The whole body of the Black Russian Terrier is covered with a thick, tough coat, with decorative hair well defined on the head and limbs. The mustache and beard are features, and give the muzzle a blunt, rectangular shape. The hair is rough and thick, with a fold, which, when pulled straight, will make the hair appear longer.

The body hair is shortened to about 2 to 4 inches. The front and rear legs are well protected by slightly longer rough hair. The color is black, or black with an insignificant amount of gray hair.

Maintenance: Trimming is obligatory in accordance with the approved style. Regular brushing is essential (at least three times a week). Bathing and caring for the coat, keeping it in the desired attractive style, is usually done by an expert.

Grooming Procedure

Equipment needed: Slicker brush, wide-toothed comb, scissors or clippers.

Breed tip: As this dog molts slightly, it is essential that it receives regular grooming.

• Brush through the entire coat with a slicker
brush, lifting the coat to brush the hair in
sections to ensure this is done thoroughly.
• Comb with a wide-toothed comb.
• Bathe in a suitable, natural shampoo that will not remove too much of the natural oil from the coat.
• Dry the dog with super absorbent towels. Brush or comb through, and then finish with a blower or in a cage.
• Starting with the head: trim the ears from the fold of the ears to the tip by clipping
  downwards (away from the head) with an Oster No. 10 blade (or equivalent) or
  scissors. Trim on the inside and outside. Tidy the edge with scissors, while holding the ear with your finger and thumb for safety.
• The hair is fairly short on the top of the head from behind the eye to the back of the skull, and this is done with scissors.
• Comb the beard forward and scissor downwards to give a deep-pointed look from the side view.
• The neck hair and body hair are shortened with scissors to about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) and slightly tapered to the groin area. The underchest is fringed, and curves upwards towards the groin, giving the appearance of a deep chest.
• The front of the chest is accentuated in shape from the base of the neck to the front leg.
• The tail is fairly shortened with scissors and the under tail anal area is cut short.
• The front legs are scissored to tidy, and the hair on the foot is cut round to shape it into a neat finish. Unlike the Poodle the legs are not “indented” to show the feet: with the Black Russian Terrier, the feet appear as a continuation of the leg.
• The back leg is trimmed to shape from the rump to the hock to accentuate angulations, and then from the hock to the foot.
• The front part of the back leg has more hair  to accentuate the bend of the stifle, and then is trimmed down to the foot.
• The foot is cut in a round puff, rather than a close cut.
• Trim under the foot to remove hair that might bunch and mat and cause the dog pain when it walks. Alternatively, clip this out with an Oster No. 15, ensuring that the top foot hair is left intact.
• Check the dog’s nails, teeth and ears. Any hair inside the ears should be pulled out, as terriers should have an open ear canal.
• The Black Russian Terrier needs trimming on a regular monthly basis, or for every show.