Two adorable, short legged, herding dog breeds with similar temperament, those are the Swedish Vallhund and Welsh Corgi.

The similarities of these two breeds are most likely not coincidental. It is believed, that they are closely related, you can say cousins, and that they share their ancestry. Those are pretty old dog breeds, and historians can not agree on the exact ancestry of those two breeds, but it is widely accepted, that either the Swedish Vallhund was brought to Wales or the Corgi was taken to Sweden, hence the similarities between the two breeds.

It is also important to say, that the Welsh Corgi is not only one breed, but there are two different, officially recognized Welsh Corgi breeds – the Pembroke and Cardigan. Again, both are very similar. The main differences are size, their tail and you can also find some differences in their temperament.

But lets go back to comparsion of Swedish Vallhund and Welsh Corgi. They are both herding dogs and they have the typical personality trait of herding dogs, such as alertness, independence, they are quite active and they are very loyal to the herd and to its family.

The Swedish Vallhund lean a little bit more to the Spitz like temperament, while the Corgi is all herder. The Corgi is typically little bit easier to deal with, they are little bit more easy going. On the other hand, the Swedish Vallhund tends to be little bit more alert, independent and focused. It is also reported, that the Corgi tends to be somewhat friendlier towards strangers, but both dogs are extremely friendly and loyal to its family and owners.

Overall, there are not many differences in the temperament of those two dog breeds. Both also share relatively high energy and exercise needs. Daily longer walks, jogs, hikes and playtime sessions are must for both, so they stay healthy and happy.

And what about the differences in the appearance? The Swedish Vallhund is, on average, slightly taller than the Corgi, but the Corgi tends to be little bit heavier and stockier.

Another difference is the coat and color. The Corgi always has short to medium long doublecoat, which is very dense. Swedish Vallhunds may have different coats, some are relatively long, but most commonly they also have medium long doublecoats. Corgis have typically slightly softer and, lets say fluffier coat, than the Vallhund.

Welsh Corgis can be found in almost any color with or without white markings. On the other hand, the Swedish Vallhund is most often found in grey, wolf like color. That is a reason why many people call them as Wolf Corgis. Their fur color varies from grey, greyish brown and greyish yellow to reddish brown, with darker hair on the back, neck, and sides of the body.

Other than that, there are not many differences between these breeds. Both are heavy shedders and they will require a lot of brushing to minimize the shedding. No other grooming is required. Both are also predisposed to similar health issues, which are mainly orthopedic diseases connected to their long spine and short legs. The Vallhund typically lives slightly longer than the Corgi. The average lifespan of Swedish Vallhund is around 14 years, while the average lifespan of Corgi is around 13 years.

Another important difference is the rarity. It is relatively easy to find a good breeder of Welsh Corgi all around the world but it might be almost impossible to find a breeder of Swedish Vallhund in some parts of the world and overall, the Welsh Corgi is much more popular breed.

Overall, both dogs are very similar and if you are looking for a smaller companion dog that is pretty active, always ready for outdoor exercise, playful, but also affectionate and loyal, you will not make a mistake with neither of these two dogs.

Just remember, both can be little bit stubborn, they have herding tendencies, which means they might nip and try to herd other pets or kids and both are pretty independent, which is why they are not total pushovers to train.  

Can you recognize the Puli, Komondor and Bergamasco apart? All three share similar appearance due to the heavy matted, flocked or coarded coat. But they are all very different dog breeds, with different temperament, utilization, size and there are even important differences in the coat structure.

All three breeds are used to work with livestock, but they are used for different purposes. The Komondor and Puli are Hungarian breeds that most likely came to the area of todays Hungary with migrating Turkic speaking tribe, known as Cumans.

Most often, they worked as partners, where the large, strong and serious minded Komondor was guarding the livestock and it was protecting it from wolves or strangers and the lively, independent and alert Puli was used to herd the livestock. They most often worked with sheeps. So the Komondor is described as guard dog, while the Puli as herding dog.

Than we have the Italian Bergamasco. It is a breed developed in Italian Alps. They probably have ancestry in ancient Persia and they came to the Alps with nomadic people and their herds. Unlike the Puli and Komondor, who worked together and had separated roles in their job, the Bergamasco was doing everything on its own. It is both – herding and guarding dog breed.

Another difference in their utilization is the environement. While the Komondor and Puli most often work on vast plains, the Bergamasco is used to work in harsh mountainous environemnt of the Alps.

Now you know what is the brief history and utilizitaion of all three breeds. Now lets compare them based on their appearance and we will mainly focus on two areas – size and coat. Lets start with the size.

All three breeds were bred for their utilization, so it is only logical, that the herding dog Puli is the smallest, guardian Komondor is largest and Bergamasco, which is both – herder and protector – has size in between them.

The Puli needs to be quick and agile, so it has smaller size. The Komondor must be strong to deter any intruders and predators, so it the largest. Bergamasco is combination of both. But, the Bergamasco is heavier boned and lets say little bit more muscular than the Komondor.

What is connecting these breeds is their unique coat. It is definitely the most distinctive part of their appearance. The Komondor and Puli has the same coat type with the same cording style, but the Bergamascos coat is different. As you can see on this picture, all three breeds are born with soft coat that is not matted yet and they develop the corded coat later in life.

The Komondor and Puli has rope – like corded coat, which can reach the ground when they are few years old. The coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels or cords.

The Bergamasco coat is not formed by rope like cords, but it is formed from long matted locks of hair. The Bergamasco coat is unique, as they not only have the wooly undercoat and coarse outercoat like the other two breeds, but they also have something called „goat hair“. The distribution of various hair types over the body is not homogenous. Some areas might be completely without any flocks, while others, especially the rear, will form mats or cords with maturity. The coat is formed by flocks and clumps, rather than cords.

The final form and look of Bergamasco is not as predictable as with Puli and Komondor, because of the variable presence of the goat hair. The Bergamasco has more unkept and unorganized appearance.

The coat of all three breeds have the same purpose. It is providing excellent protection against nature elements like bad weather and also against attacking predators.

Another difference is the color. The Komondor is always white. Puli comes in white, shades of gray, black and rusty black. And the Bergamasco can be gray, merle or black.

So now you know what is the difference in appearance, but there are also important differences in temperament of these breeds.

It is true that all three are independent, reliable, loyal and intelligent dogs. They need to be extremely independent, but also loyal, so they take instruction from its owner, but they must also be able to take action on their own.

The Puli is the most active and is always ready to herd something or someone. Just like majority of herding dogs, they excell at obedience or agility trials. They are always ready for any action, very active and lively.

The Komondor is much more laid back. They are also more territorial and you can see their natural guarding instincts. They are extremely loyal, protecting, but also loving.

And just like with the appearance, the Bergamasco is once again somewhere in the middle. Definitely not so active as Puli, but also not so laid back as Komondor, even though it is very relaxed breed. They also have protective instincts and may wary of strangers, but they accept the stranger faster and easier than the Komondor.  

 The Bull Terrier and Miniature Bull Terrier are two extremely similar and closely related dog breeds. For a very long time, they belonged to the same collective breed, but recently, in 1990s, they were recognized as two separate breeds by the AKC.
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Many people believe, that the Miniature Bull Terrier is a downsized version of the Bull Terrier, but that is not true. In reality, the first Bull Terriers that were developed in 19th century England were about the same size as the modern day Mini Bull Terrier. Some breeders wanted to increase the size of this breed, so they crossed it with a Spanish Pointer and possibly some other breeds, which resulted in modern day Bull Terrier.

So indeed, the Miniature Bull Terrier pre-dates the „standard“ Bull Terrier and it is the older breed.

So as you can see, these two dogs are extremely closely related together, and even the American Kennel Club say, that except the size, these dogs are almost identical in every other aspect, including appearance, temperament and maintenance.

It is true, that on a single photo, it is impossible to say, if it is a Miniature or Standard Bull terrier. You can only see the difference, when they stand next to each other, just like on this photo. The average height of the Mini Bull Terrier is between 10-14 inch, which is 25-35 cm and height of Bull Terrier is typically somewhere around 21 or 22 inch, which is 53 to 55 cm. Breed standards do not say anything about the weight, but it should be proportional to the body.

There is no other real difference in the appearance of these two dog breeds. They both have the typical egg shaped head, muscular body, triangular ears and both come in wide spectrum of colors.

The temperament of these two breeds is also identical. Both breeds are described as energetic and lively, courageous, full of spirit and with fun loving attitude. They are very friendly with its family, but if socialized properly, they are friendly with almost everyone. Some might be independent and kind of stubborn, which is the main reason why they are not the perfect fit for unexperienced dog owners. They are perfect family dogs, as they typically absolutely love children and they are devoted to the whole family. This description applies to both breeds and there really is not difference between the temperament of Miniature Bull Terrier and Bull Terrier.

Of course, the Miniature Bull Terrier is little bit more manageable, as they need little bit less of exercise and they can live in smaller space. But they are still active dogs, neither of those breeds are coach potatoes, but it is true that the larger Bull Terrier needs little bit more exercise.

Both breeds are also very easy to maintain, as they do not need almost any grooming at all. You should only brush the coat from time to time to keep it in best possible condition. And thats it, no other grooming is required.

In conclusion, there really is not much difference except the size in those two breeds. So if you are choosing between them, you should only look at the size. If you prefer smaller dog, than go for Miniature Bull Terrier, but if you like medium sized breeds, than go for the normal Bull Terrier.  

 The Schnauzer is a popular German dog breed, that comes in three sizes, miniature, standard and giant. All three are recognized as separate breeds by majority of kennel clubs, but they are closely related together, as the miniature and giant Schnauzers are descendants of the original and oldest standard Schnauzer.

And indeed, the size is not the only difference in these dogs. Since they all have slightly different ancestry, they also have slightly different temperament. The Miniature Schnauzer was most likely developeded by crossing Standard Schnauzer to Affenspinscher, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Pinscher or to Pomeranian and the Giant Schnauzer was most likely developeded by crossing the Standard Schnauzer with Great Danes, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Boxers and Bouvier des Flandres.

The typical temperament of the Standard Schnauzer is described as extemely intelligent, alert, lively, quite playful, kind of independent and strong willed. It is a great choice for guarding, but it also has higher prey drive, as it was used for a long time as vermin hunter. Very often, they are described as dogs with human brain. They are always thinking and it is natural born explorer. They are very curious. They have deep instinctual roots as a guard dogs and vocal dogs and they will most likely bark on any strangers approaching your home. Even though all the Schnauzers are kind of independent, they are relatively easy to train and thanks to their intelligence, they will learn all the basic commands easily.

It is true, that the Miniature and Giant Schnauzer share very similar temperament with the standard Schnauzer, but it is not identical. Lets start with the Miniature Schnauzer.

And the Miniature Schnauzer is described as little bit more affectionate dog, with less prey drive. They are still good alert watchdogs, but they should not bark that much as the standard Schnauzer. Because of their size, they have lower exercise needs, but it is still an active dog. They are probably best to live with kids and they are much more biddable and companionable. It is also very inquisitive and spunky breed.

And what about the Giant Schnauzer? Well, all Schnauzers are good guard dogs, but the Giant Schnauzer is above them. It is extremely strong breed with very smart, independent and protective nature. This Schnauzer, unlike the Miniature one, is not the best choice for novice dog owners. They have natural inclination to protect its people. But they are absolutely loyal and very friendly towards its own family. If you want your Giant Schnauzer to be okay with other dogs or other pets, early proper socialization is absolutely needed, but that can be said about all the Schnauzers. It is also very active dog breed, they need a lot of daily excercise to stay healthy and happy. It is very bold and courageous, rambunctious and reliable dog breed.
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So now you know what is the temperament of each Schnauzer breed. And what about the differences in appearance? Well, the obvious one is their size. You can see the size differences on the screen right now. And the size differences are quite huge, there is a massive difference between the giant and miniature Schnauzer. The second difference is in the coat and color. Again, you can see the color possibilities for each Schnauzer breed on the screen. They all typically have medium to long non shedding coat. The Giant Schnauzer is slight exception, as they can have shorter coat as well.  

The Czechoslovakian and Saarloos Wofldogs are two very similar wolfdog breeds with similar ancestry, similar appearance, but very different temperament.

They are both creation of crossbreeding German Shepherd with the wolf. But of course, different lines of German Shepherds, different wolves and different number of animals were used in the breeding process, which created difference in the breeds. The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is an offspring of Carpathian grey wolf, while the Saarloos Wolfdog is an offspring of Siberian grey wolf.

The wolf content in those breeds is typically between 10-30%. Different studies show different results, for example one genomic study from 2019 found that the amount of grey wolf ancestry possessed by the Saarloos wolfdog is 18–33% and the Czechoslovakian wolfdog 11–12%.

The utilizaiton of these dogs also played role in the breed development. While the Czechoslovakian wolfdog was succesfully used for police and military, especially as border patrol dogs, later also as search and rescue dogs. These dogs are true workers!

The Saarloos Wolfdog was also bred with the idea of creating less domesticated version of GSD, which will be much better for working purposes. But this was never reality, and the Saarloos Wolfdog was never used in large numbers for any utilization, other than being a companion dog.

So now you know, why there are differences between those two breeds, even though they are both GSD and wolf mix. But what are the actual differences? Lets start with the temperament.

The Saarloos wolfdog is more reserved, shy and timid around strangers. They take much longer to accept a complete stranger and they are harder to socialize to live in areas with a lot of people. They also have lower exercise needs. Dont get this wrong, they are always ready for long outdoor walks and hikes, and you should provide them with enough exercise, but they are not a real working breed that need excessive ammount of exercise and they are very calm and relaxed when they are indoors around their family.

On the other hand, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is much more courageous. It is a very brave breed that should never be shy and they are also more confident and they accept strangers faster, if you show them that they are your friends. But they are still pretty reserved dogs, dont expcet them to be friendly with everyone, definitely not. The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is very very active breed and they are only suitable for physically active people and families who will provide them with a lot of daily physical and mental stimulation.

But these dogs have a lot of common characteristics as well. First of all it is their absolute loyalty to its owners and family. They love its family and want to be around them all day long. And you should not let them alone for long periods of time, especially the Saarloos Wolfdog is known for having troubles with separation anxiety.
Both also typically have higher prey drive and they migh exhibit same sex agression, but of course, this can be vastly influenced by early socialization.

Another similarity is their intelligence. I would say that the Czechoslovakian is little bit easier to train, especially because they are more food motivated, but both breeds are excellent problem solvers. And escape artists. They are able to find any weak spot in your fence and escape in a moment, either by jumping and climbing over it, digging under it, clawing and biting through or pushing and sliding doors. They are really really good at this.

And what about the appearance? Again, they are both very similar and they have the typical wolf like appearance. First of all, the Saarloos Wolfdog is slightly larger and heavier than the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. You can see the size comparsion on the screen right now. The difference is not extremely big.

The second important difference is the color. The Czechoslovakian Wofldog comes in yellow-grey to silver-grey, with a light mask. The Saarloos Wolfdog comes in wolf-grey, red and white and also with white mask, but the mask is usually much bigger on the Saarloos Wolfdog.
Other than that, these two dogs look very very similar.  

Video transcript:
Not so long ago i made a comparsion video between Caucasian and Central Asian Ovcharka. Following this video i have received several questions what is the difference between the Caucasian Ovcharka and Caucasian Shepherd.

And it will be very short video, because there is no difference at all between the Caucasian Ovcharka and Caucasian Shepherd. It is referring to exactly same breed and the only reason for the difference in the name is the language.

The Caucasian Shepherd was developed in former Soviet Union in 1920s from different livestock guardians of Caucasus mountains. And in Soviet Union, or todays Russia, they called this dog as Кавка́зская овча́рка, or Caucasian Ovcharka. In russian language, the word Ovcharka means the same thing as shepherd dog in english language. It is describing all the dogs that are working with livestock. And even the German Shepherd for example, is known as Nemetskaya ovcharka in Russia.

So yes, there is no difference at all between the Caucasian Shepherd and Ovcharka. There is also no difference in Central Asian Ovcharka and Central Asian Shepherd. The name Caucasian Ovcharka is mostly used in Russia and in the states of former Soviet Union, while the name Caucasian Shepherd is mostly used in western and especially english speaking countries. And sometimes, especially in North America, this breed is also known as Caucasian Mountain dog.

The Caucasian Ovcharka is an extremely strong dog breed with longer coat, native to Caucasus mountains, where it is traditionally used for protecting the livestock, but also the property. It was later used by soviet miliatry, for example for patroling borders. It is extremely independent, territorial, loyal and alert dog and it is an active protector, which means it will use its power and force to defeat any intruder without hesitation. The breed is very decisive.