MyDogBreeds
American Staghound is originated from United States but English Pointer is originated from United Kingdom. American Staghound may grow 7 cm / 3 inches higher than English Pointer. American Staghound may weigh 7 kg / 16 pounds more than English Pointer. Both American Staghound and English Pointer has same life span. American Staghound may have less litter size than English Pointer. Both American Staghound and English Pointer requires Low maintenance.
The American Staghound is hunting dog and type of sighthound that is not recognized as a separate breed. They have historically been bred to hunt coyotes and then other game. Even though they are not considered a separate breed some of their breeding lines have existed much longer than some officially recognized breeds. The American Staghound is a cross between the Greyhound and the Scottish Deerhound. There was probably some Borzoi mixed in as well. The Staghound is believed to have traveled with General Custer across the American West.
The breed is a long-legged running dog with the speed of a Greyhound, the sighting ability of sight hounds and more endurance than any running breed. They are incredible athletes with amazing agility and have been bred to course game – coyotes mostly – and therefore are bred with a very intense prey drive. In the past they chased stags and deer and today they chase coyotes and hare. Coyotes are much faster than wolves and fight just as hard. The American Staghound is the only breed fast enough to track down the coyote. However, the breed is not recognized by the AKC.
Hunting with an American Staghound today is not very different from hunting with them in medieval times. Strict breeding practices and the non-commercialization of the breed has led to the almost perfect preservation of this hunting breed. They have not changed very much over the centuries. They have been breeding Staghound to Staghound since the early 1800’s. At times very, good hunting dogs from Greyhound and Deerhound stock are added to the mix. For hundreds of years now the closed breeding has led to what might be the finest coyote chasing sighthound possible.
We can find records for pointers from 17th century. Breeds such as Old Spanish and Portuguese Pointer were set in to England from European Mainland. In 1800s they were brought to America and then they slowly developed their hunting skills and in 1910 they became an excellent bird hunter. In 1936 Modern American Kennel was established and they bred pointers in large quantities. They are very popular in southern United States and are called as "bird dog". Pointers are good in hunting birds like pheasant and grouse. They got their name because of their special skills in hunting.
When you look at the American Staghound you can clearly see the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound lines. They have strong running muscles in their long legs and deep chest. He is of course a sight hound, so his vision is acute.
His running endurance is second to none. It is this endurance in running all day that makes the American Staghound difference from the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound. Yes, both the Deerhound are greyhound are great runners, but the American Staghound runs just as fast with an endurance level ten times that of the other hounds. His heavy bones structure and thick skin are also different from the other racing fast sight hounds.
Pointer has a long head and its body is perfectly suitable for hunting. In hunting the pointers shows hunter the direction of the bird and also they will go and get them after they were shot. They are well known for their speed, energy and continuous working. Pointers are also a good companion dog and love the family members so much. It is very easy to groom them as they have short coat. They are very alert and excellent watch dog.
If pointer is not set in huntng then they should be given lots of exercise daily. Pointers love to play and run with children. They will give a good company for cyclists. Pointers show their talents in dog shows especially in obedience and field trials. They will not worry about the crowd surrounding them and performs well. In performing at public, pointer will show perfect attention to its master. Pointer must be trained slowly from its puppyhood to get good results.
This dog was bred to run fast and long after something it sees. They are not considered hyperactive but won’t live well in a confined space such as an apartment or condo. You will need a single-family house with a large yard. Though they are affectionate, family dogs, they are not cut out to be guard dogs. They are not especially protective or territorial, though they may bark at what they can see in the distance.
They are calm in their homes if exercised enough and great with children. They are often gentle and loving. They are pack oriented and accept other dogs, but they are not welcoming toward cats or other prey sized animals. Be careful with the AS around small children as he might knock them down or see them as prey as well. They consider anything smaller that runs to be prey.
When chasing prey, they are not only fast and enduring, they are tenacious and courageous. Remember that this is a breed that has been bred true in order to hunt and only in order to hunt. Their hunting instincts will override almost any other. Over the centuries only the best hunters were allowed to be bred so that only the best hunters would be born.
Pointer is a wonderful kid friendly dog and a nice companion. Also he is very energetic,fun-loving and an excellent watchdog. Pointers are very courageous as well as obedient. They can work for a very long time. Early socialization will make them with a good behaviour.
They will be happy if they are given a fenced yard to play and spend their natural energy. They will not have a good behaviour in apartment living. Pointers always likes to be with some one in his family. They are suitable for areas having hot weather and they will not do better in cold weather.
Pointers have very high intelligence and thus they are very easy to train. Good behaviours must be taught to them and the main word they must learn is "NO". They should stop what they are doing when they hear the word "NO" from you. "Sit" is another important word they should learn. Training should be given friendly and not compelling them to do it. Giving reward to them will make them happy and give more interest in training.
The American Staghound has been bred so consistently within the breed and true that they exhibit very few health problems. All running dogs are susceptible to joint issues, but the Staghound has less than most. Two issues they do face more often are a problem with anesthesia if they ever need it and the propensity to be vulnerable to bloat. Since they are a centuries old hybrid there are no real health issues born of genetics.
Pointers face health problems such as gastric torsion, hypothyroidism and canine hip dysplasia. Overweight will also lead to many health problems in them. Other problems seen in them are cardiomyopathy, ectropion and progressive retinal atrophy.
They have the chances to get several skin disorders which leads to hairfall. Follicular Dysplasia is a hereditary disorder which causes hairfall. Special shampoos or lotion to combat the dry skin should be used to overcome this problem.
It is important that you don’t ever over feed you American Staghound as they are thin and bred to run. Even though they are heavier boned than their closest relatives, they are still very susceptible to obesity if overfed. The adult AS should be fed about 4-6 cups of dry food every day in at least 2 meals but 3 of more would be better. This will prevent bloat.
As previously mentioned there are no genetic issues with the health of the American Staghound. Bred for one reason and one reason alone for many centuries has led to this healthy state. Also, as stated previously they can have issues with bloat and anesthesia. The issue with anesthesia comes from the fact that the American Staghound has very little body fat to muscle ration. The issue with bloat or torsion can be avoided with many smaller meals and not running your Staghound right after they eat a large meal.
Of course, the American Staghound loves to run and if you are not going to hunt with her, you will have to find another source of vigorous physical activity. Every day from puppyhood on the AS must be stimulated mentally and physically in order to grow and mature correctly. He must have a home where the freedom to run is an everyday experience, not a dog park once a week. If you ride bikes, race walk or run on a daily basis this might be the dog for you. They obviously excel at games like lure coursing and can be good at agility.
Normally puppies require more food when compared with adult to meet their growth needs. The food given to the pointer puppy must contain vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. Also the food given to his mother should be continued to the puppy as to avoid digestive problems for the puppy. If it is needed to change the food then it should be done in a step by step process.
Pointer can be fed one or two times a day. Usally small meal is given in morning and full meal will be given in the evening. But in case if they will be left alone for the whole day then morning food shall be a full meal. They can be fed meat of goat, pork, fish and woodcock. Brown rice is a good food for pointer.
Pointers will be happy if they are always with their family. They enjoy when they are taken outside for playing or camping. Puppies don't need much exercise as adults need. Adults should not be fed too much as it will lead to overweight.
When pointer is given proper exercises and training they will be a very good mannered dog. They are very active and intelligent dogs and hence require exercise and training regularly. The breed was developed to be a hunting dog and can work continuously in a day. Pointers should be exercised a minimum of an hour per day. They will be happy to run along with your bicycle and playing frisbee with you.