolves do when covering miles checking their territory and hunting. This requires proper balance, angulation and proportions. From the AKC standard, developed by the BRTCA:

 

“A well-balanced Black Russian Terrier should move freely in a smooth, fluid motion. In movement the normal head carriage is extended forward and the backline remains level. As movement accelerates, the feet will converge toward a centerline. The Black Russian Terrier covers a lot of ground through strong reach of the forelegs and drive of the hindquarters.” (akc.org) 

 

There is interpretation here as well among BRT breeders and AKC judges. We are seeing what I call “long dogs” with reach but lacking drive in the hindquarters. Their movement is attractive but, in my opinion, takes too much liberty with the standard by focusing on “… covers a lot of ground through strong reach of the forelegs…” while losing, “… and drive of the hindquarters.” This type of structure and movement would not hold up for a dog covering many miles at a trot. These dogs also lack overall athleticism desirable in many dog sports. They can produce an eye-catching go around in the conformation ring but not what I envision for a versatile, strong, BRT. Another part of the standard where there is some leeway in interpretation is in length. In the standard:

 

“The desired height to length ratio of the Black Russian Terrier is approximately 9½ to 10. Thus the dog is slightly longer than tall. Females may be slightly longer than males. The length is measured from point of shoulder to rear edge of the pelvis. Substance - The Black Russian Terrier must have large bones and well-developed musculature. Females are definitely to appear feminine but never lacking in substance. Light bone, lack of substance, and poor musculature are serious faults. “ (akc.org)

 

While ratios are provided, phrases like, “… is slightly longer than tall” and “Females may be slightly longer than males”, have resulted in some long dogs that lack drive from the rear being recognized in the ring. A judge at a recent BRT National, cautioned breeders about breeding dogs that are too square. Breeding for correct proportions takes time and careful choices. I want to strive for proportions as described in the standard, 9 ½ to 10 while maintaining equal parts reach and drive. I recognize not all judges will reward this and may favor the longer, reaching dog ahead or behind mine in the go around but I believe more in my overall purpose and goals than winning every time in the ring. Read more here.

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Being a coated breed allows some loss of correct structure, in my opinion. According to the standard, grooming should not be a priority over structure. Judges can feel the dog under the coat and can assess movement, but the exams are quick and thoroughness varies between judges. I believe this and the heavy coat hide and can even perpetuate faults. For example, a Great Dane, with its short, tight coat, displays its conformation and structure at first glance. The angles of its skeletal form and the lay of its muscles are evident before even laying hands on it. Smaller details like ear set, the form of feet, and the angle of the pasterns are clear to see. The angle of the shoulder in relationship to the rear assembly, the slope of the croup. On the other hand, the heavy coat of the BRT is sculpted to emphasize good qualities, and create illusions that minimize faults. A judge may not feel every part of the dog or may not keep track of the balance or lack of between the parts she is feeling. A dog impeccably groomed, conditioned, that presents with a pleasing outline with some attitude added, will often win over dogs with better overall structure but with less grooming skill, etc. This leads to things like cow hocks, toed out, straighter shoulders lacking fore chest, flatter feet, etc. all hidden under the coat. For this reason, scrutiny of every part of a breeding pair should occur. Even better are retired show dogs in a short coat. It is easier to really see the mature dog whose structure has not been fully analyzed since it was puppy before its coat came in. 

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There is a lot to balance in breeding. Striving for one quality can cause the loss of another. But in my program, I am considering all these things and making choices to breed BRTs that could compete without their coat. 

 

BREED TYPE

Like other breeders, maintaining type is highly important. This might be an area where the most interpretation exists. Someone might identify one dog as “typey” and someone else may say it is “not correct”. Judges will often see the same discrepancies and put up a dog one day in a competitive class, then a different judge may not even place that dog in the same class of dogs the next day. How can a breeder rectify this? I think the answer is fluid. It is easier to see dogs that have lost type than defining what the perfect type actually is. My guideline is mostly that. By showing my breeding stock to at least their grand championship in classes of diverse dogs, as well as titling in multiple performance sports, my hope is that any loss of “type” will emerge and allow me to refocus as needed. This is because a grand champion title requires defeating other champions. As long as this is done in different regions or at larger shows as opposed to defeating the same champions over and over again, it can be one of the measures of testing “type”. Using professional handlers can also help with this assessment because of their interactions with a high number of dogs, other handlers, and judges. For me, continually having my dogs assessed by others minimizes my own biases and kennel blindness.

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GENETIC DIVERSITY

In addition to testing every puppy through Embark (for genetic carrier status, traits, and coeffient of inbreeding), I also have each puppy tested for breed-specific diversity of haplotypes. (see "Genetics" on Resource page) This test has little bearing on a pet owner, but it informs my breeding program and contributes to data for the breed as a whole. It helps to identify bottlenecks in genetic diversity for the breed. This type of genetic testing is looking for the total number of haplotypes that exist in the breed and measures their distribution. Currently, among tested BRTs, over 50% have the exact same haplotype, yet many more exist and are underrepresented. This type of genetic diversity or lack of, has been linked to health issues such as allergies. (see "Genetics" on Resource page). I am interested in preserving a diversity of haplotypes in my lines in an effort to benefit the breed as whole. When people anecdotally say purebred dogs are inbred and lack hyper vigor due to lack of genetic diversity, they are often referring to this. Purebred dogs are inbred because that is how type and consistent traits are set when creating a breed. One of the responsibilities of a breeder is to keep the genetic diversity that exists in the breed as high as possible by not breeding the same lines and highly used studs over and over, forever causing the loss of diversity. The genetic profile of each puppy I produce will be public on the Betterbred website. See articles under "Genetics" on the Resources page.

 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE BREED

My program’s contribution to the breed should be evident over the course of this philosophy. Other than when I want a puppy for myself, my overarching purpose for any pairing and litter is to contribute to the breed that I love and provide others with a beautiful, healthy, happy, and able Black Russian Terrier.

 

TRANSPARANCY/DOCUMENTATION

To meet my goals and stay true to my philosophy, I will always provide complete transparency and documentation (if possible) of all testing and experiences. This is something I highly value and have wanted during my journey in obtaining and raising my first BRT. I have found it is not common enough in the world of purebred dogs (or even in purebred horses). Puppy buyers are trusting me when purchasing a Starry Night puppy. In my opinion, there is nothing to gain from not providing all the information about that puppy and the lines he/she comes from. My expectation is that all my puppy homes continue to report back to me in order to inform my breeding program and to inform the owners of any related dogs in the case of a condition emerging that may have a genetic component. At the same time, I want to know about positives and successes to help confirm my program is on the right track.

 

Genetics is complex. Mixing of lines can produce unexpected results. Unknown conditions or traits of ancestors, seemingly far back in a pedigree can emerge in a current generation. This is why this data and records must be kept and public, in my opinion.