Bohemian Shepherd Dog Breed Information

The Bohemian Shepherd Dog is a beautiful, rare shepherd breed. Lively, athletic, and smart. Closely similar in appearance, personality, and endurance to the German Shepherd Dog. With little background this breed has many questions to be asked. Where did this breed originate? Are they easy to train? Are they good family dogs? This article is here to answer these questions and much more!

Bohemian Shepherd Dog Quick Stats:

Breed Popularity: Rare
Life Expectancy: 12-15 Years
Group: Herding Group
Height: Male 21″-22″ Female 19″-21″
Weight: Male 40-60lbs Female 37-53lbs
Temperament: Alert, Devoted, Intelligent, Friendly

History of The Bohemian Shepherd Dog:

The Bohemian Shepherd Dog was first bred in the Kingdom of Bohemia, hint where the breed got its name. It all came to be in 1325 because Germany wanted to expand their borders into Bohemia. Bohemia was not going to let this happen, so they ordered Chodove people to serve as guards.

They allowed them to breed a strong alert dog to help guard and patrol their borders. This breed was the Chodsky Pes, also known as the Bohemian Shepherd Dog, today. After this war the dog breed was forgotten by all.

Later on in 1984 they were picked back up and more and more people began to pitch in to make this dog a registered breed. Just one year later in 1985 the breed was approved. That same year came the first new litter.

Bohemian Shepherd Dog Breed Standards:

The Bohemian Shepherd Dog overall is a medium sized dog with an oval shaped body. Their rich long coat is weather resistant. The curves and compact of the body all go together for a graceful look.

Head:

Skull: With a noble appearance this breed’s head should be in good proportion to the body and have a flat skull. Muzzle: The muzzle should be parallel to the extended line of the skull and straight. Slightly shorter than the skull. Jaw/ Teeth: The dogs jaws are powerful and strong with a full set of teeth. Eyes: They have medium sized almond shaped eyes, barely slanting. Not poking out nor deeply set in. They have bright friendly brown eyes. Ears: Short in length, the ears stand up and alert. They should be facing forward and closely together. They are a triangular shape, and the tips can be either partially rounded or pointed.

Neck:

The dog’s neck is long and flexible. Overall giving a graceful look. It gets broader towards the shoulders. The horizontal line of the neck forms a forty-five-degree angle. All covered in thick and rich dark hair.

Body:

Topline: The dog’s topline is straight and sturdy. Withers: Slightly raising from the back line, the withers fall gracefully. Back: Flowing along the withers, the back is gently sloping down from the dog’s withers. The back isn’t too long and is tight and straight. Chest: The chest of the dog should be oval in the cross-section, the lower section pointed while the upper is obtuse. It should never reach below the elbows. The rib cage is just barely sprung. Underline: The underline should be tight and lightly tucked up. Tail: The tail stance is based on the dog’s emotion but when at rest it is slightly curved and carried lightly. It has a dense coat of hair and extends down to the hocks. It should not be docked.

Forequarters:

Shoulder: The blades of the shoulders should be long, flat, and muscular. Upper Arm: The dog’s upper arm is straight and mature. Elbow: Pointing straight towards the rear, the dog’s elbow should not go more in nor out. Forearm: The forearm is muscular and mature looking. Looking at it at any angle it appears straight. Wrists: The wrists of the dog should stand strong and sturdy. Forefeet: The forefeet are closed and firm. The black pads and nails should be very powerful.

Hindquarters:

Thigh: The thigh of the dog is strong and muscular. Knee: At an angle of about one hundred twenty degrees, the knee of the dog should be strong with a muscular appearance. Lower thigh: The lower section of the dog’s thigh should be durable and muscled. Hock: The hock joint should be sturdy and forceful. Hind Feet: Just as the forefeet, the hind feet are closed and firm. Toes are flexible and powerful. The pads and nails are also black along with being very strong.

Caring For a Bohemian Shepherd Dog:

Exercise:

This Bohemian Shepherd Dog is a medium energy breed, unlike most shepherds who are high energy. They do need exercise throughout the day and play time, but they also very much enjoy sitting on the coach laying with you. Yet they are still shepherds, so they do need plenty of exercise. It’s best if you have a large fenced in yard. This won’t be the best dog if you live in an apartment, as they are not apartment friendly and would need much more exercise.

Grooming:

Bohemian Shepherds may have a good bit of hair, yet they don’t shed much. They only need to be brushed occasionally and more often depending on the season. Every dog needs to be bathed occasionally to keep them nice and clean so give them a bath every now and then.

Also make sure to keep your dog’s ears clean so they don’t get any infections. You can also clean your dog’s teeth with minty cleaning bones or dog toothpaste and toothbrush.

Health:

Overall Bohemian Shepherds are healthy dogs. They have no significant health problems specific to their breed. The most common problems they have are associated with most every larger dog breed. These include:

Hip Dysplasia
Elbow Dysplasia
Ear Infections
Eye Conditions
Bloating
Degenerative Myelopathy
Epilepsy

Make sure if there are any major changes in your dog’s personality, appetite, or sleep visit a local vet.

Nutrition:

It’s always good for your dog to have a healthy diet. Especially an athletic herding breed. To make sure you’re feeding your dog healthy foods you can check out our article “What Can German Shepherds Eat?”. This goes for Bohemian Shepherds too!

When feeding your Bohemian Shepherd Dog make sure to spread out their feeding throughout the day with tiny portions, as they are prone to bloating.

Training:

Bohemians are very intelligent and easy to train. They learn things fast and seem to listen more than most breeds. They are very friendly dogs and have high affection for their owners and family members, making them also naturally good guard dogs!

We have an article “Training German Shepherd Puppy” that has a list of tricks and tips for training. This goes for Bohemian Shepherds too.

Are Bohemian Shepherds Good Family Dogs?

The Bohemian Shepherd Dog is great for a family! They are overall friendly dogs but are still very protective of their family members when it comes down to strangers. These dogs can be very vocal when approaching someone new. Yet once they get to know them, they will start showing more affection.

Since Bohemians bloodlines have been herding, they are known for nipping at little children’s ankles as a sign of “herding” them up. But not to worry Bohemians are very careful and protective of making sure no harm comes to the members of their “pack”. So, it’s more than fine to let the kids play with them, just keep a watch every now and then.

They are mostly good with other pets like other dogs, cats, or small animals. If they grow up with the animal around the house, they will surely get along great with them and most definitely form a strong bond and sense to protect them.

How Much Does a Bohemian Shepherd Dog Cost?

Bohemian Shepherds are not like most breeds. They are so rare the USA lacks availability for this breed. Meaning that the only breeders you can get this dog from are from the Czech Republic. You have to get them exported over to America. So, no use looking up this breed on any puppy finding sites as you have to reach out to breeders in the Czech Republic.

Here’s a recommended site of a Bohemian Shepherd Dog Breeder in the Czech Republic.

5 Interesting Facts about the Bohemian Shepherd Dog:

Their real breed’s name is Chodsky Pes. Some other names they go by are Czech Sheepdog and Chodenhund.
There are no available Bohemian breeders in America for this rare breed.
They are one of the first breeds bred for war.
Bohemian shepherds only have one coat color combination, black and tan. With tan markings under their eyes, nuzzle, insides of ears, lower chest, and legs. Yet some have fewer markings than others.
Bohemians are thought of as just smaller German shepherds.

Bohemian Shepherd Dog In Closing:

While there isn’t a ton of information about this breed, they still seem like a really good breed. Athletic, loyal, and protective. This dog would be a wonderful addition to your family, if you can export it over. But I think it’s worth the work. Bohemian owners have posted about how wonderful this breed of dog is!

Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Do you have any experience with the breed or own one? Let us know what you have learned about this amazing breed!