MyDogBreeds
Greek Sheepdog is originated from Greece but Beagle is originated from United Kingdom. Greek Sheepdog may grow 34 cm / 14 inches higher than Beagle. Greek Sheepdog may weigh 39 kg / 86 pounds more than Beagle. Greek Sheepdog may live 4 years less than Beagle. Greek Sheepdog may have less litter size than Beagle. Greek Sheepdog requires Moderate maintenance. But Beagle requires Low maintenance
Known as the Olympus Dog or even simply as the Greek Shepherd, the Greek Sheepdog is a large to giant molosser dog from Greece. His purpose has always been to guard flocks and livestock from predators and he has been around for hundreds of years, looking much like the Great Pyrenees.
It is believed that the dog was likely bred with a number of breeds – both local and non-local dogs.
Unfortunately there were no records kept of the development of the breed but today the Greek Sheepdog remains a rare and fairly unknown breed outside of Greece.
It's numbers are dwindling in Greece too and since 1998 the Greek ARCTUROS has made attempts to save the breed, starting the Greek Shepherd Dog Breeding Program.
There are some accounts of similar size dogs used for hunting in Greece in 5th century BCE. During 8th century the Talbot Hound breed was created. In 11th century Talbot Hound was brought to England by William the Conqueror. While using in hunting they are found to be a slow runner. To overcome the situation and increase their running speed the hunting people bred Talbot Hound with Grey hounds. The beagles described earlier were very small in size and are said as pocket beagles.
The Greek Sheepdog is a large dog, standing at 65 – 75cm and weighing roughly between 32 to 50kg. He is a dog that displays physical strength. He has a large head with brown eyes and a serious expression on his face. He has a thick double coat which is essentially white with red, black or brown markings.
You will also see tri-color dogs. He has floppy ears today but there was a time when the right ear of the male dog was cut off or cropped. The tail is long and bushy and it can be held low but also held up so that it curls over the back.
Maybe because of his size and him being a strong-willed, independent thinker, the Greek Shepherd may not be the best choice for a first time dog owner. Having said that, if you're a strong, firm, patient, kind person, then you'll be able to raise any kind of dog, first time or not.
The Greek Shepherd is a brave, loyal, calm, protective dog and with socialization and training, can make an awesome pet. They are dogs who are a bit suspicious with strangers, not making friends too easily. He loves his human family and wants to be part of their activities. He can't be left on his own day after day as this can lead to excessive barking and destructive behavior.
They've been dogs used to working with livestock and they will certainly need to be taken on daily walks and involved in rough and tumble games as they thrive on activity. The dog won't fit easily into city life where there is just a handkerchief-sized garden as he needs space and activity.
They are small and compact breed, and always happy and fun loving. They should be trained by patient and creative training techniques. Beagles are very much interested in using their nose in finding interesting scents and are food focussed. They always wake their neighbours at 6 am by their half howling. They think everyone is their best friend and love to have friendship with other animals and humans. They have about 220 million scent receptors and are said as "a nose with feet" by humorist Dave Barry.
We can see beagles at many airports in their duty. They can easily trace out the illegal things being smuggled. Since they are small in size they are suitable for apartment living. But they like to walk around several times. They should be exercised for plenty of time. Obedience training should be given to them by giving food reward. Beagles are wanderers of nature and so if possible they will try to escape. So it is necessary to make them microchipped or to wear a collar, to find them easily.
Your Greek Shepherd is an intelligent, independent dog who likes to show his loyalty and devotion to his owner.
He is a protective dog too and when trained and socialized makes an excellent family pet. These Molosser type dogs are formidable dogs known for their bravery and courage.
They're the type of dogs who like a strong leader-type of owner and when he gets someone who he can look up to as his leader, he becomes a loyal, devoted pet.
They are very good companion for children. They love to play and spend time with children.
They have millions of scent receptors and so they can be seen in Airports and many important places in duty. Also they are interested in hunting small rodents.
They adapt well for apartment living but they don't like being alone for a long time. If kept alone for a long time in back yard they will begin to bark and dig pit or try to escape. Beagle likes hot weather more than cold weather.
Beagles are difficult to train up. Many people say it will take about one year to house train beagles. They have an attitude of "what's in it for me". But it depends on the personality and temperament of the individual.
With good care and lots of love, this dog can live to be between 10 to 12 years of age. He is unlikely to get sick very often, but still it it wise to know of some of the health issues than can occur with large breed dogs like this.
This is a disease of the heart muscle. The heart is enlarged and unable to have the right heart rhythm. The distended muscle isn't able to push the blood through the heart chambers to where it is needed. Cause for this dilated heart can be genetic, nutritional, infectious or metabolic.
Because taurine and carnitine are involved in good heart function, and low levels of these amino acids can cause symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy, supplementation is useful, especially if you feel your dog isn't getting in the right kind of food.
Borreliosis, a bacterial infection, causes Lyme disease, transmitted by the Ixodes tick. The tick bites the dog and the toxins gets into the dog's bloodstream, with the bacteria travelling to different parts of the body.
Typical symptoms in a dog includes loss of appetite, fever, no energy, swelling of joints and lameness, but symptoms can progress to kidney failure too or cardiac problems. Treatment will include antibiotics.
Beagle's ears should be checked occasionally for any sign of infections like discoloured wax, dirt or foul odour. Also their nails should be trimmed regularly. They should be exercised regularly in order to maintain a proper weight. The most common health problems in beagles are obesity, epilepsy and allergies.
They are average shedders and having short hair thus it is easy to groom. They should be made to bath with a mild and non irritant shampoo.
The coat of the Greek Shepherd is fairly long so it will need to be brushed at least twice a week to keep it free from matting and tangling. He is an average shedder and the brushing will remove all loose hairs, keeping the coat sleek and shiny.
Feeding your Greek Sheepdog requires giving him top quality food as this will ensure he is healthy and can ward off common dog illnesses. If you're going to be feeding him kibble, make sure to go for the top quality brands, and as a treat for your pet you can add in some brown rice, pasta, brown bread, cooked chicken and vegetables.
Dogs are essentially carnivores and he will need to have some raw meat such as beef added into his kibble from time to time. He should never ever be without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.
After 4 weeks of birth the puppy can be given solid foods by slowly increasing the ratio for many weeks. The recommended food is fresh meat of chicken breast, lamb, turkey and lean hamburger. The vegetables can be given as raw or steamed. The vegetables that will be good for them are raw baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet peas. The puppies should be fed 3 to 4 small meals per day as they require more nutrients for their growth.
The grown up dog should be fed with the same food and 1 complete meal is enough for them. The meal should be given at noon. The food should be given based on calories as they should not get overweight. In addition to food, fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, banana and mango can also be given to them periodically.
Beagles should be exercised daily in order to maintain proper weight. Beagles are average shedders and having short hair which is easy to groom. They should be made to bath periodically with a mild shampoo.
Moderate exercise such as walking and cardio exercise such as chasing a ball should be given to them for staying them to be active and for maintaining good health.