The Bohemian Shepherd () is an ancient sheep herding dog and watch dog originating from what is today the Czech Republic. Since 2019, the Bohemian Shepherd has been provisionally recognized by the FCI and the AKC's Foundation Stock Service.

History

The Bohemian shepherd is a

herding dog A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a Dog type, type of dog that either has been trained in herding livestock or belongs to one of the dog breed, breeds that were developed for herding. A dog specifically trained to he ...

and

guard dog A guard dog or watchdog is a dog used to watch for and guard people or property against unwanted human or animal intruders. A dog trained to attack intruders is known as an attack dog. History Dogs have been used as guardians since ancient ...

, indigenous to the Chod region (around

Domažlice Domažlice (; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monument reser ...

) of southwest

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

. Chronicles written during the reign of

Břetislav I Bretislav I (; 1002/1005 – 10 January 1055), known as the "Bohemian Achilles", of the Přemyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 1034 until his death in 1055. Youth Bretislav was the son of Duke Oldřich and his low-born concubine Božena. ...

indicate that the Chods were known to be accompanied by an especially faithful dog. During the reign of King Ottokar II (1253-1278), the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...

recruited the Chods from ethnic enclaves within the western

Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinav ...

region near the borders of today's Slovakia, Poland, and southwestern Ukraine. These communities were relocated to serve as border patrol along the borders between Bohemia and

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. It is not known if it is the same dog that accompanied the Chods during relocation or if the breed was developed soon afterwards; however period drawings indicate it was a small, long-haired shepherd dog with prick ears. The breed quickly became indispensable to the Chods, aiding them in border patrols but also herding and tracking game. By 1325, the King of Bohemia,

John of Luxembourg John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fightin ...

, acknowledged as a condition of their relocation and border protection, the ancestral Chods were granted significant privileges that differentiated them from other subjects, including the right to own large dogs forbidden to ordinary Bohemian peasantry. The Bohemian shepherd would continue to be associated with the Chods even after their agreement with the Kingdom of Bohemia was declared void in 1695. J.A. Gabriel, writing about the Chods in 1864, described the local people as “Psohlavci” (Czech: Dog-heads) as their pennon featured the silhouette of a Bohemian sheepdog with a longer coat at the neck.

Alois Jirásek Alois Jirásek () (23 August 1851 – 12 March 1930) was a Czech writer, author of historical novels and plays. Jirásek was a high school history teacher in Litomyšl and later in Prague until his retirement in 1909. He wrote a series of histor ...

, writing in his 1884 novel ''Psohlavci'' concerning the Chod revolt of 1695, used a Bohemian shepherd as a flag symbol for them. Writer

Jindřich Šimon Baar Jindřich Šimon Baar (7 February 1869 – 24 October 1925) was a Czech Catholic priest and writer, realist, author of the so-called ''country prose''. He joined the Czech ''Catholic modern style'', but later severed the ties with that movement ...

wrote of "Chod dogs" from the

Bohemian Forest The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as () and in German as , is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from Plzeň Region and the South Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria in Germ ...

region in 1923, describing them as "balanced and tenacious dogs used for guarding and protecting and rounding up cattle." Following the aftermath of World War II, the breed nearly disappeared. A small group of enthusiasts submitted a proposal in 1948 to get the Chod dog recognized by the FCI; however there were some disagreements on a breed standard and efforts were soon put aside. In 1984, International FCI judge Jan Findejs and cynology expert Vilém Kurz partnered to reestablish the Bohemian Shepherd. Advertisements were placed in local Czech newspapers searching for Bohemian shepherds with a handful of owners coming forward. Dogs were assessed and compared with preserved documentation, written materials and period drawings. The main goal was to raise healthy dogs with good temperaments. In 1985, the first litter was born to this program. In 2000, the studbook was closed to previously unregistered dogs. As of 2019, there were about 7,300 registered Bohemian Shepherds. Despite their appearances, there is no evidence to suggest they are related to

German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...

dogs.

Introduction to North America

In North America, clubs established standards with the objective of starting breeding programs in North America dedicated to best practices for healthy and diverse full bred gene pools. In 2022, one of the founding members of the club and owner of four Bohemian Shepherds became the first in North America to both breed and whelp Bohemian Shepherd puppies in the USA. Six males and one female were whelped in Illinois. As of 2023 it is estimated there are roughly 100 Bohemian Shepherds in North America. BohemianDogsinAmerica first litter

Description

Appearance

The Bohemian Shepherd is a medium-sized, rectangular-shaped dog, standing 48–55 cm (19-22 inches) at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

and weighing about 15–25 kg (35-55 lb). Long, thick fur and a rich undercoat allow them to survive in harsh weather. The desired fur color is "black with tan." The body is compact and well proportioned with high-set, small, pointed, erect ears, and a long, elegant neckline. A fluid, light and unhurried gait is one of the typical characteristics of this breed.

Temperament

Bohemian Shepherds are lively and quick dogs that make great all-around sporting dogs and family pets. Quick-learning and biddable, Bohemian Shepherds relate well to children and other pets. The breed is agile and has a keen sense of smell, making them proficient search and rescue dogs or a great companion for

handicapped Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

people, and an outstanding watch dog. This breed has a stable, calm, and friendly temperament that allows it to be good with the owner, their family, and especially with children.

Health

The Bohemian shepherd is generally considered a healthy breed with few hereditary diseases, in part due to strict guidelines established in the 1990s by the Czech breed club. The average lifespan is 12-14 years.

In popular culture

A Bohemian shepherd silhouette is used for the Czech scout organization Junák's badges. The largest statue of a dog is a Bohemian shepherd statue designed by Michal Olšiak near the village of Újezd in the Plzeň Region. The statue measures almost four meters in height and eight meters in length.

References

External links

Bohemian Shepherd Breed Standard
FCI
Bohemian Shepherd
on

Czech Radio Czech Radio (, ČRo) is the public radio broadcaster of the Czech Republic operating continuously since 1923. It is the oldest national radio broadcaster in continental Europe and the second-oldest in Europe after the BBC. Czech Radio was esta ...

{{Pastoral dogs FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in the Czech Republic Herding dogs