Originally developed as a guardian it has been used for years as a police dog in the URSS. The Red Star Kennel was the only one in charge acceptable to breed it. Appearance was not an issue at that time and so the dog does not resemble any of its mix developers: the Rottweiler, the Giant and Standard Schnauzer, and many others.
Nevertheless, the Black Russian Terrier, for short, has a great look. It shows great confidence, strength and courage. It is not meant to be a show dog, the coat should be trimmed however, and it should never give the impression of being unsubstantiated. The density of its coat is the distinguishing feature of the breed and it is should not be soft, silky by default.
The size of the male is acceptable up to 74 cm and the females 72 cm. The weight should not be over 65 kg.
Whenever a new person is in the house the nature of the dog will come out and he will not be at ease. So, think in advance before you take someone strange home.
Another thing to bear in mind is that despite their nature as guardian dogs, they are affectionate nevertheless. Remember that a dog that is not well trained when he is little may turn out to become a real nightmare when he grows up.
Due to their large size it is not advisable to keep them in a small place such as apartments, they need to run and exercise daily so as to keep fit and in that way alert.
They have been breed for that reason, so dominance is a must. Take into consideration that the height or size of the dog requires for a perfect training program. You do not want that creature to run around the house untrained.
The health of the BRT is another issue to be dealt with care. They tend to live longer than other breeds, generally up to they are 14 years old and for that same reason, the possibility of hereditary diseases is enlarged : hip and elbow dysplasia are among the most common ones, and progressive retinal atrophy one of the most serious one.