|
The Schweizer Laufhund, also known as Swiss Hound or Chien Courant Suisse is an enthusiastic hunter and lively, gentle and loving companion dog breed, which exists in four different varieties.
The four varieties are Bernese Hound, Jura Hound, Lucerne Hound and Schwyz Hound. All the four types have the same size, body type, face type or apperance and the only thing that separates them apart is their coat and skin color. All four types have short, smooth and dense coat, which is fine on head and leathers. The Bernese Hound is white with black spots or black saddle, rarely with light speckles. The Lucerne Hound has a blue color, which is a result of a combination of black and white hairs, heavily speckled together, with black patches or black saddle. The Jura Hound is in tan and black coloration, sometimes with small white patch on the chest and rarely with grey or black ticking. And last, but not least, the Schwyz Hound is, just like the Bernese, white dog, but they have orange patches or orange saddle, instead of black one. Slight speckles are also permissible. now. The Swiss Hound has athletic body, which is indicating strength and endurance, lean head, pretty long muzzle and very long majestic ears. It is important to say, that there is also a dog breed known as Small Swiss Hound, also known as Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund. This breed evolved from the Swiss Hound and it comes in the same four varieties, but the difference is, that it is smaller, „basset“ like version of the Swiss Hound, but other than that, they are extremely similar. And what about the temperament of the Swiss Hound? Well, it is a hunter, they have extremely good sense of smell and strong passion for hunting and chasing. They are very endurant and they are able to hunt the game for hours without tiring. The breed is described as steady on the trail and hunting with melodious cry. Overall, this is excellent hunter for all kinds of game, such as hare. But when they are not on the hunt, this is pretty sensitive dog that is attached to its owner and family, and that wants to spend all time with them. It is pretty docile dog, that can easily learn all the basic obedience commands. They can live with other dogs in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood and they can make good playful, lively and gentle partners for kids as well, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Other household pets might be problematic due to the Swiss Hound higher prey drive. As you can expect from an active and endurant hunting breed, the Swiss Hound requires quite a lot of daily exercise to stay in good shape, both physically and mentally. Daily long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions are essential for this dog breed. This is definitely not a coach potatoe, quite the opposite. Without daily exercise, these dogs will become bored and possibly develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking. Now lets mention the history of this breed. And it is actually pretty old dog breed with long history. As the official breed standard mentions, the Swiss Hound presence in times of the Roman Helvetia is certified on a mosaics, discovered at Avenches, by the representation of packhounds corresponding to the varieties of Swiss hounds. The breed was highly valued by Italians as early as the 15th century and French hunters started using this breed in 17th century. It is believed, that it was French mercenaries, who brought this breed to Switzerland and the original line of this breed was most likely influenced by other french scenthounds, like Petit Bleu de Gascogne, Porcelaine and Ariégeois. The official breed standard for Swiss Hound was finally written in 1933. The last point will be the maintenance and grooming needs of the Swiss Hound. All four varieties sheds some deal of fur all year long, but they are very low maintenance. Brushing the coat once or twice a week is enough, to keep it in great condition, to remove all the loose and dead hair and to residistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required. This dog is known as very clean. They take care of themselves. You should definitely pay attention to the ears and clean them and dry them, so they do not develop any infections. This is very typical for all the long eared dogs. You should also regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clean them or clip them if needed.
0 Comments
1) Origin
The Chuandong Hound is a very old, ancient dog breed, that hails from Chinese Sichuan province, to be more specific, from the eastern part of Sichuan province, around the city of Chongqing. In the 1980s archeologists found statues of unknown dogs in tombs near the city of Chongqing. The tombs were more than 2000 years old and they also located dogs in the surrounding area that were very similar to the statues. These dogs are the ancestors of todays Chuandong Hound. The breed had developed by adapting to its local environment and being fit for a purpose as a scent hunting hound for more than 2000 years. It can be said, that this breed evolved next to a man, rather than by a man. 2) Almost extinct The Chuandong Hound is extremely rare breed. There are few reasons for it. One of them is that after the establishment of communist regime in China, dogs were associated with capitalism and population of most dog breeds in China rapidly declined. Some rural families kept their dogs for hunting and guarding, but they had to pay big taxes for keeping them. Luckily, few families in Sichuan province really kept their Chuandong Hounds and they preserve the breed. In 1980s, the pet ownership was allowed. Out break of SARS epidemy in 2002 was another tragedy for the breed. The Chinese government killed many dogs in order to prevent spreading of the disease. But luckily, the Chuandong Hound once again survived in small numbers and today, there are few kennels outside China as well. 3) Chongqing dog For a long time, the Chuandong Hound did not have an official breed standard, or an official name. The breed was known as the East Sichuan Terrier by the owners who still value their dogs hunting ability. That changed in 2018, when the first breed standard was published by Chinese kennel union. The C.K.U recognise the Chongqing dog and the Chuandong Hound which have both developed from the East Sichuan Terrier. The Chongqing dog is a companion and guard dog. The Chuandong Hound continues to be used as a scent hunting hound and some owners still refer to them as the East Sichuan Terrier. Both breeds are similar in appearance, but the Chuandong Hound has a longer muzzle with much less wrinkle, a scissor bite and is longer on the leg. The Chongqing dog has a shorter muzzle with wrinkles, an undershot bite and is reffered to by some owners as a Chinese Bulldog. 4) Coat and color On the first sight, the Chuandong Hound might look like a hairless breed, but that is not true. The Chuandong Hound has a short single coat all over its body and the only permitted color is red in all kinds of shades. 5) Maintenance Speaking of coat, the maintenance and grooming is incredibly easy with this breed. The Chuandong Hound does not shed and they do not require almost any grooming at all to keep the coat in good condition. They are almost cat like when it comes to cleanliness, they keep themselves super clean in all parts of their body. Just like with any other breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.Chuandong Hounds only have fine wrinkles on top of their head so they do not have any problems with wrinkle soreness. 6) Lifespan Another amazing fact about this breed is their longevity. Just like majority of breeds that evolved through natural selection, they are very healthy and hardy dogs that does not suffer much from any serious health issues. And what about the lifespan? It is between 16-20 years and it is not uncommon for these dogs to be active and healthy even at their later teens. 7) Size This is medium sized dog breed, with average height between 40-50 cm, which is 15-20 inch and weight between 20-25 kg, which is 45-55 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 8) Companions The Chuandong Hounds make excellent companion pets. They are very playful and affectionate, very loyal to its owners, protective over their loved ones and quite intelligent. They can definitely learn all the basic obedience commands fast and easy. On the other hand, they can be stubborn, which is why patient and consistent training is essential. These dogs are perfect companions for kids as well, as they are typically very playful and gentle with kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. The Chuandong Hound can also live with other dogs in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. 9) Exercise This is not a completely hyperactive dog breed, but it is not a total coach potatoe neither. The Chuandong Hound will need daily exercise to stay in good shape, healthy and happy. It can be longer daily walks, hikes, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions, just anything that will occupy them physically, but also mentally. Without the exercise, they might potentionally develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction. 10) Tongue and tail The last point in this video will be about the interesting appearance features of the Chuandong Hound. The first one is the tongue, which might or might not have blue coloration. Rather than fully blue tongue, you will see blue-spotted tongue, which is quite normal for Chinese breeds and there are even legends about it in Chinese folklore. One of them says that when Buddha was creating the world, dogs were allowed to lick up all the little pieces of blue sky that fell on the earth when the stars were set in their places, so they got their blue tongue from the sky. The second one is the tail, which is sometimes reffered to as bamboo tail. The tail is very thick at the base and sharp at the end and it stands completely straight. 1) Ancestry
The Wetterhoun is an old Dutch breed. The exact ancestry and history of this breed is unknown, but it is believed, that the Wetterhoun is at least 400 years old dog breed and that it was developed by crossing various Gypsy dogs with local indigenous Frisian dogs, very likely the already extinct Old Water Dog. The breed is native to the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. 2) Name The name Wetterhoun comes from the West Frisian Wetterhûn meaning “water dog.” In english speaking countries the breed is often times named as Frisian Water dog. Sometimes, the breed is also nicknamed as Dutch Spaniel or Otterhoun. 3) Almost extinct Just like many other European hunting breeds, even the Wetterhoun almost dissappeared after the Second World War. Without the efforts of breed fanciers and lovers, the breed would most likely completely vanished. But these fanciers, most notably Jan Bos, found remaining specimen of the breed and they saved the breed from extinction. Today, the breed is still considered as rare, but definitely not on the verge of extinction anymore and it is officially recognized by all the major kennel clubs around the world, such as FCI or AKC. 4) Hunting Originally, the Wetterhoun was used to hunt in water and they were most often hunting otters and polecats. Today, they are most often used for retrieving game, both in and out of the water and to hunt small mammals and waterflow. This is outstanding hunter, which is very loyal to the hunter, have very high prey drive, excellent nose and great stamina, all very important traits for a hunting breed. 5) Watchdog The Wetterhoun is primarily a hunter, but it can also be a very good watchdog. Their extreme loyalty to its owners and family combined with their alertness makes them perfect for being a reliable watchdog. This breed is naturally suspicious of strangers, but they should never be agressive without a reason. This is not the biggest barker, but they will most likely bark when they will hear or see something suspicious around their home. 6) Companion This is not only a worker, but also confident, strong willed, loyal and quite lively companion. I would not recommend this breed to novice owners, but with patient and firm training, these dogs can learn almost anything, it really is very smart dog. They can be socialized to live with other dog without problems, but other household pets might be problematic due to their higher prey drive. The Wetterhoun can also be good playful partner for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. 7) Water lover The Wetterhoun is not a coach potatoe. If they are not used for hunting, than they will need proper amount of exercise every day to stay healthy and happy. It can be long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime.. You name it. And of course, they will love to swim and you should let them to swim from time to time! It is a water dog after all. Without enough exercise, this breed can develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction. 8) Size The Wetterhoun is a medium sized dog breed with average height between 55-59 cm, which is 21-23 inch and weight between 25-35 kg, which is 55-77 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 9) Coat and color The Wetterhoun is characterized by a very dense, curly coat of medium length. It is an all purpose weather resistant and water repellant coat which is extremely good for their purpose as water dogs. The coat is oily to touch. The coat colors include black and brown, either solid or combined with white, with or without ticking and roaning. 10) Maintenance Speaking of coat it is important to mention the maintenance as well and luckily, the Wetterhoun has only minimal grooming requirements. Occasional brush will keep the coat in best possible condition. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 1) Origin
The Perdiguero de Burgos is relatively old dog breed, that has been around since the 15th century. In the past, this dog breed was highly valued versatile hunting dog, especially for their scenting and pointing abilities. It is thought, that the Burgos Pointer is descendant of the Old Spanish Pointer and Sabueso Espanol. 2) Ancestor It is believed, that the Perdiguero de Burgos played important role in development of other European pointing dog breeds. Most of the European Pointers have their ancestry in Iberian Peninsula and it is very likely, that one of the dog breed they evolved from is the Perdiguero de Burgos. Some of the breeds, that are believed to be relatives with Burgos Pointer are, for example, German Pointer, Russian Pointer or English Pointer. 3) Almost extinct The 20th century was a very bad time for this breed. The World War and Spanish Civil War negatively affected the population of this breed and they almost went extinct. Luckily, after the conflicts, big efforts were made to save and revive the Perdiguero de Burgos. Manuel Izquierdo and Geardo Sardonil are two of the men who are credited for reviving the breed. Today, it is still considered as a rare breed that can be mainly found in Spain, where it is once again valued for their pointing and retrieving abilities. 4) Hunting The Perdiguero de Burgos has one main purpose and utilization and that is hunting. Originally, these dogs were used as scenthounds, specialized on hunting deers, but over the time, they become excellent at hunting hare and also birds. They are very endurant dogs, capable of hunting in any kind of a terrain without any problems. It is also very quick and agile dog breed. Of course, they have high prey drive and chasing instinct and they are absolutely passionate on the hunt. The Perdiguero de Burgos is also good adept for hunting trials. 5) Companion Even though passionate hunter, the Perdiguero de Burgos is also loving, even tempered, playful, gentle and loyal companion dog. If they are properly exercised, they tend to be pretty calm at home and they make good partners for kids and of course, they can live with other dogs, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. Other household pets might be problematic due to their higher prey drive. This breed is intelligent, naturally obedient and fairly easily trainable. On average, this is very friendly, pretty mellow and affectionate companion. They should never be agressive towards people without a reason. 6) Exercise If the Burgos Pointer is used for hunting, than there is no need for additional exercise, they will burn off their energy on the hunt. But if they are living the typical life of companion pet, than these dogs will need quite a lot of exercise. Short normal walks are not enough for these dogs. Daily longer walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime and fun training sessions are a must, so the dog can stay healthy and happy. Without enough exercise, they might develop some unwated behaviour, such as destruction. 7) Size This is a well built, muscular, but quite elegant dog breed with straight back, strong legs, deep chest and overall athletic appearance. The average height is between 59-67 cm, which is 23-26 inch and weight between 55-66 lbs, which is 25-30 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 8) Coat and color The coat of Perdiguero de Burgos is described in the official breed standard as „Dense, short, smooth and evenly distributed all over the body“. And what about the color? Basic coat colors are white and liver. The coat is irregularly patched or roaned, which could give the dog a liver marbled or a speckled coat. A heavy ticked coat gives the dog a grizzled appearance. It is not uncommon for these dogs to have a white patch on the head. 9) Maintenance Great fact is, that the Burgos Pointer has minimal grooming needs. They do shed some deal of fur all year long. You should regularly brush their coat to remove all the dead and loose hair and to redistribute natural oils all over the coat, but even without any grooming and brushing at all, the dog will keep the coat in okay condition. 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. 10) Health The average life expectancy of this breed is between 12-14 years, which is pretty good for dog if this size. There are no official studies about the breeds health, but it is reported, that this is usually very healthy and hardy dog breed and that they do not usually suffer from any serious health issues. Of course, they might sometimes suffer from the typical doggy issues, such as some eye problems, joint problems or allergies and infections. 1) Origin
There is not much documentation about the ancestry and origin of the Deutsch Stichelhaar. It is believed that it is very old dog breed from Germany. They were definitely present in Germany at least since the 1800s and in 1892 the club of this breed was formed. Later the breed almost went extinct and it has been re-developed from the very few specimens still found in the country. 2) German Pointers You most likely already heard about the German Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointer. Interestingly, it is believed that the German Shorthaired and Roughaired Pointer are not directly related together. In 1888 German cynologist Hans von Kadisch proved that the German Roughhaired is a separate breed and not only a variety of the GSP. On the other hand, it is true that they are related to the German Wirehaired Pointer, as the German Roughhaired Pointer is one of the ancestors of the German Wirehaired Pointers. It is also believed that the German Roughhaired Pointer is somehow related to other similarly looking hunting breeds from Central and Western Europe, such as Cesky Fousek or Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. 3) Hunting The Deutsch Stichelhaar is most valued for its hunting prowess and skills. This breed is everything a real hunter wishes for. It is reliable pointing breed and superb retriever, they are adaptable to all kinds of terrain, they are great on land and in water, they are absolutely hardworking and passionate about the hunt. Thanks to their excellent sense of smell, they can easily track the game as well and they can hunt all kinds of prey in all kinds of terrain without any problem. It is also very quick and endurant breed, capable of hunting all day long without tiring. 4) Companion Of course, just like majority of pointers, even the German Roughhaired Pointer is very loyal, loving, relatively calm and gentle, affectionate and lively companion dog. They create very strong bond with its owner and family and are absolutely devoted to them. They crave for our attention. These well behaved dogs make good playful partners for kids and they can live with other dogs in the family. On the other hand, other household pets might be problematic due to the higher prey drive and chasing instinct of the German Roughhaired Pointer. 5) Exercise Even though perfect affectionate and loyal companion, the Deutsch Stichelhaar is still not for everyone, especially because of their boundless energy, high spirit and enthusiasm. These dogs definitely need a lot of daily exercise, it can be long walks, hikes, jogs, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions. Just anything that will occupy their body and mind every day. This is definitely not a coach potatoe, quite the opposite. Without enough exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking or destruction. 6) Size The German Roughhaired Pointer is a medium sized, athletically built and well muscled dog breed with average height between 58-70 cm, which is 23-28 in, and weight between 20-30 kg, which is 45-65 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat The coat is the most distinctive appearance feature of the German Roughhaired Pointer. It is a very practical weather and water resistant coat, which is important for the dog to be able to work in water and during bad weather. The coat should be harsh, bristly and stiff on the body and it is approximately 4 cm long. Typically, the hair on the muzzle are forming great looking beard and they also have standing hair on the eyebrows, giving the dog kind of angry look. According to the breed standard, this breed comes in brown with or without white patches or brown roan and light roan both with or without brown patches. 8) Grooming Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming as well. And luckily, this is very easy to take care of dog breed. The coat is kind of dirt resistant. Of course, regular brushing once or twice a week is very beneficial for the coat, as it will remove all the loose hair and it will redistribute natural oils all over it. No other grooming is required. Of course, just like any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 9) Rarity Even though not on verge of extinction anymore, this is still very very rare breed. Definitely much less common than for example the German Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointers and you would be very lucky to find some of these dogs outside Germany. 10) Health This breed has an average life expectancy between 12-14 years. There is not much official documentation about the breeds health, but it is reported, that this is rather healthy and hardy breed that is not prone to any serious health issues. But of course, they might ocassionally suffer from the typical doggy issues, such as some joint and bone problems, eye problems, allergies or infections. 1) Wolf hunter
The Poitevin was developed in 17th century in present day Poitou province. In the 16th century, this area had a big population of wolves and to hunt these wolves a new breed was developed – the Poitevin. The breed was developed from 12 English Staghounds that were gifted to Dauphin of France. Some of these hounds and their offsprings were gifted to François de Larrye, Marquis of Haut-Poitou, which is considered to be the father of the breed. He crossed them with local french hounds and this crossbreeding resulted in very strong, athletic tricolor hound able to hunt wolves, which is why he kept developing the breed. 2) Almost extinct French revolution at the end of 18th century brought the Poitevin to the brink of extinction. During the revolution, many members of royalty were jailed or even beheaded. And even the Marquese of Haut-Poitou, the main breeder of Poitevin was beheaded in 1793. His pack was dispersed and the breed dissappeared. Luckily, some people kept their Poitevins. After the revolution in the beginning of the 19th century, two brothers Emile and Arthur who lived in the Poitou province carried on with the breed that survived the revolution and they reestablished the pack. The breed was revived with the help and infusion of English Foxhounds as well. Today, the breed is still considered as rare, but not on the verge of extinction anymore. 3) French Hound France is a home to many skilled hunting breeds. Most of them share similar appearance characteriscs, such as beautiful tricolor coat, lean but strong body, long floppy ears, well muscled neck, long tail and heavily boned tail. Some of the other, similarly looking French Hounds are, for example, Grand Anglo-Français Tricolore, French Tricolour Hound (Chien Français Tricolore) or Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie. And the similarities are not coincidental, because all these French Hounds with tricolor coat has a Poitevin as one of its ancestors. So the Poitevin really was very important for development of other French hunting dog breeds. 4) Hunting Today, the Poitevin is not normally used for hunting wolves anymore, but they are still hunting large and strong game, such as deer or wild boar. And they are just excellent for this purpose. They are tireless hunters known for their excellent speed, superb scenting abilities and melodious voice. They are natural born hunters with strong prey drive and chasing instincts. They are pack hunters and they are absolutely loyal to the pack and its owners. Overall, they are superb hunting dogs. 5) Greyhound among French hounds In the book La Venerie, Mr. Vicomte de Brissac describes Poitevin as a Greyhound among French Hounds and he says, that this breed is able to chase the quarry more than 7 hours. And indeed, the Poitevin is extremely fast, but also endurant dog breed. It is normal for Poitevin packs to reach speed of 35 mph, which is 55 kmh. Poitevins movement is described in their breed standard as very easy, galloping freely, bounding lightly and passing well through the undergrowth, which is just perfect for hunting deer or wild boar. 6) Exercise As you can probably expect from a dog breed with high endurance, these dogs really need a lot of exercise. If they are used for hunting, than, they will burn off their energy on the hunt, but if they are living the life of a companion pet, than you will have to take them on daily longer walks, jogs, hikes, provide them with regular vigorous playtime and fun training sessions. Without it, they would become bored and possibly develop some unwanted behaviour. This is definitely not the best choice for a city dog that will live in apartment. This is highly energetic breed. 7) Size The Poitevin has an elegant stature, relatively light build and slender body, but it is very strong and hardy dog breed. The average height is between 24-28 inch, which is 60-72 cm and weight between 20-30 kg, which is 45-67 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 8) Coat and color The Poitevin has a practical short, dense and glossy coat. The most common coat color is a tri-color with black saddle, but the Poitevin can also be bicolored. Those dogs are white and orange. Wolf-coloured hair are also quite frequent according to the breed standard. 9) Maintenance Speaking of coat, lets mention the maintenance and grooming as well, and luckily, it is very simple with this breed. They do shed some deal of fur all year long and you should brush their coat regularly to remove all the dead and loose hair and also to redistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other dog breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health This is usually extremely healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 12 or 13 years. This breed does not suffer much from any serious health issues. Ocassionally they can suffer from hip dysplasia or some eye problems. You should also take extra care about their floppy ears and clean them properly, so they dont develop ear infections. But overall this is truly very healthy dog breed. |