Magyar Agar vs Cirneco dell'Etna - Breed Comparison

The tall, slender Magyar Agar is a sighthound dog breed hailing from Hungary and which has been used for hunting and coursing, some dogs of which are still used for this purpose today.

Those who know the dog breed well will tell you that the dog isn’t the 'Hungarian greyhound', being a distinct breed with its own characteristics and breed designation.

They certainly go back centuries, and in fact, records tell us that they arrived in northeastern Hungary more than a thousand years ago.

The Cirneco dell’Etna comes from the island of Sicily and not mainland Italy, although it is considered an Italian dog. It is a small dog that hunted rabbits and its calling card was its ability to go for hours without water or food. They have terrific endurance and a good sense of smell. They were developed for the harsh terrain they worked around places like Mount Etna. Of all the Mediterranean island hunting dogs, the Cirneco de’Etna is the smallest.

This is a very ancient breed, surviving on its hunting skills alone for thousands of years on Sicily. They then became guard dogs for the peasants. Because they had such speed, sense of smell, alertness and sight, they were great hunters.

Today’s Cirneco de’Etna is highly competitive in confirmation and make terrific pets. They are exceedingly friendly, energetic and low maintenance. Lure coursing is what they really excel at. They are good at agility and pursuit games as well.

Described as a large dog resembling a Greyhound and being more longer in body than being tall they are more heavily boned than the fine-boned Greyhound.

The Magyar is a large dog standing at between 62 – 70cm in height and weighing between 22 and 31kg. If you want your Magyar to have puppies, these dogs can produce between 6 to 10. The dogs have a smooth dense coat and the coat can be any color, but not black and tan or tri-color.

The ears of the dog are short to medium and are semi-erect, semi-floppy and most times held back. The tail of the dog is long.

Temperament:

These are hardy dogs, and even with their short coats they are able to cope with lower temperatures. They are quiet and docile and are loving towards their human family. They also have a strong instinct to guard their owners.

They are amicable dogs, getting on well with children and pets in the home.As with most dogs, he can benefit from training and socialization. He is an adaptable dog too and will settle into life in the city or the countryside, but wherever he lives, he will need to be exercised well.

They love cozying up to their owners on the couch and thoroughly relaxing, but they also love being out and about too. A walk in the countryside or the park is a a chance to be let off the leash for some running.

The Cirneco de’Etna is a sleek, muscular sighthound. His ears are close together and high on his head. The head is lean, and the skull is almost flat in profile. The muzzle is about the same length as the skull and the nose is large and its coloring matches the dog’s coat. They have hard pads the same color as their nails, but they are never black.

The Magyar Agar may well have been developed for hunting, but today he makes a splendid pet.

He is intelligent and quiet, as well as being loyal. While he loves being outside playing or going on walks, he is quite happy to curl up on the couch with you – the nearness to you is what he loves.

Beautiful and loving, this dog symbolizes the best qualities that man wants in a canine friend.

The Cirneco de’Enta is an independent and intelligent breed. They are good-natured and love to be with their people. They are more trainable than the usual sighthound. They are loyal and fun loving but they need a job.

The Magyar Agár is looked upon as a healthy dog breed, and with good care can live to be 12 to 14 years of age. With this dog you want to be on the lookout for some of the common dog illnesses he could succumb to -

Thyroid Disease:

This is a fairly common problem in dogs. The thyroid gland produces the hormone thyroxine with other thyroid hormones. Playing a role in the dog’s metabolism, when the thyroid is out of sync it can cause problems for your dog.

Hypothyroidism happens when your dog doesn’t secrete enough of the thyroid hormones, slowing the dog’s metabolism. Some of the symptoms include obesity, lethargy, coat thinning and cold intolerance.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy:

This is an inherited disease of the retina, occurring in both eyes together. Thankfully it isn't painful for the dog. There are different types of inherited retinal degenerative diseases in dogs and the first signs of this are seeing your dog with night-blindness and the pupils being dilated. There is no cure, but specific antioxidant supplementation does help support the retinal health of the dog and can actually help to prevent vision loss.

Skin Allergies:

Itching outbreaks from a skin allergy can make your pet miserable with constant licking and biting. Whether these allergies are inhaled, food related or from flea bites, they can cause your pet great discomfort. The fur or coat may even have started to fall out in patches. Allergies like this can occur when the dog's immune system is weakened. Feeding your dog some raw meat, getting him to the vet and providing excellent grooming can help with your pet’s skin problems.

Like many dogs that come from ancient breeds with little cross breeding over the years, there are not a lot of inherited issues for the Cirneco de’Etna. Also, there are so few dogs remaining that little is known about their health in general and there are no studies to go on. Some breeders will do test despite the fact that none are recommended.

Their most common health issues are acquired such as injuries from running or competitions and obesity. Both can be controlled by the owner.

Make sure you take wonderful care of your Magyar Agar. It is a social, living creature who needs to be loved and cherished.

Provide him with the best food there is. If you invest in dry kibble, try and add in cooked chicken, brown rice and raw or cooked vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat. Keep the diet simple to avoid digestive upsets.

• Provide him with a warm, dry place to sleep.
• Never leave him outside without a shady spot to lie down in.
• He needs constant access to cool, fresh water.
• Check his eyes and inside his ears regularly for infections.
• Brush his short coat at least twice a week and check for fleas and ticks.
• Make sure to give him regular exercise like walks and ball games.

Feeding

The Cirneco needs a good quality food since they are such high energy dogs. Be careful not to overfeed them so that they become obese.

Health issues

As previously mentioned, the main concern for owners is injuries acquired while on a running course or in the activities of daily living. They have been known to hurt their feet. They need their ears checked regularly for any signs of infection or irritation. Clean out any excess water or dirt.

Exercise and games

This is an intelligent, hardy breed that needs mental and physical stimulation. They need a job, or they can be a major problem. They love hunting of course but also excel at agility, lure crossing, and competition. He is loyal and loves being with people. Take him for long walks but don’t let him off the leash.