North Country Beagle vs Danish Broholmer - Breed Comparison

Known also as the Northern Hound or the Northern Beagle, the North Country Beagle hailed from Britain and is extinct.

It hailed more specifically from- and was native to the Yorkshire and Northumberland regions of England. As a scenthound it was known for its hunting skills.

There isn’t much known about the dog but it is one of England’s oldest hound breeds, with much of its ancestry been lost. There are many theories surrounding the origins of this dog. Also, the date at which the North Country Beagle was developed is also debatable but it has always been a good hunter.

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 North Country Beagle seemed to vary quite a bit in size and because there isn’t much information on this extinct dog, we can assume he was much the same size of the Beagle we know today which is roughly 33 – 45cm in height and weighing between 9 and 11kg.

Not much is known about the dog’s appearance but it is believed that it looked much like the Southern Hound and English Foxhound. It was likely a medium sized dog with longish ears, thick bones but always agile and athletic.

Temperament:

There is very little known on what this dog’s temperament was like. He was strong willed and if you owned such a dog you would have had to have him trained and socialized. It was a dog that showed very little signs of aggression. It seemed the dog was friendly, social and loving to his human family.

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’.

The North Country Beagle was a social, energetic dog who loved spending time with his human family. They were intelligent too, so training and socialization were possibly easy for him.

They weren't regarded as raucous kind of dogs and were fairly quiet. They were quite social and didn't like being left alone for too long. They were adaptable too, slotting quite easily into country- or city life.

Coolish with strangers, the North Country Beagle made a good pet and companion with a generally happy, contented disposition.

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 North Country Beagle had a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, and while he was a fairly healthy dog breed, there were some common health issues to look out for. Some of these were patellar luxation, epilepsy and glaucoma.

Glaucoma:

This is a condition where there is pressure in the eye and where there is inadequate fluid drainage as well. Left untreated, it can lead to permanent damage to the optic nerve which can lead to blindness.

It is fairly common in certain breeds. There is primary and secondary glaucoma and symptoms for instance with primary glaucoma can be this high pressure within the eye and also a cloudy appearance in front of the eye along with redness of the blood vessels and dilated pupils. There can also be headaches and loss of appetite.

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.

Your North Country Beagle was a social animal and he always had a whole lot of love and friendship to offer his human family.

Today, if you bring such a dog into your home, its your responsibility to care for him and provide him with love.

Diet:

A puppy such as this would have been fed 4 times a day. As he got older he would have had his meals cut down to one or two a day. His owners would have chosen a dog food according to age and activity levels, but always made sure that the food was rich in vitamins and minerals.

Dry kibble has the advantage of keeping your dogs teeth clean. Home-made food was and is always a welcome treat and can occasionally be added to the dry kibble. Keep the food consistent and simple to avoid stomach upsets.

Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potato and spinach would have kept the Beagle happy and healthy and is an excellent diet today for modern dogs. Sometimes you can also give a little bit of raw meat. Never leave any dog without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Exercise:

Your North Country Beagle would have required lots of energy and will have required being exercised. His owners may have taken him for walks every day, and modern Beagles today would require ball games and games that also provide him with the chance to think and work things out.

Veterinary Care:

If you bring a pet home such as what the North Country Beagle was like, as a puppy, you would have had to make a vet appointment to ensure he had his vaccinations to protect him from deadly diseases.

Grooming:

General grooming of your North Country Beagle would have required you brushing him twice a week, checking inside and outside his ears for infection. This is particularly of importance with floppy eared dogs like this. Check his eyes and teeth too. His nails couldn't be neglected either, as left long, they could have hooked onto objects, tearing and causing pain and bleeding.

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.