MyDogBreeds
Pembroke Welsh Corgi is originated from United Kingdom but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Pembroke Welsh Corgi may grow 40 cm / 15 inches shorter than Hovawart. Pembroke Welsh Corgi may weigh 37 kg / 81 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Both Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Hovawart has almost same life span. Both Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Hovawart has same litter size. Pembroke Welsh Corgi requires Moderate maintenance. But Hovawart requires Low maintenance
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is known as an achondroplastic, a dwarf breed, and they come from Pembrokeshire in Wales. Not much is known of the dog's history but it is believed that the dogs came over with Flemish weavers who settled in Pembrokeshire way back in the 12th century already.
This dog breed has always been a cattle herding dog. Their fame has come from them being a favorite dog breed for the British royals and particularly of Queen Elizabeth II.
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.
The Pembroke Welsh stands at between 25 and 30cm in height and weighs between 11 and 14kg.
The coat is thick and shortish and can be fawn or a mix of colors such as white, cream, tan and black. The coat sheds quite a bit. Some of these dogs are born with their tail naturally short while others have the tail docked to give it that distinct look.
Pembroke Welsh Corgis are loving dogs and with their human families, they want to become involved with their lives. They like to please their owners and are therefore easy to train and socialize, becoming very obedient and amicable.
They’re alert, intelligent dogs and make great watchdogs too. They get on well with other pets in the home as well as children.
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.
British royalty has always loved the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and why not? He is loving, energetic, feisty, gentle, calm, friendly and intelligent.
Able to adapt to life in the city or the countryside, he will however need to be exercised every day as he has always been a herding- and working dog, used to working.
If you’re willing to bring the Pembroke Welsh Corgi into your home, he’ll show you what a splendid pet and companion he can be for you too.
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.
Pembrokes can live to be between 12 to 15 years. With good care they can live to be a ripe old age, but just like with any other dog, they can become ill with any of the many common dog illnesses there are.
Some of these diseases are hip dysplasia, monorchidism and degenerative myelopathy. Being a small or short dog, they are also prone to obesity.
This is a condition where only one testicle descends and the other isn’t able to descend into the scrotum. Both testicles should be in the scrotum by 2 months of age. Monorchidism is usually genetic and you may find your dog licking his genital area quite a bit.
If you suspect your dog has monorchidism, you will need to make an appointment with your veterinarian.
This is a progressive disease of the spinal cord and is usually seen in older dogs, starting with your dog losing coordination in the hind limbs.You’ll notice your dog dragging his feet.
As the disease progresses, the limbs weaken and the dog even has difficulty with standing. Eventually the dog is unable to walk. With time your pet even suffers with urinary and fecal incontinence. Fortunately it isn’t a painful disease but you will want to speak to your vet for advice.
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:
If you bring a puppy home, make sure he gets his puppy vaccines at 8 weeks of age.
Your puppy requires 4 meals a day. Make sure to always give your pet the best quality food there is to ensure his health. Avoid giving him spicy, human food. Dogs like simple, consistent diets which don’t upset the stomach. If you buy him commercially manufactured food, buy the best quality one that isn’t full of preservatives, colorants and fillers. Try and mix in some homemade food occasionally such as chopped up boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as sweet potato, spinach and carrots. A little bit of raw meat occasionally will do wonders for your pet and he will have more energy, a shinier coat, less skin allergies and less inflammation.
Always ensure your pet has a constant supply of fresh, cool water.
Brush the Pembroke Welsh Corgi’s hair twice a week. Feel for any unusual lumps while doing this. Check inside and outside his ears for ticks and fleas and ear infections.
Trim his nails.
Make sure if he goes outside that he has a shady spot to lie down in.
Exercise him. Take him on walks.
Give him your love and attention.
Take him to the vet when you can see that he is sick.
Have your dog spayed or neutered if you don’t intend for it to have puppies.
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.