Bohemian Shepherd

Bohemian Shepherd

Bohemian Shepherd
Other names	Chodský pes Czech Sheepdog Bohemian Herder Chodenhund
Country of origin	Czech Republic
Traits
Classification and standards Not recognized by any major kennel club
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Bohemian Shepherd is a breed of dog also known as the Chodský Pes or the Chodenhund. The Bohemian Shepherd is recognized nationally in the Czech Republic but is not recognized by the FCI or any other major kennel club.

Description

Appearance

Chodský pes is a medium-sized breed. They are 19 to 22 inches in height and weigh about 35-55 lbs. The coat is long and thick with a dense undercoat, colour is black and tan. The ears are erect, small, high-set and pointed.

Temperament

This is a very active dog with a wonderful temperament. They are quick in training and are generally very fast learners. This breed is not aggressive, they are good with children, dogs and other pets. Chodský pes is great at agility, rescue work and service-training. It has an excellent nose and exhibits aptitudes for working with handicapped people. Naturally it is also a wonderful watch dog. This is certainly a breed of many talents, excelling in agility, rescue work, guiding the deaf and blind, herding and even recreational sledding.

History

Chodský pes is an old sheepdog breed. They have been also guarding Czech southern borders and homes in the area. "Chodove", the local people living there, had an exceptional permission to hold large dogs for this purpose. Alois Jirasek, writing about a brave uprising of the local people, even assigned these dogs as a flag symbol of them. Though that is actually incorrect, the symbol became part of national knowledge due to drawings of a well known Czech painter Mikolas Ales. The symbol of the chodský pes is still on Czech young scouts badges.

As the breed of chodský pes is old, it is possibly also one of the predecessors to the German Shepherd. Chodský pes is known to exist in the Czech lands as far back as the 14th century, and having been professionally bred as early as the 16th century. A modern breeding program for this dog was started in 1984 and there are now many breeders. About 3500 registered pups have been born since the program started (1984–2009).

References

1. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bohemianshepherd.htm

2. http://www.dogomania.com/breed/breed135/

3. http://www.kpchp.org/plemeno.html