English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) is originated from United Kingdom but Cretan Hound is originated from Greece. English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) may grow 33 cm / 12 inches shorter than Cretan Hound. English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) may weigh 26 kg / 57 pounds lesser than Cretan Hound. Both English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) and Cretan Hound has almost same life span. Both English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) and Cretan Hound has same litter size. Both English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) and Cretan Hound requires Moderate maintenance.
They English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) is closely related to the Manchester Terrier and the Old English Black and Tan Terrier. The English Toy Terrier was developed to entertain humans in the rat pit due to its speed and agility. This is a sport that was very popular in English cities during Victorian times. Terriers went into the pits with a large number of rats and the winner would be the dog that killed a certain number of rats the fastest. The watchers would take bets on their favorite dog.
The English Toy Terrier was developed to be smaller than the Manchester Terrier, because smaller dogs were desired for the pit. In 1848 a small 2.5 kg black and tan terrier took less than an hour to kill 300 rats. When the Kennel Club was formed the sport of rat killing was outlawed. Because it was such a good looking dog, the black and tan was soon excelling in the show ring. To begin with there was one breed of Black and Tan Terriers and two weight classes. In 1920, the two were divided into separate breeds – the Manchester Terrier and the Black and Tan Terrier. It wasn’t until 1962 that the name changed to the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan).In 1959, the declining numbers of Manchester Terriers caused the AKC to combine them again into one breed with two kinds: Toy and Standard.
Today the English Toy Terrier is one of the most vulnerable of the native breeds and efforts are in place to increase the gene pool and popularity of the dog. The UKC has also re-registered the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) in the stud book if it is a certified Toy. The breed is not AKC recognized.
Although the Cretan Hound or the Kritikos Lagonikos is recognized in both Greece and Germany, the hunting dog breed is from the island of Crete, Greece. The dog’s history goes back thousands of years. It is an ancient breed and some believe it is one of the oldest hunting breeds in Europe.
The Cretan Hound has been bred as a working dog, combining sight and scent to track down their prey. Today it is still a rare dog breed that you won’t easily find outside of Crete.
Greece kennels recognize this dog as well as some European kennels, but it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.
The English Toy Terrier is a small compact breed that resembles the Miniature Pinscher and the Manchester Terrier. The English Toy Terrier has a narrow but long head with a black nose, wedge muzzle and dark, almond shaped eyes. The ears are flame shaped and the chest is deep and narrow. He has thick legs and a tapered tail. The breed is of course black and tan – with the tan on the face, chest and legs.
Known for its extraordinary scent abilities as well as its speed, this dog has always been used as a hare hunter because of these skills.
It’s a slender dog of medium to large size and stands at about 60-68cm in height and weighs between 20 – 30kg. It is lean, strong, muscular and swift with a body that is inclined to be longer than tall.
He is slightly heavier than other scenthounds and his ribs aren’t seen. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears drop down, are folded back or can be semi-erect. The eyes are dark and the tail is long and curves upwards with longer hair being found on the tail.
The coat is short and smooth, and coat colors of the dog are varied and can be fawn, sandy, grey, white, black or brindle, and it can be tri-colored too.
The Cretan Hound is alert to sight, sound and scent and when it senses prey, the tail moves in a circular way and the dog becomes rigid for a while before he is off on the hunt.
He is a gentle, intelligent dog, reserved around strangers but making an excellent family pet as he gets on well with all his human family members as well as pets in the house. With good training and socialization, the dog becomes more relaxed around strangers.
He isn’t an aggressive dog, and while he is alert to sounds and smells, he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.
The English Toy Terrier is a stubborn, strong willed little dog. It has a fearless disposition and its alertness make it a great candidate for a guard dog despite its size. They will chase small animals due to their innate prey drive. They are affectionate and loyal and need to be with people. They love to be cuddled and petted, but usually choose one person that they become very close to. He is more than a lap dog. He can be playful, or he can be a small working dog.
The Cretan Hound is an energetic, curious dog, but when it comes to being a family pet, he is affectionate and gentle.
He is a reserved dog around strangers. He likes to be busy and will love his walks and games with his human family members. He is smart so is readily trained and he likes to be obedient and to please.
The Cretan Hound will live in harmony with other dogs in the home and they’re also patient and good around disciplined children who have learned to respect animals.
Provide your Cretan Hound with his fair share of love and attention and he will go out of his way to be a loyal and loving family friend.
Like many Toy dogs, the English Toy Terrier is susceptible to:
Dislocated kneecap – many small breeds are susceptible to this.
There has been a congenital line of deafness in the English Toy Terrier since it was developed with a cross from the English White Terrier. Unfortunately, some still breed these deaf dogs and continue to pass on the condition.
More painful than in the human eye, pressure builds up behind the eye ball. Dogs build up more pressure than humans and this can lead to blindness.
The Cretan Hound is a healthy, robust dog breed, but even so, he can suffer from some common health problems that other dogs are also susceptible to. Some of these are hip dysplasia , cancer, ear infections, bloat and cherry eye.
Remember that if you don’t want your dog to have puppies, they can actually benefit health-wise from being spayed or neutered. Doing this for your pet can prevent a number of health issues later on down the line.
Make sure too, that your puppy receives his vaccinations in a timely fashion so as to avoid terrible, life threatening illnesses such as parvo and rabies.
As a high energy small dog feed a high quality dry food that is designed specifically for small dogs. Feed about ¼ of a cup of food split into 2 meals.
In addition to the health issues mentioned above:
This is an inherited blood disease in which a lack of protein has a negative effect of the platelets. This causes them not to form clots and so the dog has a bleeding issue.
Degeneration of the femur ball joint due to a blood deficiency issue. This can lead to arthritis.
Affects the lens by blocking the drainage from the eye creating a glaucoma like pressure.
The English Toy Terrier can develop skin issues so watch him closely.
The English Toy Terrier can be very energetic but that doesn’t actually mean she needs a ton of exercise. Because she is small she does not need as much as you might think. A half hour walk once a day is enough or just letting her run in your fenced yard.
He is an intelligent little dog who needs mental stimulation as much if not more than the solution. Play games like catch, hide and seek, frisbee, and performing tricks.
You’re certainly not going to have to do too much grooming with the Cretan Hound as he is a low maintenance breed.
The dog is a short haired breed and an average shedder, so a good brush twice a week will keep the coat free of loose hairs and maintain the condition of the hair.
As with all dogs, the nails as well as the ears must be checked and attended to. The veterinarian can advise you on how to keep his ears clean and free of infection, as prodding around without knowing can damage his ears.
This Cretan Hound has high activity needs. He is energetic and also hard-working, and you’ll need to be taking him on long walks and providing him with some highly energetic playing sessions. Throw ball for him and take him with you when you go jogging or cycling.