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1) Origin
The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is an old French hunting dog breed, that originated hundreads of years ago. We do not know the exact date of origin, but the breed was already well established in 14th century in France, especially in the Brittany region, where it was mainly used to hunt wolves. It is closely related to other hunting dogs of Brittany region, like Grand Fauve de Bretagne and Basset Fauve de Bretagne. The breed was owned by royalty and even the French king Francois I owned a pack of these hunters. 2) Almost extinct During the 19th century, wolves dissapearred in France, which caused a massive decline in the dog breeds that were used for hunting wolves. And one of these dogs was Griffon Fauve de Bretagne. Luckily, the breed survived. One of the man credited for saving the breed is Marcel Pambrun, who founded the Club de Fauve de Bretagne in 1949 with the goal of preserving and saving the remains of the breed. Today, the breed is not on the verge of extinction, even though it is still considered as rather rare breed. 3) Name This breed has a very descriptive name. The word Griffon is describing all the wiry coated hunting dog breeds of France. Fauve means fawn, or tan, which is describing the color. And de Bretagne means from Brittany, which is describing the geographical location where the breed was developed. So the breeds name can be literally translated as fawn colored and wiry coated hunting dog breed from Brittany. 4) Utilization As you already know, this breed is a hunter. It is the only real working utilization of this breed. It should be a tenacious and adaptable hunter, they can hunt in all kinds of terrain and in any weather. They are very resilient dogs with high endurance and stamina. They typically hunt in large packs and they can hunt big and dangerous prey without a problem. They are absolutely passionate about the hunt, they have high prey drive and chasing instinct, excellent senses, especially sense of smell and they are absolutely determined on the hunt. But today, many of these dogs are not hunters, but companion pets. 5) Companions And they make amazing lively companions. They are perfect fit for active families who like outdoor activities. The breed standard describes this breed as good natured with people, sociable, affectionate and equable. They can make good playful partners for kids and they will enjoy living in pack with other dogs, especially if they live together from the puppyhood. Other household pets might be problematic due to the dogs hunting heritage. It is truly very social animal that wants to be part of your daily activities. Great advantage is, that they are very adaptable and pretty easily trainable. Some people describe this dog as mischievous and goofy and i can guarantee you that you would never be bored with the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne. 6) Exercise As i mentioned in the previous point, this breed is lively companion that is best suited for active families. And it is absolutely true. This breed needs a lot of exercise. Without daily longer walks, hikes or jogs they will become bored and restless, which can lead to some unwanted behaviour, like excessive barking. This is not a coach potatoe that will be satisfied with few short walks around the block. You should also occupy their mind by some fun training sessions or some kind of a playtime, puzzle toys or dog sport. If they are provided with plenty of mental and physical stimulation, they tend to be very docile, calm and relaxed at home. 7) Size This is medium sized dog breed with athletic body and average height between 48-56 cm, which is 19-22 inch and weight between 18-22 kg, which is 40-50 lbs. There are no extreme size differences between males and females. 8) Coat Well, the breeds name says all you need to know about the coat. It is a fauv Griffon, or fawn colored wiry coated dog. The wiry and rough coat gives the dog its unique unkpet like appearance. Their fawn color can be in a range from golden wheaten to red brick. Some black hair on the back and ears are not uncommon. There can also be some white spots on the chest. 9) Maintenance The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is relatively easy to take care of dog breed. The breed should be regularly brushed, which will remove the loose hair, but their wiry coat usually repels dirt and the coat does not mat, so it is not a hard work. Some longer coated individuals will need hand stripping in spring and fall. Other than that, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health There are no scientific studies about the breeds health, but the breed is not linked with any genetic health issues. Of course, they still can suffer from health problems like ear infections, hip and elbow dysplasia, some eye problems or allergies, but it should not be extremely common in this breed. The average lifespan of this breed is between 12-13 years.
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Ear cropping. Some people like it, some hate it. Some people will say it is necessary while others will say it is cruel. Ear cropping is definitely controversial topic and if you are thinking about getting a puppy of a breed that usually has a cropped ears, you might be wondering, why people actually crop the dogs ears. What are the pros and cons of this procedure.
Lets start with briefly explaining what ear cropping actually is. It is a procedure in which part of the external visible ear flap is removed. Sometimes it involves taping as well, which is making the ears pointy. This is typical for example in Dobermans. The cropping is done when the dog is still a very young puppy, typically between the age of 6 – 14 weeks. Now lets talk about the supposed pros and cons of ear cropping. I will start with the pros and we can go a little back to history to understand to pros. The dog ear can be viewed as a weak spot when the dog has to defend something against a strong predator as the ear can be easily bitten or torn during the fight, which is why many livestock guardian breeds have their ear cropped. Breeds that were used for dog fights have their ears cropped for the same reason. So the number one advantage is, that it makes the dog better for protection and guarding work as there is a lesser chance of damaging the ear. Some hunting dogs also had their ear cropped in the past and the reason for it was to improve their hearing and sound localization. There is a belief that dogs with cropped ears could hear better, as they could more easily swivel their ears in the direction of sound, especially in comparsion to the dogs with large floppy ears. One of the argument of people supporting this idea is, that there are almost no wild dogs with large floppy ears and that it is not natural for dogs to have floppy ears. The third and possibly the biggest advantage of ear cropping is belief, that it will reduce ear infections. It is certainly true, that dogs with large floppy ears like Basset Hounds suffer from ear infections more often than dogs with small ears. Ear cropping open up the ear canal and increase airflow into it, which can lead to drier ear and fewer ear infections. But it is debatable how big is the effect of the ear cropping on decreasing the ammount of ear infections. The last advantage, if you can say it like that, is only cosmetical and it is that it makes the dog look differently. Some people want make their dog look traditional, the same way how they looked in the past. Some people want to make the dog look fierce and some want to make them look natural, similar to wolves. Some breeds even have it written in their breed standard, that the ears should be cropped, which is why people who want their dog on shows must go through this procedure. But as i said, this reason is only cosmetical and i dont think it is a real advantage. But it is probably the number one reason why people crop their dogs ears these days, as there are not that many working dogs, who would really need their ears cropped for working purposes or safety reasons. Now lets mention the cons of ear cropping. The biggest con probably is, that the ear cropping is unnecessary. Today, when most of the dogs are companion dogs and you can prevent ear infections even in dogs with floppy ears, there is no real reason for ear cropping in most of the dogs. Especially if the cropping is done traditionally and not surgically with the veterinarian, there are big health risks and the dog can potentionally loose the hearing. Traditional cropping is also extremely painful and stresful for the pup. When the ear cropping is done surgically by the veterinarian, the risk of health issues and infections is limited to minimum, but still, any surgery are dangerous to some degree and you do not want to put dogs under general anesthesia if not necessary, especially when it comes to cosmetical procedure. During the surgery, dogs are normally under full anesthesia, so they do not feel any pain, but they most certainly feel pain, or discomfort, after the surgery and after the pain medications wear off. How much pain and how big the pain is, is debated. Another disadvantage is, that the procedure is not always succesfull. Sure, most of the time, the veterinarian will do a great job, but there is no guarantee. Sometimes one ear can be crooked, sometimes neither of both ears will stand. There is just no guarantee when it comes to surgeries. And the last disadvantage, and again, i am not sure if this can be really counted as disadvantage, is judgement by people who are strongly against ear cropping. Some people will not like you and they will view you as cruel if you have a dog with cropped ears. This is a list of pros and cons of ear cropping. What is my opinion about this topic? I personally find ear cropping unnecessary. I am not a big fan of ear cropping or tail docking in dogs, especially in companion dogs where there is no real benefit of doing it. It is also important to say, that in many countries the ear cropping is outlawed and the number of countries is slightly increasing year by year. So you are not allowed to crop your dogs ears everywhere in the world. The Sinka Dog is relatively new dog breed native to Hungary and it is a tireless working and herding dog breed.
Lets start with little bit of history and ancestry of the Sinka dog. It is the youngest of all Hungarian dog breeds with its history dating back only few decades, approximately 50 years. It was developed from various herding dogs that already existed in Hungary. Some of the dogs that played a role in the breeds development are Hungarian herding dogs like Mudi, Puli and Pumi. Especially the Mudi and Kopasz and Német Puli played important role in the creation of Sinka. But it is believed that breeds like Kelpie, German Shepherd or Belgian Shepherd also played a role in the breeds development. The breeds name – Sinka – comes from hungarian words sima szőrű which can be translated into english as smooth hair. And their smooth hair comes in several possible colors, namely in solid black, brown, wolf grey, white or brindle. The breed has athletic, streamlined and strong body, typically it has upright erect ears, dark colored eyes with alert expression and long tail. It is medium sized dog breed with height between 45-55 cm, which is 18-21 inch and weight between 18-27 kg, which is 40-60 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. This breed is almost exlusively used for working and herding. There is approximately 800 Sinka dogs and almost all of them are owned by shepherd who use them to managing their herds. They most often herd sheeps and cows. And they have amazing qualities for herding as they are very alert, independent, loyal, brave and they are not afraid of the livestock. They are also extremely endurant and they have very very high energy level. They are just tireless, they can work for all day long without tiring. You can say that this is a workaholic, they definitelly are happiest if they can work a lot. It is a tough dog breed that is absolutely loyal to its owner. And of course, it does love its owner and family, it is affectionate, playful and loving dog breed, but it is not a dog breed for everyone and it is mostly due to their high energy level. They will not be happy if they would live in small apartments as typical companion pets. They want to live on a large property. The Sinka can live with other dogs or even with other animals like chicken and other household pets like cats, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. They typically guard their property and defend it from intruders. When it comes to grooming and maintenace, it can not be easier than with the Sinka. They can take care of the coat by themselves. The Sinka is extremely clean dog breed, some might say they are almost cat like in this area and they stay very clean bythemselves. Of course, regular brushing from time to time will remove all the dead and loose hair, minimize the shedding and redistribute natural oils all over it. No other grooming is needed. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. There are no studies about the breeds health, but it should be very tough, resilient and healthy dog breed and there are no genetic health issues linked with this breed. The Caucasian Shepherd and Central Asian Shepherd, also known as Alabai, are two strong livestock guardian breeds with similar appearance and temperament. Today will tell you what are the similarities and differences between the Caucasian and Central Asian Ovcharka.
Both breeds were developed for the same purpose, to be independent, hard working, alert, very brave and decisive livestock guardian dogs. The Central Asian Ovcharka originated in the area between the Ural, Caspian Sea, Asia Minor, and the Northwest border of China where it naturally developed by adapting to its purpose and to local environement. The breed has very long history, which is thousands of years long and basically, over it developed into the dog we know today by surviving of the fittest. On the other hand, the Caucasian Ovcharka was developed by deliberate breeding of Soviet cynologist in 1920s from strong livestock guardian dogs found all over the Caucasus mountains, such as Georgian Shepherd. Over the time, both breeds found another utilization, next to the livestock protection. Both were used for guarding property as well. The Central Asian Shepherd was also very often used for dog fights and the Caucasian Shepherd was used by soviet military and police, for example for patroling borders. Both breeds have very similar temperament and they are excellent for guarding purposes. They are both extremely strong, brave, territorial, naturally agressive when its needed, but also absolutely loyal to its family. Both breeds have well balanced temperament and they are extremely independent. They have to be. Both breeds are active guards and they will use their power and force to protect the livestock, people or territory. But there are some differences in their temperament as well. The Caucasian Ovcharka is more lively, more active and explosive, while the Central Asian Shepherd is slightly calmer breed. Both breeds must be alert with strangers. But they should accept the stranger when they see they are your friends. Both breeds can be good loyal family companions as well. They are typically quite gentle with kids and they truly love their whole family. But they might not be overly affectionate just like some other breeds. The Caucasian Ovcharka tends to be little bit more affectionate and lets say emotional, some might say charming, than the calmer Central Asian Ovcharka. Because of their history as military dogs, the Caucasian Ovcharka is also better fit for property guards and as territory protectors, but to be honest, both breeds will be amazing for this purpose. The Central Asian Ovcharka tends to be more dog agressive, which is most likely due to their history as dog fighting dogs. For a long time these dogs were used in large numbers for this cruel dog sport. The Caucasian Ovcharka might also be dog agressive, but to far lesser extent that Central Asian Ovcharka. And what about the appearance differences between two dogs? Well, on the first sight, it is the coat. The Caucasian Ovcharka has ancestry in cold and harsh Caucasus mountains, which is why they have longer and denser doublecoat. The Central Asian Ovcharka also has a doublecoat, but it is much shorter. Both breeds are very very large. The breed standards of both dogs states minimum size requirements for both breeds and they are 64 cm and 45 kg for the Caucasian Ovcharka, which is 100 lbs and 25 inch and minimum size requirements for Central Asian Shepherd are 65 cm and 40 kg, which is 26 inch and 88 lbs. But both breeds can be much much larger than that and it is not uncommon for them to weigh over 100 kgs, which is 220 lbs. So they have similar size, but in general, the Caucasian Ovcharka is the stockier breed, while the Central Asian has slightly more athletic appearance and it is leggier than Caucasian Shepherd. Both breeds have similar lifespan around 10 or 11 years, which is pretty normal for dogs of this size and they are both very resilient dogs. They can suffer from some joint and bone problems, which is very typical for all the giant dogs. It is also important to mention, that the two breeds are more and more similar together, which is due to migration of the native dogs between the adjacent geographic areas. It is very common for these two breeds to mix together. Appearance
The Lobito Herreno is a dog with wolf like and rustic appearance. It is a breed of strong constitution with athletic body, wedge shaped head, triangular and erect ears, tail that is set high and relatively small brown eyes. The coat is pretty smooth and short, but it gets thicker and denser during winter and colder months. Usually the dogs coat is in the typical wolfs like gray color, but it can also be reddish, both with pale mask and light patches around the eyes. There can also be some white or light cream spots in the coat. And what about the size? Well, on average, the Perro lobo herreno height is between 52-54 cm, which is 21-22 inch and weight between 18-22 kg, which is 40-49 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males, but the difference is not extremely huge. Temperament Traditionally, these dogs were used to work with livestock animals. To herd them and also to protect them. But over the time, the need for livestock working dogs declined and most Lobito Herreno dogs turned into companion dogs. And they make amazing companions as well! Even though they look like wolves, they should not have extremely high prey drive and they can be socialized to live with other pets in the family as well. They can also live with other dogs, or with smaller kids in the family, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. The Hierran Wolfdog is described as absolutely loyal, very active and playful, affectionate and curious dog breed. If they are provided with enough daily exercise, which is an absolute must and it can be done with daily longer walks, hikes, jogs, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions, than they are pretty calm and relaxed at home. They are very friendly with people they know, but are typically suspicious towards strangers. But they should never be agressive without a reason and once they got to know the stranger, they will accept it. They can also be territorial. As i already said, these dogs are highly energetic. They are also very very intelligent and they love fun traning sessions. They can learn almost all the tricks quickly and easily. Thanks to this, the intelligence, eagerness to please and high energy, they are excellent for various dog sports, like agility. Overall, these dogs, that once were amazing herders, are today extraordinary companions, especially for active people and families. History The history and ancestry of this breed is rather unknown. There is no documentation about it, but there are two main theories about it. The first one say, that they naturally, over the time, evolved from the dogs already present in the Canary Islands from ancient times. The other theory is more accepted, and it claims, that the ancestors of Lobito Herreño were brought to the Canarian El Hierro island with Castillian conquistadores at the start of the 15th century. But we will never know the exact history of this breed. What we know for sure is, that they were further developed into the breed we have today by shepherds of Canary islands. They were living in largest numbers on the island of El Hierro, which is where they got their name. The Lobito Herreño was most likely never bred for appearance and according to their breed standard, it was bred for its utilization, for its purpose, which was to be the best helper for the Shepherds of El Hierro. Sadly, over the time, due to a decline in traditional shepherding, there was no longer need for these dogs, which caused a huge decline of this breeds population and they were brought to the verge of extinction. Today, it is estimated, that there are only lower hundreads of pure Perro lobo herreño dogs and it is very very rare breed and they are virtually unknown outside the Canary Islands. Health and grooming Generally, the Lobito Herreño is very tough and healthy breed with average lifespan around 13 years. It is very resiliant dog, that is not prone to any specific genetic health issues. Of course, just like all the larger dogs, they can sometimes suffer from joint and bone problems or bloating but it should not be extremely common with this dog. They can also suffer from the typical doggy issues, like some allergies or infections. The care of Perro Lobo Herreño is quite simple. They can take care of their coat by themselves, but it is recommended to brush the coat in order to minimize the shedding, to remove all the loose and dead hair, to remove dirt from the coat and to redistribute natural oils all over it. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. Running is amazing exercise, not only for people, but also for dogs. And running with dogs is definitely a lot of fun! Most dogs love running, it is natural for them, but some dogs are much better running companions than others.
Some dogs will love to run in snow, others will prefer warmer climate. Some dogs are amazing for shorter runs, while others are marathon runners. Choosing a perfect running buddy depends on your running style, preffered terrain, distance and on the climate of your region. 1) German Shorthaired Pointer The German Shorthaired Pointer definitely must be on this list. It is a breed developed to hunt for long time without tiring and they not only posses amazing stamina and endurance, but they are also pretty fast. These dogs are best for long and steady runs, but they can go for a quick and fast run without any problem as well. They will be just ready for a run anytime you want. And they can run in any kind of weather or terrain without slightest problems. The GSP, as a hunter, might have a higher prey drive and chasing instinct, so they might try to run after moving objects on the run. But of course, it is vastly influenced by early training and socialization. 2) Australian Shepherd, Border Collie and other herding dogs In general, all the herding dogs are pretty good partners for runners. They just have the large stamina and excitement about running. The Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are especially good running companions with endless stamina that can run a marathon with you without any problems. They can also run in any weather and terrain and both are pretty trainable. 3) All working retrievers Retrievers, especially Golden and Labrador Retrievers are the most popular companion dogs. They are easy going, trainable, but also athletic and adventurous. They are do-it-all dogs and always ready for action. All the Retrievers are good for longer runs, but do not over do it when the climate is too hot or humid. Also remember, that retrievers are prone to joint and bone problems and you should make sure your dog has healthy hips before you start doing long runs with it, since it can make things worse. And there are not only Goldens and Labs. You can go running with Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Curly Coated Retriever or Flat Coated Retriever as well. They all will love and they all will love if you will combine your runs with swims as well, as they are all excellent swimmers. 4) Saluki and some other sighthounds Everybody knows that Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on the planet. They just had to be good partners for runners as well, right? Well, its quite the opposite. Greyhounds and many many other sighthounds that are built for pure speed are big and lazy coach potatoes. But, there are some exceptions of sighthounds, that are very endurant and that love long runs. One of them is the Saluki, which is sometimes nicknamed as the marathon runners of sighthounds. It is better to run with sighthounds in unpopulated areas, for example in woods, or when they are on leash, as most of the sighthounds have rather chasing instinct and they will love to run after any moving objects, which can be dangerous in populated areas with high traffic. 5) Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, All Laikas Many northern breeds were bred to pull sleds over frozen terrain for long hours or even for days and weeks without tiring. So it is no wonder, that they make amazing companions for runners as well. They are ready to run in any terrain, but they will obviously prefer colder climate. They can adapt to warmer weather as well, but it is not advised to make long runs with northern sled dogs when it is hot outside. Next to Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute, there are all kinds of laika dogs. Those are hunting dogs from Siberia and they all have good qualities for running. There is for example Yakutian Laika or East and West Siberian Laika. All these breeds are also excellent partners for dog sports which are similar to pulling sleds, like skijoring or bikejoring. Or of course, for sledding. 6) Belgian and German Shepherd Belgian and German Shepherds are all around dogs, often times used in police and military. Such job need athletic and energetic dogs, and indeed, both German and Belgian Shepherds are very athletic and agile dogs that excell at both, shorter and long runs. You can choose any of the four Belgian Shepherds and you will make no mistake, as they all have the same qualities for being amazing running partners. There is the Malinois, Laekenois, Groenendael and Tervuren. 7) Jack Russell Terrier Generally, larger dogs are much better for long runs than smaller dogs as they have longer and stronger legs and larger lungs. But there are some exceptions of smaller breeds that are good for runners as well. One of them is definitely the JRT, which is lightening fast and they have endless energy. It is one of the most hypoallergenic dogs of all. Other smaller dogs suitable for runners are for example Whippets or Shelties. 8) Vizsla and Weimaraner Many hunting breeds are also amazing for hunting. Some of them are definitely Vizslas and Weimaraners, but you can also go for a good run with almost any Pointer. Both Vizsla and Weimaraner are known as velcro dogs and they typically stay close to the runner, to its owner, so they can be trained to be quite good for off leash running. But just like all hunting dogs, they have high prey drive and they might chase squirrels, cats and other small animals when they see them. 9) Rhodesian Ridgeback If you are looking for an athletic and strong dog, that will love to go for a run even when it is hotter outside, than the Rhodesian Ridgeback might be a perfect choice for you. They are capable to run for very long distances and they typically stay close to its owner when they are on the run. 10) Eurohound The last dog of this video is Eurohound. It is not a purebred dog, but a crossbreed specifically developed for sled dog racing, canicross,skijoring, bikejoring and all kinds of other similar dog sports. The dog is most often a cross of an Alaskan Husky and German Shorthaired Pointer, or some other similar Pointer breed. It combines the speed of the Pointer with incredible stamina of the sled dog. Eurohound is probably the best dog for canicross professionals, as they almost always win the Canicross Championship. There is definitely a running dog buddy for everyone. Every runner can find a perfect dog for them, but it is important to choose the right breed. But, you can go running with almost any breed in the world. Even tiny Dachshunds will love to go for a shorter runs. You should be very careful when running with young pups and senior dogs. It is extremely important to not take young pups on long runs, or even hikes and walks, because their joints are still vulnerable. The bones and muscles are also not fully developed, so there is a risk of othopedic damage. Every breed mature differently, but it is advised to not go for a long runs with your pup if it is not at least 12 months old. With larger breeds you should not run even if they are not over 18 month of age, especially not on surfaces like concrete. Most of the healthy senior dogs will love runs. Of course, their fitness level will not be the same as it used to be, so you can slow down a little bit and just enjoy the time with your dog. If the dog is healthy, there is no reason to not go for a run. If they have some problems with joints, heart, muscles or any other important organ, i would not go for long runs as it can make the problem much worse. |