Japanese Terrier vs Danish Broholmer - Breed Comparison

The Japanese Terrier is native to Japan and is a rare pure bred dog. It is believed that the dog comes from Smooth Fox Terriers who arrived way back in the 17th century.

Certainly he looks very much like a regular Fox Terrier. It is thought that these smooth Fox Terriers were then interbred with local, Japanese dogs and used to hunt rats. Gradually he became a lap dog and companion.

Planned breeding of the dog began in 1920, and it was in 1930 that the dog was admitted to the Japanese Kennel Club with a breeding program being started.

Today you will find the Japanese Terrier in his home country and small numbers elsewhere. He was admitted to the United Kennel Club in 2006.

The Danish Broholmer is also known as the Danish Mastiff. This is a large dog which comes from Denmark.

Known as a molosser breed, the dog used to fulfill a guard dog role in the home of wealthy Danish people. There are those who take one look at the dog’s size and build, and regard him as aggressive, when in fact he is a calm, good-tempered dog.

The origin of this large dog breed goes way back to the Middle Ages, although details of the dog’s origins are unknown. The Broholmer comes from mixing the English Mastiff and various local German breeds, being named after the Sehested of Broholm.

The dog all but became extinct during the Second World War. It was in 1974 that the Danish Kennel Club started looking to revive the breed. The breed was revived and the dog was imported to the United Kingdom in 2009. The Danish Broholmer has been recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2006.

The Japanese Terrier is a small sized dog who stands at 20 – 33cm at the shoulders and weighs in at about 2 to 5kg.

He is a short, smooth haired dog with a tight skin and in colors of white and black. Sometimes you may find a little bit of tan color on the face too as well as 'freckles' around the neck area and legs. The black shading of the coat is essentially found around the head of the dog and also his ears.

His ears are set high on the head and are semi-erect, semi-floppy. The tail has always been traditionally docked, giving the dog a nice compact look but these days it is unfortunately often left long and then its a medium length tail which is thinly covered in short hair. The nose is black and the eye are brown, bright and alert.

Temperament:

Gentle, cheerful, intelligent, loving and loyal are some of the characteristics of the Japanese Terrier. People who have kept him as a pet will vouch for him being a wonderful companion.

He is an active dog, but he still loves to be petted and won’t do well if left alone and not part of his human family. Being a clever dog, he is easy to train, learning easily and quickly. He is quite amusing at times and you can even teach him some tricks.

He gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children. He is alert and will make a good watchdog, alerting you to an intruder.

Because of the Japanese Terrier’s small size and sensitive nature, this breed needs a calm owner and a quiet household. It is not recommended for boisterous households.

The Danish Broholmer is a large dog that looks familiar to the Mastiff. The dog stands roughly between 66 and 75cm and weighs between 40 and 60kg.

The body is strong and muscular and he has the large head of the molosser. The coat of the dog is short and harsh, with the color being fawn, light brown, yellowish or black. He is quite a heavy shedder and will require brushing twice a week.

The dog usually has a black mask.The muzzle is also large, the nose black. His ears are medium-sized, set high and floppy, the chest deep. The tail is long and carried downwards.

Temperament:

The Danish Broholmer is an awesome family pet who seems to go out of his way to please his human family. He is an intelligent dog and obedient by nature. Because he is so devoted to his human family, he wants to protect them too.

He is a non-aggressive dog and the best part about owning such a dog is that he is a gentle pet for the family but he still looks threatening to intruders.

The Danish Broholmer gets on well with children and pets in the home. However such a big dog needs to be trained and socialized and he could jump up against smaller people and unintentionally send them flying. Training will see to it that he responds well do simple commands such as ‘down’, ‘sit’, lie-down’ and ‘come’.

As a pet of yours, the Japanese Terrier is an animated, contented little dog. He loves playing games and gets on well with children who aren't rough and disrespectful of him.

He is smart and gentle and loves nothing more than to sit on your lap in the evenings and be your reading- or watching-TV companion. Give him the right amount of attention as any other family member receives and he is guaranteed to make you an excellent, low maintenance pet.

Once people have owned a Danish Broholmer, they have got nothing but good comments about them. You hear words such as courageous, sweet, good-natured, playful and intelligent. Also if he believes his family is in danger he will want to protect them.

He is a great friend for child and adult and a fairly low maintenance breed too. He is an adaptable dog, but his size isn’t suited to small, cramped spaces. He will need to be exercised but this should be a pleasure as every human being can use some additional exercise themselves if they want to remain healthy.

Look after your wonderful amicable Danish Broholmer and he’ll shower you with his doggy love and devotion.

The Japanese Terrier has no particular health issues and has a lifespan of 12 – 15 years if looked after well.

There are always one or two illnesses to watch out for such as eye- and ear infections. Some dogs also develop conditions such as Patella Luxation. This happens when your dog's kneecap is dislocated. It can only be returned to its normal position when certain muscles in the back legs are relaxed and lengthened.

With this condition, your dog holds up one of his hind legs. This condition is more prevalent in small dog breeds.

The Danish Broholmer is a large dog who can consume quite a lot of food. With large dogs like these, there is often strain on the dog’s joints.

Also dogs with deep chests are also prone to gastric dilatation volvulus or bloat. In fact, large dogs can also suffer with obesity apart from joint problems. It is why they often live shorter lives than smaller dog breeds. Some points to consider with your large breed pet -

Nutrition is most important for puppies and your adult dog. Don’t overfeed your large breed puppy as he can grow too quickly so that his joints are at risk of injury.

Too much weight gain as well as too much exercise can increase the risk of your dog developing hip dysplasia. This is a hereditary disorder, causing problems with the hips. The disease can lead to terrible pain and sometime lameness. Always remember to keep the weight of your dog in a healthy range to prevent pressure on the joints.

The Japanese Terrier is an active dog and will require exercise every day. He’ll love to join you on your walks or have ball games in your garden. He can adapt to life in the city or in the country but will always need to have good exercise.

Grooming:

The Japanese Terrier is a medium shedder and you want to be sure then to brush him twice a week to get rid of all those loose hairs.

Diet:

The Japanese Terriers will require the best commercially manufactured dog food, and instead of one large meal a day, rather feed him 2 smaller meals. You can mix some tasty home-made food into his dry kibble from time to time. Excellent home-made food would be something like cooked chicken, brown rice or pasta and some vegetables.

If you can, try to also include some raw meat occasionally. If you’re in any doubt as to how to feed your Japanese Terrier so that he remains healthy, speak to your veterinarian.

Your dog should never ever be without a continuous supply of fresh, cool drinking water.

Exercise:

For his size, you’d be inclined to think that the Danish Broholmer will require a lot of exercise, but in fact he is much like any other other. He will love to join you on your daily walks and will readily run to fetch a ball.

Diet:

Your Danish Broholmer will require quality food manufactured exclusively for large dog breeds.

There are excellent manufactured dog foods out there and you can take the kibble and mix in some home-made foods from time to time such as cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken. He will also require some raw meat added into the diet occasionally.

Never leave him without a constant supply of cool, fresh water.