Bohemian Shepherd

The Bohemian Shepherd, known in Czech as the Chodský pes, is an old herding and watch dog from the Chod region around Domažlice in southwest Bohemia, in today’s Czech Republic. It has been provisionally recognized by the FCI since 2019 and is also in the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service.

History

The breed is tied to the Chods, a people the Kingdom of Bohemia settled along its border with Bavaria in the 13th century to serve as a border patrol. Old chronicles mention their especially faithful dogs, and period drawings show a small, long-haired shepherd dog with pricked ears. The dogs helped patrol the border, herded stock and tracked game. By 1325 the Chods held special privileges, among them the right to keep large dogs that ordinary Bohemian peasants were forbidden to own.

The link lasted after those privileges were annulled in 1695. The Chods became known as the Dog-heads, after a pennon bearing the outline of a sheepdog with a longer coat at the neck, and Alois Jirásek used the dog as their symbol in his 1884 novel about the Chod revolt. In 1923 the writer Jindřich Šimon Baar described Chod dogs as balanced, tenacious animals used for guarding and for rounding up cattle.

After World War II the breed almost disappeared. A proposal for FCI recognition in 1948 stalled over disagreements about a standard. In 1984 the FCI judge Jan Findejs and the dog expert Vilém Kurz set out to rebuild the breed, advertising in Czech newspapers for surviving dogs and checking them against old documents and drawings. The first litter was born in 1985, and the studbook was closed to unregistered dogs in 2000. By 2019 about 7,300 Bohemian Shepherds were registered. The first litter in the United States was born in Illinois in 2022, and around 100 dogs were thought to live in North America in 2023.

Despite the resemblance, there is no evidence that the breed is related to the German Shepherd.

Appearance

The Bohemian Shepherd is a medium-sized dog, slightly longer than tall, standing 48 to 55 cm at the withers and weighing about 15 to 25 kg. Its long, thick coat and rich undercoat protect it in harsh weather, and the desired color is black with tan. The body is compact and well proportioned, with small, pointed, erect ears set high and a long, elegant neck. A light, fluid, unhurried gait is typical of the breed.

Temperament

The breed is energetic and quick, with a stable, calm and friendly nature. It learns fast, is willing to please and gets along well with children and other pets. Agile and with a good nose, Bohemian Shepherds are used for sports, as watch dogs, in search and rescue and as assistance dogs.

Care and health

The Bohemian Shepherd is generally considered a healthy breed with few hereditary diseases, helped by strict rules the Czech breed club set in the 1990s.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.