MyDogBreeds
Prazsky Krysarik is originated from Czech Republic but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Prazsky Krysarik may grow 47 cm / 18 inches shorter than Hovawart. Prazsky Krysarik may weigh 47 kg / 103 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Both Prazsky Krysarik and Hovawart has same life span. Prazsky Krysarik may have less litter size than Hovawart. Both Prazsky Krysarik and Hovawart requires Low maintenance.
You won’t find this dog outside the Czech Republic, which is a pity, because as one of the smallest breeds, it’s a great choice for people with small properties.
It’s not a new breed, and there are records of it having been around in the Middle Ages, being valuable for catching rats.
The breed went through a decline in the 1980s, but their breeding program was started, although it isn’t an FCI acknowledged 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.
The Pražský Krysařík is a small dog standing at between 20 and 23cm in height and weighing between 1.5 and 4kg.
The Prazsky Krysarik may be small, but he is robust with a broad chest and a lean body with a fragile, lizard like head, much like a Chihuahua. The legs are fragile and thin. The ears are fairly large and erect and he has a long tail. The coat is short, thin and glossy and is mostly black and tan.
The Prazsky is known for its playful, lively nature, and they’re spunky and intelligent dogs too and will be more than capable of being trained and socialized.
Even though he is such a tiny dog, it will be to his benefit to have him trained and socialized.It makes the dog well balanced and they become well behaved so you can take them anywhere.
They are such friendly, social little dogs too and they love being around their human family. They certainly don’t like being left in the backyard, cut off from their human companions.
They're small enough to be indoors a lot, being able to easily slot into life in the city or in the countryside. They get on well with children and other pets but kids will have to be taught how to treat him with kindness and respect, as those tiny little legs could snap.
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.
A Prazsky is a dog just like any other – he just wants to be a member of the family. He badly wants the love and attention of his human family but he wants to give love and attention in return too.
They make wonderful pets and he is more than willing to put aside playing outdoors to come inside and just be by your side.
These little dogs are a great choice for those looking for a small-sized dog. They’re such friendly, responsive little dogs and they don’t come with many health-related issues. The Prague Ratter adapts well to city or country living and he is prepared to be loyal and loving wherever you take him.
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 Prazsky is a robust dog but there are some diseases that can affect a dog, and skin symptoms such as itchiness or an unusual lump will need to be seen to.
Other problems such as excessive drooling, cloudy eyes with discharge, distended abdomen and discolored gums are all reasons to seek the help of your vet. Small dogs like this tend to be prone to dental disease, so keep an eye on his teeth.
Some people look at buying health insurance because they know too well that veterinary costs can add up quickly, even for a tiny little dog like this.
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:
It doesn’t matter what size dog you have, each one requires high quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared.
Portion sizes should be appropriate to your dog’s size and activity levels. Dogs thrive on simplicity when it comes to food as this prevents them having digestive problems. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots all chopped up and added to your dog’ dry kibble as a treat every now and again will do wonders for your pet.
Fresh, cool water should always be available to your pet around the clock.
The short, smooth coat of the Pražský Krysařík makes him a truly low maintenance little dog. Just give him a brush twice a week and wipe him down with a damp cloth and he’ll always be gleaming like a new penny.
Have his nails trimmed and always check his teeth during these grooming sessions. Smalls dogs battle with dental disease, and this can cause havoc in the body of your small pet.
Walk your tiny pet at least once a day. It just gives him the chance to sniff around a bit and see the world in a new light. He doesn’t require a lot of physical activity, but they will still need regular exercise to stave off obesity.
Get your Pražský Krysařík spayed or neutered if you’re not intending to allow your pet to have puppies. These little dogs can have between 1 – 3 puppies. There are many pros to this procedure for dogs.
Make sure his vaccinations are up to date to avoid some of the deadly dog diseases you get such as parvo-virus, distemper and rabies.
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.