MyDogBreeds
Mioritic Sheepdog is originated from Romania but Hellenic Hound is originated from Greece. Mioritic Sheepdog may grow 20 cm / 8 inches higher than Hellenic Hound. Mioritic Sheepdog may weigh 40 kg / 89 pounds more than Hellenic Hound. Both Mioritic Sheepdog and Hellenic Hound has almost same life span. Both Mioritic Sheepdog and Hellenic Hound has almost same litter size. Mioritic Sheepdog requires Moderate maintenance. But Hellenic Hound requires Low maintenance
This is a large dog coming from the Carpathian mountain area of Romania.
He has always been an excellent working dog, guarding and protecting sheep. Farmers always kept these dogs as working dogs, with no written records being kept about the development of the breed.
The breed is ancient, possibly dating back to ancient Roman times. It was in the 20th century that interest in the breed was ignited, and in 1981 the first official breed standard was recorded. The breed was also registered with the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 2005.
Developed in Southern Greece, the Hellenic Hound was bred to hunt hare and is an ancient breed. It is a medium sized breed with strong scent and tracking skills. It is believed to have been in existence for thousands of years. The ancestry of the breed included the Lagonikoi or laconikoi, native to southern Greece in ancient times. The breed was spread by sailors on Greece trading ships and colonization.
Todays Hellenic Hound is found throughout Europe. Kept somewhat isolated by the mountains, the breed was protected from outside breeding and they remained pure for centuries. It is a fearless, smart and hyped up purebred. The Hellenic Hound needs to have a job and if you don’t give him one, he will find one. He is smart and independent which sometimes makes him stubborn. It also takes this dog longer to mature than others, sometime between two and three years. It is not good for first time owners. Today’s hound is still a popular hunting dog and companion animal as well. They are rarely seen outside of the Greek country.
In 1996 the Hellenic Hound was recognized as the first Greek dog breed into the FCI. They are not recognized by the AKC. Its numbers continue to decline.
The Mioritic Sheepdog looks very much like the Old English Sheepdog with his huge body covered with long hair.
His head is also large with a black nose and smallish to medium length floppy ears. The color of the double coat is usually white, cream or pale gray, and sometimes you will find patches of these colors.
The tail has always been traditionally docked, otherwise the tail is left long with a slight curl at the end. The height of the dog is 65 to 75cm and he weighs roughly 50–60kg. Below the thick coat is a muscular dog with strong, straight legs which can help him become quite agile and speedy when needed. Allowed to breed, they can produce anything from 3 to 9 of the most adorable looking puppies.
The Mioritic Sheepdog is a balanced dog, loving to be with his owners but being wary of strangers. He is a brave dog, willing to guard his human family with his life.
He is also a strong-willed and dominant so it will be to his benefit to be trained and socialized so that he becomes obedient and easy to have around.Training won’t be difficult as he is an intelligent breed and already naturally obedient.
He is an energetic dog too so he will need to have regular exercise and games. He therefore gets on well with children in the home, loving to join in with all their games. He will need to be supervised around small children just because of his cumbersome, large size.
Today’s Hellenic Hound is not a big dog but rather very average or medium. It is an athletic dog and looks like it. It has a balanced body with a deep chest and thick neck. It has medium height legs that are strong and muscular with paws that are prepared for the terrain it always works on. Its coat is short and tight. The colors of the Hellenic Hound are black with tan or white on the chest. Their heads are noble and rounded with a rectangle shaped muzzle. They have v shaped, long ears and round eyes. Their toe nails are black and so is their nose. It has excellent scent glands, very quick responses, speed and stamina. Their tail is thick and tapers off.
The Mioritic Shepherd has always been used to guard and protect livestock, but even though he has always taken this role seriously, he is calm and loving around his human family, making a splendid family pet.
He also plays the role of guardian and protector of his human family seriously. He is a big strong dog and training and socialization will become necessary as he can become aggressive with certain people who he doesn’t trust.
Inviting one of these dogs into your home will ensure having a constant and loving companion at your side.
yes, they are very fond of children as long as they are carefully socialized.
Great hunter, stamina ,scent, voice
He needs to have a yard or land. He doesn’t do well in apartments.
The breed is very intelligent and can be very trainable. However, they can also be stubborn and that makes training harder.
The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog is a truly hardy dog breed and with good care such as good food and exercise can reach 14 years of age.
There are always some common dog illnesses to look out for and because he is a large dog, hip dysplasia can be a problem.
This is a disease where there is abnormal growth of the hip joints. Smooth movement of the joint is hindered and this leads to inflammation and pain.
At first you may find your dog limping and then you may find that after lying down, he battles to get up again. The joint becomes thickened with less mobility and the dog is reluctant to play like he used to. He will certainly need to get to the vet for treatments to make him more comfortable.
The Hellenic Hound is a fairly healthy breed having been isolated on the Island of Greece for the most part. They are susceptible to:
Could be hips, elbows or knees. If untreated can lead to lameness or inability to walk.
Causes joint pain and can cause lameness or inability to walk.
Can be fatal if not treated immediately. To avoid it don’t feed a large meal before or after exercise.
Can be a variety of things that occur during the hunt.
Need to keep the ears clean and dry in order to avoid infections.
The Mioritic Sheepdog’s long hair is coarse and will need to be regularly brushed to keep it free of tangles. It will certainly need to be brushed 2 or 3 times a week, while some owners of this dog will prefer to have the coat professionally clipped. Because of the long hair, while brushing him it is an excellent time to check for ticks and fleas.
The food you give your pet plays such a critical role in his health and longevity. Always make sure that you’re giving your pet an uncomplicated diet to avoid stomach upsets.
Give him the best commercially manufactured kibble. To provide him with some variety, add in some boiled chicken, cooked vegetables such as potato, carrots and spinach to his kibble from time to time. He will also benefit greatly from having some raw meat added into the kibble occasionally.
Learn to know which human foods are totally toxic to him and avoid these. Make sure he is never without cool, fresh water.
Feed the puppy 2-3 times a day a total of 2 cups
Feed the adult twice a day a total of 2-3 cups
The Hellenic Hound has excellent stamina, speed and scenting ability.
This is a very active, athletic dog that needs to work and needs exercise. He is powerful, quick and has great endurance. It thrives on hunting but will need other activities on the days it doesn’t hunt. It needs a yard or land to play in. Agility, Field Trials, tracking, hunting and fly ball are all activities the Hellenic Hound will enjoy.