Lottatore Brindisino vs Karelian Bear Dog - Breed Comparison

The Lottatore Brindisino, whose native name is Cande da Marcellaio, is a large molosser type dog which hails from Brindisi, Italy.

He is a rare dog, courageous and effectively used as a herding dog too – to watch over cattle.

When you see him, all hulky and muscular, you realize that its because this is a breed of dog that has been used for fighting.

The dog was specially created by selectively breeding certain dogs such as the Rottweiler, Pit Bull and Cane Corso. The breed has never been standardized or recognized by any major kennel clubs, and is fairly unknown outside of Italy.

The Karelian Bear Dog is a Finnish Spitz-type dog who is regarded as a national treasure in the country. They have always been noted for their hunting skills, and because the dog has been found in ancient Viking graves you can assume it is an ancient breed.

In fact the ancestry of the dog can be traced to neolithic times, when dogs followed human settlers to regions of Scandinavia and Europe.The American Kennel Club does not fully recognize the Karelian Bear Dog. It is however included in their Foundation Stock Service.

The Lottatore Brindisino is a medium sized Molosser dog, robustly built, muscular and with large shoulders and chest.

He stands at 60-70cm in height and weighs approximately 40 – 55kg. The head is large, the nose mostly back, and traditionally the tail ad ears have been cropped to avoid injuries during dog fights. In more recent years, the ears and tail are left, so that the ears are medium length and floppy and the tail long.

The coat of the dog is short and dense and found in a number of different colors such as fawn, black or brindle.

Temperament:

The Cane Lottatore Brindisino is a strong looking dog and is also referred to as the Brindisi Wrestler Dog. Today it is a popular watchdog in Italy.

Strong-willed and somewhat aggressive, the Brindisi isn’t looked upon as a family companion. He is also a dog that is going to need plenty of exercise, and training and socialization will be a must for this dog who is loyal to his owner and other human family members but doesn’t extend a friendly paw to strangers. This actually makes him a good watchdog.

He is also aggressive towards other dogs and because of this aggressive side of him, he isn’t recommended as a dog to have around small children.

Standing at between 54–60cm in height and weighing roughly 20–23 kg, the medium sized Karelian Bear Dog has a beautiful shiny coat. The outercoat is shortish, straight and dense and the undercoat is soft and thick.

The color of the coat is black with white markings. The dog has a bushy tail which curls in a circle over the back and the tail’s end is white. The ears of the dog are small and erect while the small eyes are intense.

Temperament:

It is best to have your Karelian Bear dog trained and socialized as he can tend to be aggressive towards other pets in the house, and even towards people he isn't familiar with. The owner of these dogs must be firm and fair with training as the Karelian is a strong-willed dog.

He is devoted to his human owners while being somewhat aloof and unfriendly with strangers. They are very territorial.

He is a very social dog and just loves spending time outdoors with his family. He is also good with children in the home as he is a playful dog.He is a dog who is going to require a lot of space to use up his energy. He needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation, as in the past he has always had a lot of work to do, and just loves being active. He is a confident, brave dog who takes his job as family protector seriously.

Like many dogs who have a mix of breeds involved with their development, you can’t be 100% sure of the dogs character.

The Lottatore Brindisino is a mix of Rottweiler, Pit Bull and Cane Corso. He has been used as a fighting dog, and while he can be a loyal, devoted pet to his owner, he does have aggression issues and would not be regarded as a good pet choice for first time dog owners and those with small children.

Then again, a dog’s personality depends a lot on the way he is raised and the type of owners he has and the way he is socialized.

Your energetic Karelian Bear Dog isn’t recommendeded for life in the city in a small garden. He needs a large garden or farm where he can run far and wide.

Exercising him will be an important part if you own one of these dogs. He is a social, friendly, active family pet who happens to make a good watchdog too.

Make sure you have your Karelian Bear Dog trained and socialized and he’ll make you a wonderful friend and pet.

The Lottatore Brindisino is a muscular, heavily set dog, and care must be taken that puppies, of which this breed can have 5 – 8, don’t grow too quickly. Strenuous exercise is never recommended for puppies below the age of 1, so as to avoid pressure on the soft, young bones.

Other health issues to watch for include panosteitis, an inflammatory condition of the bones as well as skin allergies and lymphoma.

Panosteitis:

Painful inflammation occurs in the leg bones and cause lameness which can occur suddenly. It’s a condition that affects young dogs that grow too quickly.

Speak to your vet about how to avoid this with your puppy. Affected dogs are usually between 2 and 18 months of age. A typical symptom of this illness is a sudden painful lameness of any of the legs. It’s time to get your pet to the vet because he will certainly require pain control meds.

The Karelian Bear Dog can reach 10 to 12 years of age with good care, but just like with other dog breeds, he can be prone to certain health problems such as eye and dental problems as well as hip dysplasia.

Many people don’t realize that dental problems are far more serious than what they imagine. An offensive breath can be the first warning sign of tooth decay with your canine friend.

There are other problems that can develop orally for your dog and these include inflammation of the gums, swollen gums and mouth tumors. You need to brush your pet’s teeth but also see to it that he goes for regular dental check-ups at the vet.

Grooming:

With his short coat, the Lottatore Brindisino is looked upon as fairly low maintenance and easy to groom. A good brush-down twice a week will remove loose hairs from this moderate-shedding dog. While you brush him, run your hands over his body to feel for any unusual lumps and to also check him over for fleas and ticks.

Other grooming chores for this Molosser type dog of yours is to check inside his ears for redness. The inside of his ears, particularly with floppy-eared dogs, don’t always get enough air to them, and they become damp. With wax and dirt, inside the ears is a breeding place for bacteria.

The inside of the ears need to be kept clean and dry. His teeth will also need to be cleaned 2 or 3 times a week and his nails clipped.

If you don’t have the time to keep up with your pet’s grooming needs, there are professional dog groomers who will do all of this very important grooming for you.

Diet:

The Lottatore Brindisino is a strong, muscular dog who will require a high protein diet to remain healthy. If you feed him a commercially manufactured dog food, make sure its a quality one, packed full of vitamins and minerals as opposed to preservatives, colorants and fillers found in the low quality brands.

These dog foods also don’t satisfy your pet and he wants to eat more and can then battle with obesity. This is not good news as obesity puts a dog at risk of developing hip dysplasia.

Follow the feeding instructions on the food packaging. If you’re in any doubt about what to feed your Lottatore Brindisino, speak to a dog expert or your vet. If you are feeding your dog a homemade diet, that is excellent news for your pet. Food such as cooked chicken, brown rice or pasta and raw and cooked vegetables mixed into his dry kibble will be excellent for him. Also add in some raw meat to his kibble from time to time.

Such a diet, simple, tasty and nutritious, is complete and balanced. Make sure that he always has a bowl of fresh, cool water at his disposal. Wash out the bowl and keep things clean for your pet.

General Care:

Provide your pet with a nice, comfortable, warm, dry bed.

When outdoors, make sure your pet has access to a shady spot out of the sun.

Make sure he has shelter away from rain.

Make sure you exercise your pet and that you interact with him. Dogs are social creatures.

There are many people who just keep a dog for watchdog purposes and fail to make the pet a proper family member by meeting its physical and emotional needs.

Caring for a dog means providing nutritious food and clean drinking water, seeing that he has a warm, dry place to sleep, providing the dog with exercise and ensuring the dog is healthy and content.

Caring for a dog is a big responsibility, and you have to think carefully before you bring a dog into your home and life.

You need to be careful with the food you select for your pet. If you’re feeding him a commercially manufactured food, you need to make sure to read the label and make sure the top ingredients are meat and not meat by-products. If this is something you’ve never thought about, ask your veterinarian for food recommendations.

Speaking of veterinarians, make sure you have a reliable, reputable vet you can call on. At some time or other your pet may get sick and then you want to have the name of a reliable vet in your contacts list on your cell phone. Sometimes your pet can become suddenly sick where he will need immediate, emergency help from the vet.

Just like you look after yourself, you need to look after your pet by brushing him, checking him for fleas, ticks and worms and keeping an eye on his eyes, ears, teeth and general health.