Black Russian Terrier: Care

Your Blackie needs daily exercise and mental stimulation, at least half an hour each day, including walks, runs, disc games, obedience, or agility.

Hanging out alone in the back yard is not exercise; even if that's what you intended, your Blackie will just spend the time at the door waiting to be let back in. He has a great need for human contact, so he's always happier when you're hanging out with him. When you're not playing with your companion, puzzle toys such as Buster Cubes are a great way to keep that active mind occupied.

The Blackie can live in an apartment as long as he has adequate exercise. In a single-family dwelling, he should have a fenced yard.

Puppies don't need as much hard exercise as adults, and, in fact, you shouldn't let them run on hard surfaces such as concrete or let them do a lot of jumping until they're at least a year to eighteen months old. Otherwise large-breed pups like the Blackie may stress their still-developing skeletal systems, which can cause future joint problems.

Obedience classes can help you curb your Blackie's behavior, as they help satisfy his need for mental stimulation and work. He'll respond well to training methods that use positive reinforcement--rewards such as praise, play, and food--and is likely to happily take commands from his trainer. He just needs to know who's in charge.

Crate training benefits every dog and is a kind way to ensure that your Blackie doesn't have accidents in the house or get into things he shouldn't. A crate is also a place where he can retreat for a nap. Crate training at a young age will help your Blackie accept confinement if he ever needs to be boarded or hospitalized.

Your Blackie doesn't want to spend all day in a crate, however. It's not a jail, and he shouldn't spend more than a few hours at a time in it except when he's sleeping at night. Blackies are people-oriented dogs, and they aren't meant to spend their lives alone or in a crate.

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