Pastor Garafiano vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Hailing from the Canary Islands, the Pastor Garafiano is a dog which was once used for working purposes but which is essentially a pet today.

Also known as the Spanish Collie, it is not really sure if the dog really has any links to the Collie.There are dog experts who claim that there are actually very few pure specimens of this dog because of interbreeding with other breeds such as the German Shepherd.

There was a time that the breed almost disappeared but a working group was established to further establish breeding centers for the dog. Today the Pastor Garafiano is a recognized breed and he has been registered since 1982.

Azawakh dog was bred by the nomads in Africa. They were originally bred to be a guard dog. But, they realized that their body shape and bone structure allows them to run really fast (some say that they can run at the speed more than 65 km/h. This fact made them ideal for the hunting. Nowadays, they can be found across the globe but they are still very rare kind of a dog because they can survive and adapt to very high temperatures but they are very intolerant of low temperatures. Male Azawakh is slightly bigger than a female dog, with a greater instinct for guarding, hunting and taking care of the family and the pact.

This is a medium to large dog, with its hindquarters being a bit higher than the shoulders. The body is strongly built with a deep chest. He stands at between 55 to 64cm in height and weighs between 24 to 35kg.

The nose is black and the eyes brown. The ears are slightly erect. The double coat is long and thick and the color is almost golden or tawny, much like a lion. Puppies are born brown and the color changes as they get older.

The tail is long, and when the dog is in motion or alert the tail is lightly curled. He is an active dog requiring a lot of intensive physical exercise. It is therefore not recommended that he be kept on a small city property but that he be on a farm or have a large garden.

Temperament:

This is a good looking, confident sheepdog who is also intelligent and therefore easily trained. He makes a splendidly obedient pet when he has been trained and socialized.

He is docile, calm and friendly and good with children in the home who have been taught to be kind and gentle with him. Apart from regular play, make sure he gets his regular exercise and he is constantly allowed to be part of the family.

Azawakh is a large dog breed placed in a family of the hounds. It looks almost like any hound we know – slim, with long and skinny legs, with a big-boned chest with a stomach placed up with the spine. They have thin and a bit longer tail, narrow nose and small skull in a triangle shape. Their body may look skinny but it is just the way they should look. Actually, you could probably see the bone structure of the adult Azawakh because they, like any other hounds, have specific muscles – very thin and flat. They can be found in many coat colours like sand, fawn or dark fawn, even brown. Their coat is very short, usually with white marks on the neck, chest and all four paws. In Africa, Azawakh can be found in a diversity of colours.

The Pastor Garafiano is such a wonderful docile and friendly pet that he is guaranteed to make a wonderful companion for any family.

He is a dog that simply loves spending time with his human family and won’t do well when left alone in the backyard day after day. Take good care of this beautiful tawny dog and give him your attention and you will have a wonderful canine friend that is difficult to beat in terms of loyalty and devotion.

Children friendliness

Once Azawakh is a part of the family, he will try to find his place. If you teach him that you are the main figure, they will be obedient and affectionate pet. They love children, and they will surely be always close to them, guarding them and making sure they are safe.

Special talents

canine freestyle sports, heelwork to music competitions.

Adaptability

If your Azawakh pet is trained well and socialized, they can fit in almost anywhere. Some will say that they hate cats, but there are some cases where they were raised with them and they did just fine. They will be quite tolerant of a stranger in your house. Since they get attached to the family, it is not recommendable to consider this breed as a new-owner kind of pet.

Learning ability

Once you set yourself as a pact leader, you will have almost no problems with training your dog various tricks. Azawakh is an intelligent breed, they learn quickly and they will be more than happy to show you every day what they have learned. It is necessary to start socializing your Azawakh dog while he is still a pup. They don’t respond well to harsh methods of teaching so you should really avoid them.

Your Pastor Garafiano can reach anything from 10 – 14 years of age if he is happy and well taken care of. Every dog however, can fall prey to one of the many common dog illnesses there are. Some of these are -

Dermatomyositis:

This is an inherited inflammatory disease of the skin, blood vessels and muscles. Signs of dermatomyositis can vary from mild to severe skin lesions and inflammation of muscles and even a decrease in muscle mass. Severely affected dogs can even have difficulty with swallowing. Symptoms of the disease are usually seen before the dog is 6 months of age.

Progressive Retinal atrophy:

This is an eye disease where there is a gradual deterioration of the retina. Dogs can become night blind early in the disease and as the disease goes on, they can even lose their daytime vision.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is a very common dog ailment – the abnormal formation of the hip socket can cause pain, arthritis and even lameness. It is severe enough to know that dogs with hip dysplasia should never be bred.

The Azawakh breed is very rare and this kind of information cannot be still guaranteed. If they are bred with a healthy family, they are usually very healthy and don’t need much of the vet care. Some of the diseases that were found in a medical history of this magnificent dog report heart problems (usually caused by their super high need of daily activity), problems with the thyroid glands, and skin diseases caused by the increased secretion of the thyroid glands which causes their skin to become dry and in some cases even the loss of the hair.

Grooming:

Groom your Pastor Garafiano at least twice a week. Your dog’s coat is fairly long and it sheds too and you want to make sure it doesn't become all matted. There are different brushes you can use for his beautiful coat.

You can also use this grooming session to check other areas of your dog. Check inside his ears, check his eyes and feel for new or unusual lumps. Make sure to keep his nails trimmed.

Exercise your pet every day. Take him on walks or hikes and provide him with ball or frisbee games. Exercise keeps him fit and healthy but also happy and content.

Diet:

Nutrition is of critical importance to your pet's wellbeing. It is important to know what your pet needs to stay healthy and have a strong immune system which can ward off disease.

There are some good commercially manufactured dog foods on the market but it is important to choose the one that doesn’t come filled with toxic colorants, preservatives and fillers. Protein should be high on the list of ingredients listed on the pet food packaging. Also make sure to feed your pet food that had been made for his size, his breed, his age and his energy requirements.

To provide some variety to your pet’s diet, give him some tasty home-made food. Dog’s do well on simplicity and consistency. Some boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as spinach, sweet potato and carrots all chopped up and added into his dry kibble occasionally will keep him bright eyed and with his tail constantly wagging.

He’ll thank you for not varying his diet with things that can give him an upset stomach such as coffee, tea, popcorn, grapes, onions and chocolate.

Feeding

The Azawakh bred has a high risk of the obesity. They must be fed with special care since the food they eat can affect the thyroid glands function. They should never be overfed by average dry dog food. You will be advised to give them food with little percentage of the protein. They drink a lot of water and they like the dairy products. Their meals shouldn’t include fruits and vegetables, and some grains (millet, rice). They do not need to eat a lot of meat, but you can add some chicken in their meals.

Puppies should be fed three times per day. Their portions should be small and diverse. Keep in mind to feed them at the same time each day because their metabolism will be formed by this. Adult dogs are fed two times per day, at the same time as well. After the meal, let them rest for an hour or two and never give them meals right after high physical activity.

Points for Good Health

If you want your Azawakh dog to be healthy and happy make sure you provide them with enough space to run, explore, dig holes and always have some fresh water. They don’t need regular vet checks, but if you notice some changes in their digestion, lower activity or skin abnormalities, it is very important to take them to the vet station. They should never be kept indoors, so if you are living this kind of life maybe this kind of dog is not for you. But, if you are super active and if you have a couple of hours per day to spend with your Azawakh, maybe you can make him feel a lot better.

Games and Exercises

Since they like the warmer climate, you can take them running with you. They will be a great companion while you bike and leave them leash free but only if he is trained to stay by your side. If you have a yard, make sure to leave some areas free for digging and hiding their special toys or treats. They are extremely playful and cheerful, so they will wander off in no time. Some of the Azawakh dogs were great on the hiking trips, so you can try this daily activity once you train him to listen to you.