MyDogBreeds
Russian Spaniel is originated from Russia but Formosan Mountain Dog is originated from Taiwan. Russian Spaniel may grow 7 cm / 2 inches shorter than Formosan Mountain Dog. Both Russian Spaniel and Formosan Mountain Dog are having almost same weight. Both Russian Spaniel and Formosan Mountain Dog has almost same life span. Russian Spaniel may have less litter size than Formosan Mountain Dog. Russian Spaniel requires Moderate maintenance. But Formosan Mountain Dog requires Low maintenance
The Russian Spaniel is a gun dog which has originated from the English Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel. Today while he is a gun dog he is more of a companion dog.
The Russian Spaniel has been spoken about since 1891. Different Spaniel breeds were imported to Russia to be used for hunting but some of the smaller spaniels weren't suited to the weather conditions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, breeding programs got underway for longer legged spaniels, and by the late 1930's there were a variety of different spaniels in Moscow.
After World War II, more purposeful breeding got underway and this led to the the Russian Spaniel standard in 1951. The popularity of the dog has increased and in 2002 the Russian Spaniel Club was set up in the United States. The dog isn’t recognised by any major kennel clubs.
The Formosan Mountain Dog is most often known as the Taiwan dog and it is a landrace indigenous to Taiwan. It is a small to medium breed of dog that was semi-wild at one time. The colonialization of Taiwan and other foreigners help to fully domesticate the Formosan Mountain Dog. They were found to be very trainable and uniquely suited for the terrain around Taiwan. The dogs were easy to train and now serve as hunting dogs, stunt dogs, guard dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dog and personal companions. There are three types of Formosans two smaller types and one medium. However, the original pure Formosan Mountain Dog is getting close to extinction again because the government and people have provided no protection or conservation efforts for them. These dogs have been living in Taiwan in the mountains and were called Formosan Mountain Dogs when Taiwan was known as Formosa. They come from a line of Southeast Asian hunting/gun dogs and they are considered ‘rare’ now.
According to historian Dr. Sung Yung-yi, the breed went through 4 major catastrophes that affected their development. The first of these was the Dutch Establishment in 1624. The Dutch colonized Taiwan and imported both people and dogs. The dog they brought in was called the Flying Dog and was either Greyhound or Pointer. Eventually, the Flying Dog bred with the Formosan Mountain Dog. This along with the slaughter of dogs belonging to the indigenous people by the government, starting the decline of the original Taiwan dog.
In 1895, it was the Japanese acquiring Taiwan following the First Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese bred the Formosan Mountain Dog extensively with the own Japanese dogs. This further diluted the line and authenticity of Taiwan dogs.
This was followed by World War II when German Shepherds traveled with the US Army and they cross-bred with the Formosan. This was the third major dilution of the Formosan Mountain dog line. At the same time, the Japanese government considered the Formosan Mountain Dog a sanitation threat and barbaric. They massacred them in large numbers in the name of sanitation.
The fourth and final dilution took place during the Kuomintang Era beginning in 1945 with the arrival of the Chinese Nationalist Party. They brought with them the culture of eating dogs. During this time the economy of Taiwan took off and business people began to import their own foreign dogs that were high priced purebreds. These dogs bred with the Formosan and other Formosans were just abandoned to die. The ranks of the breed became very thin indeed. Today’s pure Formosan is highly valuable and extremely rare. Because of all the crossbreeding over the centuries, today’s purebred Formosan Mountain Dog is very different from the Taiwan dog of old. Today’s Formosan is loved all over the island and is a companion and watchdog.
Today there is an effort by Taiwanese ecologists to put together a research project that would study and preserve the Formosan in its indigenous form. Dr. Yung-yi led this effort. He located only 46 dogs with a pure pedigree, 21 females and 25 males. They let the Food and Agricultural of the United Nations know and the dogs were labeled close to extinction. Reproducing from the indigenous dogs to purify and increase the breed was the goal. The government was not very supportive.
Today the Royal Air Force is looking at the Formosan Dog to use for military security. They are currently only using German Shepherds and needed another choice. It was decided that the Formosan Mountain Dog had a better sense of smell, dexterity, alertness, and hearing as well as better padding on their paws.
Through these efforts and those of foundation stock breeders and owners, the Formosan Mountain Dog in its indigenous form was brought back. Some call this dog a purebred Formosan while others consider it a new type. Standards were presented to the FCI for registrations as a purebred. This debate continues today
The attractive little Russian Spaniel stands at 38 – 45cm in height ad weighs between 9 and 16kg. He is such a sturdy little dog too, looking very similar to the English Cocker Spaniel.
The coat is short and silky with quite a bit of feathering around the legs and ears. Colors of the coat can be anything from reddish brown and white with freckles to black and white with freckles.
Aside from the Russian Spaniels' hunting abilities, they make great family pets and are playful with children.They’re devoted to their human families and become particularly attached to one person in the family.
Such devotion leads them to being a bit cool around strangers, not liking anyone unfamiliar to get too close to any of his family members.
He is intelligent and can be easily trained to obey simple commands such as sit, stay, lie down and come.
The Russian Spaniel can be happy in the suburbs, on a farm or in the city so long as he gets lots of attention and enough exercise.
The Formosan Mountain Dog that was seen during Dr. Sung Yung-yi’s research is a medium-sized dog, athletic and fit. It has a deep chest and a slim waist. The ears are half-covered, the nose is black and there is a coating of black on the tongue. This black tongue is the most distinguishing attribute of the Formosan Mountain Dog. The breed has a strong jaw, the skull that is just slightly longer than the muzzle, which is flat and tapered, triangle face and almond eyes. They have a thick coat and upright, curved tail.
The dogs are known to be extremely agile with an ability to hop that is rare in dogs but helps when hunting animals like rats. The Formosan Mountain Dogs hunted in packs with each dog attacking the prey with one bite until it was too exhausted to fight them off any longer.
The Russian Spaniel is such an energetic, dog, full of life ad with the joys of being alive.
Although he was a gun dog, today he is loved for his companionship. He makes a splendid family pet and loves to be involved with the games of children.
He is easy-going and social, and just wants to spend as much time as he can with his human family. Give him all the love you have and you'll see his tail never stops wagging.
The Formosan Mountain Dog is very child-friendly. He is affectionate and loyal to his family and protective of his children.
He is intelligent and has exceptional hunting skills. He is a good guard dog due to his alertness, but they can be fear-aggressive.
He is very adaptable to living in any location as long as there is somewhere for him to get adequate exercise. He is friendly to people and animals.
He is intelligent and learns quickly.
With very few health problems, the feisty Russian Spaniel can get to 12-14 years of age. Nonetheless, there are always some of the more common health issues to look out for.
Russian Spaniels are prone to developing ear infections. Ear infections can be terribly frustrating for a dog and they are quite difficult to clear up. It is advised that dog owners use ear cleaners before infection sets in. The vet can advise you on this as you have to be careful not to damage the inside of the ear.
Itchy skin can be another terrible frustration for a dog. Allergies often cause terrible itching, and your dog will go mad trying to gnaw and bite at the itch. Finding the specific cause of a skin allergy can be very challenging. Blood tests might be required. It is imperative to feed your dog some raw meat occasionally to avoid these terrible skin infections.
Because there have not been any studies done on the health of the Formosan Mountain Dog, there is not a lot known about any inherent or genetic health issues. It would seem that some bloodlines are healthy, and others have some serious issues. Especially because there are no studies, it is important for breeders to test for eye issues and skeletal issues through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and the Canine Eye Registration Foundation.
This dog was raised to be a gun dog, and is used to having plenty of exercise. Most imperative for him will be a couple of walks each day plus lots of chase-the-ball games. These dogs just never seem to get tired as they are playful and will never let the chance of a game pass them by.
Spaniel ears require quite a bit of upkeep as the hair can become extremely matted, forming balls of knotted hair. The inside of the ears must be constantly checked for infection. The spaniel’s coat will need to be brushed regularly and he can even go to the groomers and get a short Spaniel cut.
Contribute to your pet’s good health by providing him with top notch food. A good nutritious diet for the Russian Spaniel will give your dog less of a chance to get sick. Always go for the best quality commercially manufactured dog foods.
To provide your dog with just a bit of variety in his diet, some home-made food added into the dry kibble from time to time will delight your pet. No need to make preparing the food a huge issue either. Boil brown rice and chicken in a pot and add in sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Chop all this up, and as a treat, add smaller portions of it into the dry kibble.To avoid skin infections, try to include some raw meat into his diet occasionally.
Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water
Feed a high-quality puppy food for medium size dogs at the rate of a ¼ cup twice a day until 8 months then ½ to ¾ twice a day until 12-16 months.
1 to 2 cups of high-quality dry food split into 2 meals per day.
Generally healthy breed. Keep clean and watch for mites.
This is an energetic breed and he needs a lot of exercise. He must have at least an hour of exercise daily but the more, the better. He loves swimming and jogging with his people. He’s athletic, smart and agile. He does well with field trials, tracking, agility, and obedience.