Almost nothing is known for sure about the history of the Chodsky pes because the breed was developed many centuries prior to the keeping of written records of dog breeding and in any case was primarily kept by illiterate farmers. What is known for sure is that the breed developed in the heavily forested southwestern portion of the Kingdom of Bohemia (now part of Czech) and that it appeared no later than the 1300’s. Although it is unclear if they developed the breed themselves or acquired it from others, the breed first enters the written record as the companions of the Chodove, a unique subset of the Czech people who have lived in the region since the 14th Century. The Chodsky pes is very similar in appearance to a number of other Continental sheep herding breeds, especially the German Shepherd, Belgian Sheepdog, and Dutch Shepherd. Although these breeds are much better known around the world, all are significantly younger than the Chodsky pes and may be descended from it. (We know that it was used to develop the Czech bloodlines) The homeland of the Chodsky pes has had one of the most turbulent histories of anywhere in Europe. Since the fall of the Roman Empire, the region known as Bohemia has seen countless battles, invasions, and waves of immigration. Located in almost the dead center of Europe, Bohemia sits right between a number of different cultures, languages, religions, and nations most of which have involved themselves in the region. The region’s longest standing and most intense struggles have been between the Germanic and Slavic peoples, both of which have inhabited and attempted to dominate Bohemia since at least the 1st Century A.D. Eventually, most of Bohemia (and the neighboring region of Moravia) came to be inhabited and controlled by Czech speakers, although German-speakers remained dominant in certain areas such as the Sudetenland and all of Bohemia was a member state of the German-dominated Holy Roman Empire. The Kings of Bohemia constantly needed to protect their lands, especially the border regions. In order to do so, they recruited the Chodove, which translates in English to, “Rangers,” “Patrollers,” or “Walkers.” The exact origin of the Chodove is disputed, with different experts claiming that they were originally Silesians, Poles, or Czechs and that they were either driven from or voluntarily left their homes in either Silesia or Poland. The Chodove were invited to settle the Bohemian Forest, provided that they swore loyalty to the King of Bohemia and defending the territory from rival Germanic powers. One of the major factors in the success of the Chodove was their dogs, which proved to be of great assistance to them in their national defense efforts. Their dogs became known in Czech as the Chodsky Pes and in German as the Chodenhund, both meaning “Chodove Dog.” The relationship between the Chodove and the Bohemian nobility was formally codified in 1325, when the Bohemian King John of Luxembourg granted significant unique rights and freedoms to the Chodove in exchange for their continuing service. Included in these unique rights was special permission to keep large guard dogs, which were otherwise illegal for commoners to own. These special ownership rights were one of the first formal historical mentions of the Chodsky pes. It is unclear where the Chodove first acquired their dogs. Some have suggested that they brought them with them from Silesia or Poland (In Poland although not recognized by the FCI there is a similiar strike/race/breed), others that they were native to the Bohemian Forest, and still others that the Chodove acquired them after they arrived in the area. The Chodove served as border guardians for almost 400 years, continuing to serve even after the Bohemia fell under the rule of Germanic Austria. Some evidence suggests that the Chodsky pes was being professionally bred and trained by the Chodove as early as the 1400’s. If so, this would be one of the earliest records of such practices and also of a pure bred dog in the modern sense. Over the centuries the Chodove began to use the Chodsky pes for other purposes besides border patrol and war. Because the breed proved equally effective in guarding against wolves as it did against people, it began to protect and herd the sheep kept by the Chodove and neighboring peoples, becoming a very highly regarded sheepdog in the process. After a day working along the border or in the fields, the Chodsky pes guarded its family’s home at night. Because the breed was in close contact with its family, only those dogs that were most trustworthy with children were allowed to breed, and the Chodsky pes transformed into a beloved family companion as well as a feared guard dog and respected herdsman. Because of their long history of border defense and royal service, the Chodove were one of the most nationalist segments of the Czech population and played a significant role in almost every major Czech uprising and revolt until the 20th Century. Partially as a result, the last of their special privileges and rights were stripped away in the late 1600’s by the local German aristocracy. Despite the loss of their special status, the Chodove remained in the area and kept their identity as a unique group. They also continued to keep their beloved Chodsky pes, although they were now primarily used as herding dogs and farm guard dogs rather than for military patrol. The Chodsky pes served as the region’s primary working dog until the early 20th Century. During the final years of the 19th Century, German breeders developed the standardized German Shepherd from the Old German Shepherd Dog. This breed proved to be immensely successful as a police, military, and farm working dog and quickly spread to the Czech lands, which were at that time a part of the German-controlled Austro-Hungarian Empire. The German Shepherd became the primary working dog across most of Bohemia, but was never able to completely oust the Chodsky pes in its native land. A significant number of southwestern Bohemians continued to keep their native breed, especially those in the vicinity of the cities of Domazlice, Tachov, and Primda. In the aftermath of World War I, the Czechs of Bohemia and Moravia were granted their independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, forming the new nation of Czechoslovakia in union with the closely related Slovak peoples. In 1982, Mr. Vilem Kurz sent several photographs of rare dog breeds that he thought were capable of being revived to Mr. Jan Findejs. Mr. Findejs was especially interested in those which depicted the Chodsky pes. In 1982, he wrote an article in a major canine journal about the breed, and what he thought its ideal standard should be. Mr. Findejs quickly found Chodsky pes owners very interested in reviving the breed which their ancestors had cherished for at least six and a half centuries. These original owners were all very insistent and aware that they possessed Chodsky pes and not German Shepherd mixes. 3 individual dogs of unknown parentage that Findejs considered to be the best examples were initially chosen to revive the breed, and the first Chodsky pes registry was founded. In 1985, the first every registered litter of Chodsky pes puppies was whelped, followed by a second the following year. The goals of Mr. Findejs and the other early breeders was always the same, to maintain the health, working ability, excellent appearance conformation, and family companion nature of the Chodsky pes. Realizing that three individual dogs was not nearly enough to revive a health breed, other surviving examples of Chodsky pes were sought out and added to the gene pool, although each new dog was carefully examined to ensure that it was an ideal and pure specimen. Throughout the revival of the Chodsky pes, the litters produced even by dogs of unknown ancestry have bred true to standards without exhibiting characteristics of other breeds such as the German Shepherd. This has seemingly confirmed the belief that the pure Chodsky pes had survived, and that it is not actually a recreation of an older type by use of mixes. In November 1991, the Klub Pratel Chodkeho Psa http://www.kpchp.org/ was founded to promote and protect the breed. Five years later, the last Chodsky pes of unknown parentage was entered into the breed’s studbook. As time passed, more and more Czech citizens became interested in owning and reviving one of the country’s oldest dogs. Although initially slow, recovery efforts have significantly picked up. From 1982 to 2005, more than 2100 breed members were registered by more than 100 individual breeders. An additional 1400 were registered between 2005 and 2009. The breed has quickly earned a reputation across the Czech Republic for being both an excellent family dog and a highly driven and capable worker. The Chodsky pes has especially made an impression in the Schutzhund and general protection dog community. The breed’s medium size and attractive appearance are greatly increasing its popularity as well. Although the breed still has a relatively small population, it is now well-established in its native country and it is generally agreed that it will continue to substantially increase in popularity there. The health of the breed has continued to remain a very important consideration among breeders and mandatory screenings of parents (and acceptable scores on these tests) for several health conditions have been a condition of registration. https://sites.google.com/site/kalistadahlst...sky-pes-english a friends site with some information in English
Memorial of Jan Sladky Kozina (leader of the Chods). Chods were the border guardians of the Bohemian Kingdom in the middle ages. “On the border serving his country, Chod his “cakan” proudly carried, during storm, snow, wind and fog, by his side was always a dog.” This dog was the ancestor of today's Chodsky pes
Aww thanks Pam You can help with the profile when I get around to doing it too (Actually, if you can get the stats for the right hand side of the main profile for me I can add them sooner )
What stats do you need? More than 4000 new dogs have been registered since 1984-2012. Standard in English from the Swiss Club http://www.chodenlaenderhunde.ch/Race/Standard/