MyDogBreeds
Russo-European Laika is originated from Russia but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Russo-European Laika may grow 10 cm / 3 inches shorter than Hovawart. Russo-European Laika may weigh 28 kg / 61 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Both Russo-European Laika and Hovawart has almost same life span. Both Russo-European Laika and Hovawart has almost same litter size. Both Russo-European Laika and Hovawart requires Low maintenance.
The Russo-European Laika is a hunting dog that comes from Russia.
It is a dog that has been developed from Spitz type dogs. A breeding program was started for the dog in 1944.
The Russo-European Laika dog is recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in the Spitz and Primitive type group.
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 Russo-European Laika is a medium sized dog Spitz dog that stands at between 54 to 60cm in height and weighs in the region of 20 – 23kg.
The dog has quite a strong resemblance to the Karelia Bear Dog. They are sometimes mistaken for each other.
The Russo-European Laika has the typical triangular shaped head with small dark eyes, a black nose and erect, pointed ears. These are deep chested dogs.
As with other Spitz breeds, this dog has a thick fur with a densely furred tail which is curved over the back. The double coat is fairly long and usually a dark grey color or black with some white markings. Sometimes the dog has a white coat.
This is a lively, energetic dog breed that loves to spend time outdoors. It has always been used to alert hunters to prey, using its bark to alert the hunter.Training and socialization will be necessary for the dog if you don’t want it to be barking in the house too.
He makes an excellent guard dog, protecting his human family. It is very tolerant of children too, getting on well with them as well as other pets.
The dog is known for being totally devoted to its family, being an affectionate and loyal breed that doubles as a family pet and guard dog.
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.
This is an intelligent dog breed, loving the time he spends with his human family but reluctant to be patted by strangers.
They also get along with pets that they have grown up with. They get on well with kids and make great watchdogs too. Small wonder they make such sought after pets and companions.
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.
These Spitz type dogs are always known to enjoy good health, and owners don’t have to worry too much about their health as only a small number of health issues are reported with this healthy dog breed.
This is a congenital defect in the abdominal muscles and can result in fat or tissues being evident under the skin. A bulge is often seen in the area of the abdomen. Larger hernias will require surgery.
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:
This is an energetic dog and will require a good amount of excerise. This dog isn’t suited to living in the city as they are highly active. Apart from wanting large grounds to run around in, he will need walks as well as ball- and rope games to keep him busy.
He is intelligent and needs some form of mental stimulation. There are good quality toys which one can buy for these dogs than can make them think.
Many things can change a dog’s longevity, and diet is one. A good nutritious diet with vitamins and minerals will give your dog less of a chance to get sick.
If you go for the best quality commercially manufactured dog foods, you’ll find that they are both convenient and well balanced.
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 add small portions of it into the dry kibble.
Try to include a bit of raw meat occasionally and never let your dog be without a constant source of fresh, cool water
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.