MyDogBreeds
Norwich Terrier is originated from United Kingdom but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Norwich Terrier may grow 45 cm / 17 inches shorter than Hovawart. Norwich Terrier may weigh 45 kg / 99 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Both Norwich Terrier and Hovawart has almost same life span. Norwich Terrier may have less litter size than Hovawart. Norwich Terrier requires Moderate maintenance. But Hovawart requires Low maintenance
Hailing from the United Kingdom and once known as the Cantab Terrier, the Norwich Terrier may be small, but he was bred to hunt rodents.
Closely related to the Norfolk Terrier, he is an old dog breed, having existed since the 19th century. Its understandable that such a dog would also be the mascot of Cambridge students.
It is believed that he was bred from Irish Terriers and some believe it came from the Trumpington Terrier, an extinct breed.
The Hovawart, is a German Black Forest breed developed as a guard dog for large estates in the medieval era. They first appeared in history in the early 13th century as heroes who saved the German son of a castle lord, despite being injured themselves. The boy they saved grew up to be a German legend. He wrote the oldest German code of law that remained from medieval times. In it he names the Hovawarts as a dog that if you are responsible for hurting, stealing or killing it, you must pay for it or replace it. No other dog had this protection.
In the late fifteenth century Hovawarts were featured in Heinrich Mynsinger’s “The Five Noble Breeds”. This guard dog breed was esteemed on a level with the hunting dogs – their health a question of life or death for their owner. In the 1500’s the popularity of the breed began to fade. The GSD or German Shepard Dog began to replace the Hovawarts as the preferred guard dog.
By the early 20th century the breed had almost disappeared but were saved by breed enthusiasts in the early 1900’s. Zoologist Kurt Konig was prominent in this effort and went looking in the Black Forest area for dogs working on farms. Using the dogs, he found on these farms, Konig began a breeding program crossing the them with Newfoundland’s, Kuvazoks, Leonbergers, GSD, an African hunting dogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs.
By 1922 the first litter of these pups was entered officially into the German Breeding Registry. In 1937 the Hovawart was recognized by the German Kennel Club. However, many members of the breed died in World War II as they were used widely by the military and not many were left by 1945. Once again breed enthusiasts came to the rescue forming a Coburg Hovawart club. This club still exists and in 1964, for the second time, the breed was recognized by the German Kennel Club. Other countries also began to take notice of this working breed.
The Hovawart has many skills in addition hunting and guarding. The Hovawart does not work for people, he works with them as he is a very independent thinker. He is also good at search and rescue and tracking. An owner of this breed must be stronger, smarter, more alert, intentional and consistent than his Hovawart. These are not dogs for the faint of heart or first-timers.
As one of the smallest terriers, the Norwich Terrier is also quite a rare dog breed. He is such a cute little dog this, weighing just 5 to 5.5kg and standing at between 23–25cm at the withers.
He has erect ears and a double coat that can be wheaten, red, tan, black and tan and grizzle. The tail has always been docked previously, giving the dog an attractive, compact look but these days it is left long. These dogs have small litters – usually between one and three puppies.
The Norwich Terrier is a friendly little dog and is essentially a companion to humans. Just because he is small, doesn’t mean he is frail and helpless. He is a feisty, hardy dog with a brave heart and just loves his human family.
The Norwich Terrier is also strong willed and assertive and it can be of benefit to have him trained and socialized. He is energetic too, so he’ll expect a walk each day, a run in the park and ball games. They also make excellent little watchdogs, at least warning you of approaching strangers.
They are good with kids if the children have been taught to be kind and gentle with animals, and they get on well with other pets in the home too.
The Hovawart is a proud and majestic dog and his looks match his character. He looks a bit like the Golden Retriever with a powerful and broad forehead. His skull and muzzle are the same length and his nose is black. His oval eyes are a medium to dark brown and his ears are high set and triangular.
Their chests are strong, broad and deep. The breed has strong legs straight in front with round, strong and compact feet. They are heavy boned with dense, long coats that lie flat and have a slight wave to them. The coat can be black and gold, blond or black.
The Norwich Terrier is guaranteed to make you a splendid pet as he is active, friendly, social and intelligent, as well as being loving and loyal.
You can rely on this little canine friend to want to be with you and take part in all your activities. He won’t do well if you put him in the back yard and forget about him, as he craves human company.
When you do whatever it takes to ensure your Norwich Terrier is an active and treasured member of your family, you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful pet and companion for many years.
They have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.
They are not indoor dogs and should have a yard to run in. They do not tolerate hot weather well. They do great out in the country.
They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.
The lifespan of the Norwich Terrier is between 11 and 13 years and he is considered a healthy breed. Every dog owner needs to know that there are some health issues which will require veterinary intervention.
Cataracts, an eye disease may be inherited and it is where the eye gets a cloudy look. Other illnesses to look out for include Patellar Luxation, a problem where the dog's kneecap is dislocated from its normal anatomic position. The condition is fairly common in small dog breeds.
Check problems with the teeth - more specifically incorrect bites because of how the teeth meet.
Sometimes these dogs can battle with breathing problems. Upper Airway Syndrome is when the dogs breathing is raspy.
Though their isolation protected them from genetic health issues for centuries, once they were being rejuvenated and mixed with other breeds some common issues began to show up. These include:
Norwich Terriers are active little dogs and were bred to be working dogs – hunting vermin but also accompanying their owners on horseback. You can see that he has been used to an active lifestyle and will require a daily walk and games. He will also want toys which can keep him occupied in between his active sessions.
His size allows him to adapt easily to life in the city or the countryside but wherever he is, he will need a good dose of exercise.
The double coated Norwich Terrier, with his wiry topcoat and soft undercoat will need to be brushed twice a week to avoid matting. This is a dog that will require stripping of the old hairs from the coat. This is a process which ensures the coat retaining its texture and appearance.
If you’re in any kind of doubt, speak to a professional groomer. As it is, many owners of this dog who don’t show their dogs, have them professionally groomed.
Always choose a high-quality dry food. Try and avoid those commercially manufactured foods which contain wheat and gluten and lots of preservatives and colorants. These can affect your pet’s health negatively.
Choose quality foods where protein is at the top of the list of ingredients. Give your pet some homemade food too, keeping his diet as simple and nutritious as possible. Some boiled chicken chopped up together with brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach will do him the world of good.
A tiny bit of raw meat every once and again will be a good thing. Avoid foods such as chocolates, ice-cream, popcorn, onions and spicy foods as these will upset your pet’s digestive system.
Provide him with a warm, dry, soft bed. If he is outside for any length of time, make sure he has a sheltered area away from the sun and rain.
Feed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day
Again Feed breed specific high quality dry food for adults. Feed 2-3 cups per day in 1-2 meals per day.
Points for Good Health – Stamina
The Hovawart needs plenty of exercise. Remember this is a mountain farm dog used to working all the time. Walk or jog with them daily. They can excel at field trials, obedience, search and rescue, agility, flyball, therapy dog, and service dog.