Bohemian Shepherd

The Bohemian Shepherd, also commonly known as the Chodsky Pes, is an old breed dating back to the 14^th century. They were originally thought to be used to guard the Bohemian southwestern borders near the Chod region, somewhere close to the town of Domazlice. The local people of this region are called Chods and author Alois Jirasek wrote about the uprising of these people. In his writings he described the Bohemian Shepherd as a symbol of this uprising and eventually became part of a Czech folklore. The Bohemian Shepherd became nationally recognized after renowned Czech artist, Mikolas Ales, depicted them in several paintings. The Bohemian Shepherd is still depicted on the official badge of the Czech version of the Boy Scouts. Even though the breed dates back to the 14^th century, they were not professionally bred until sometime in the 16^th century. Breeding records were not well documented until much later. Historians believe larger kennels, possibly as part of aristocrats’ estates, contributed to the growth of the Bohemian Shepherd throughout the Czech Republic. Researchers also believe the Bohemian Shepherd is a predecessor to the German Shepherd Dog, although there has been no solid evidence that the two breeds are related. However, it took several more centuries before the German Shepherd Dog was created and with the two countries trading goods back and forth there is a good possibility the Bohemian Shepherd is an ancestor of the German Shepherd Dog. The Bohemian Shepherd began to lose popularity after World War II and the number of purebred dogs dwindled. In 1984 a few breeders began setting new standards for the breed and worked diligently to build the breed back to its former glory. Today, there are numerous breeders, most located within the Czech Republic. There are about 3,500 registered Bohemian Shepherds born since the new standards and breeding programs were implemented. The Bohemian Shepherd Lovers Club was started in 1991 to promote the breed.