Origin
The Appenzeller Schilthund is not officially recognized by any major kennel clubs. We know for sure, that these dogs were actively used for cattle herding in the Swiss Appenzell region since the 19th century. Back in the days, people preffered farm dogs to be black. One of the reason was, that they were more fearsome, so they would deter any intruders and thieves easier during the day and that they will blend with the shadows in the night, which gives them advantage when protecting its farm and territory. This was one of the reasons, why the original Appenzeller Schilthund dogs were bred with other dogs in order to achieve black colored coat, which is how the Appenzeller Sennenhund was developed. So simply put, it can be said that the Schilthund is a color type of the Appenzeller Sennenhund which is not officially recognized. Appearance The predominant color of Appenzeller Schilthund is white and they most often have either black or brown spots. Those dogs with brown spots are called as Havanna Braunen and the featured dog in this video is havanna braunen Schilthund. The coat is quite dense and firm with very dense undercoat. Just like the Sennenhund, even the Schilthund is well known for their four-eyed face. You can clearly see two colored spots above both eyes. They should also have clear markings on the cheeks. This is strongly built dog with average height around 52 cm, which is 20 inches and weight around 26 kg, which is 57 lbs. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males. Other than that, the Appenzeller Schilthund should have triangular head, hanging ears that are set forwards, strong tail that is set high, strong and straight limbs. Overall this is very athletically built dog breed. Temperament The Appenzeller Schilthund is a typical versatile farmdog. They know how to herd the cattle, but also how to protect the farm. They normally do not have high prey drive or hunting instincts. To be a good farm dog, the Schilthund must have guarding instincts, they must be kind of reserved with strangers, but absolutely loyal to its own family, to its own pack. This is still kind of rustic dog, that is quick to learn and have good sense of observation and natural good driving skills. On the other hand, this is also very good family dog. The Schilthund is known as relatively easy to train, sensitive, cuddly, loyal, affectionate and kind of gentle dog, that is good with older kids. The Appenzeller is just and all around dog that will make great worker, but also great friend that will protect its family no matter what. Of course, it is important to say, that this is not a coach potatoe and the Schilthund needs relatively high ammount of exercise every day to stay healthy and happy.
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier Nevile - 8 Weeks to 1 Year - From Puppy to Adult Dog Transformation5/17/2024 1) Ancestry
The Ultimate Mastiff originated from two ancient and extremely strong mastiff dogs. Those are the french Dogue de Bordeaux and italian Neapolitan Mastiff. Both dogs are known for having ancient history, many hundreads years old and both served as protectors, guards or even as war dogs. And you can see some traits of both of these dogs when you look at the Ultimate Mastiff. 2) Utilization As you can probably expect, even the Ultimate Mastiff can make good protector and guard, just like its ancestors. They can be easily trained to guard a property, and even their mere presence is most often enough to deter any intruder. They typically posses protective and kind of alert temperament. But that said, majority of Ultimate Mastiffs are rather living the life of spoiled companion pets, rather than life of working dogs. 3) Temperament And indeed, the Ultimate Mastiff is not only protective and alert, but also totally loyal, affectionate and quite gentle. This makes them very good partners for older kids. They also should not have high prey drive, so they can typically live with other household pets without problem, but of course, this is vastly influenced by early socialization. These dogs are known to be pretty calm and relaxed indoors, they are definitely not hyperactive dogs. 4) Exercise That said, this is not a total coach potatoe neither. The Ultimate Mastiff definitely needs daily proper exercise, both mental and physical. They love vigorous playtime, hiking or even swimming. These dogs are prone to gaining weight, so regular exercise is essential for them to stay in good shape. Without proper daily exercise they will become bored and potentionally develop some unwanted behaviour such as destruction. Few daily longer walks accompanied with some good playtime or fun training sessions are typically enough exercise for a day. 5) Training The Ultimate Mastiff is extremely powerful, kind of strong headed, quite protective and territorial. And if you have dog with these characteristics, you must make sure that you know how to properly socialize and train a dog, otherwise you will have a big problem. The training is lets say moderatly hard, not the easiest and not the hardest. The Ultimate Mastiff understands new commands quickly and they are able to learn all the basic obedience commands easily. Just like with all dogs, you will have the best results with positive training, by rewarding the dog for good behaviour. I would definitely not suggest this dog for novice and unexperienced owners, you should have some experiences with dogs prior before getting the Ultimate Mastiff. 6) Size The Ultimate Mastiff is characterized by wide chest, massive head, wrinkled face and overall very strong body. The average height is between 23-29 inches, which is 58-73 cm and weight between 120-160 lbs, which is 54-72 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat and Color The coat of Ultimate Mastiff is the same as coat of Dogue de Bordeaux and Neapolitan Mastiff. This means that they have short, straight and silky coat. The coat comes in various colors, the most typical are black, gray, brown or black and tan, blue or fawn. 8) Maintenance Speaking of the coat lets mention the grooming and maintenance as well. These dogs shed moderatly and you should brush their coat regularly in order to minimize the shedding. No other grooming is needed. It is important to check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. You should also take extra care about the wrinkles and keep them clean and dry, so they do not develop any infections. 9) Recognition The Ultimate Mastiff is not officially recognized by any major kennel club and most people view them as a crossbreed rather than a pure dogs. It is probably fair, as two Ultimate Mastiffs can have huge variety in size and in appearance, so indeed, it is better to categorize this dog as a cross. 10) Health Both parent breeds of Ultimate Mastiff – the Dogue de Bordeaux and Italian Mastiff are not the healthiest dog breeds and even the Ultimate Mastiff can suffer from variety of health issues, such as hip and elbow dyslpasia, bloating, skin fold dermatitis or some eye problems. They should typically have slightly longer average lifespan than their ancestors, which should be around 10 or 11 years, which is actually quite good for dog of this size. |