Sindh Mastiff vs Australian Collie - Breed Comparison

The Sindh Mastiff or Alangu Mastiff is an ancient breed believed to have been useful for guarding war camps, but today he is both a guard dog and pet.

There isn’t too much information available to us about the origins of this dog but it is thought that they came about from breeding the Indian Mastiff and the Alaunt.

He is likened to the Bully Kutta dog, a huge Mastiff breed from Pakistan. This dog is one of three mastiff type dog breeds to be found around Persia and India. Unfortunately because of its aggressive nature, it has been used for dog fighting.

The Koolie, as a breed we know today, originates from Australia. But, before they were breed and imported, they were the mix made of Britain smooth coated blue merle Collie and the Black and Tan Collie from the Highlands of Scotland. The Koolie came to Australia to work as a kennel dog since they are known as the working, farm dog that can adapt to any weather condition. They were bred to be agile and non-aggressive quiet herding dogs, and they have kept most of those good characteristics until today.

The Alangu Mastiff is a huge dog, standing anything from 80 – 84cm in height and weighing 62 – 68kg. He is muscular and strong. He has a broad skull with small pricked ears, wide apart eyes and a thick neck.

The legs are powerful and muscled, the skin fairly loose over the body with hair that is short ad dense. The coat can be white, tan, fawn or brindle.

Sometimes the dog has a black mask. The tail is thick and long these days, although it used to be docked.

Temperament:

This dog has a domineering, ferocious nature and that is why it has been sought after as a guard dog. He is territorial and thought to be aggressive. He is therefore not a good choice of dog for first time dog owners. He is also not a good choice for when there are children in the home or even small pets.

He is strong willed and fairly difficult to train. Of course it is a known fact that a puppy turns out a lot like its owners. Good owners produce a good tempered dog, but you have to be careful with this dog as it has aggressive tendencies.

Certainly it will require a strong, firm consistent owner, and then the dog is capable of becoming loyal and devoted. Training and socialization are possible as he is intelligent, and it does help to make him more submissive to his human owners.

Koolie is a medium bred. Their head is small, with a pointy jaw. Ears are pricked, semi-dropped or dropped. Their coat can be smooth or rough, short or medium length, always with the undercoat. The colours can be Red or Blue Merle, solid Red or Black, sometimes with minimal white or cream speckles. They are usually two-coloured or tricoloured, but some of them are actually one-coloured.

Some Koolie have one or two blue, green or yellow eyes. Eye colour is, of course, affected by the gene that creates the coat pattern and eye colour as well.

They are athletic dogs, with fine bone structure but great stamina. Actually, they were breed to be like that – to work hard, be noticeable among the sheep, eat little and be loyal to one person.

Domineering and quite aggressive, particularly if brought up that way, the Sindh Mastiff has a fairly long history of dog fighting. He is an intelligent dog and should be trained and socialized. He is also very territorial. He isn’t suitable for first time dog owners as he does have a bit of a reputation as being a fairly ferocious dog.

However, you have to give this dog some credit, and with the right upbringing, proper training and socialization, he can make a loyal pet and companion for a strong, firm, patient, kind and consistent type of owner.

Around children

Koolie is naturally energetic, playful and affectionate so they are naturally very good to raise with children.

Special talents

They are known as great obedience dog. They are very famous as the tracking dogs.

Some of them are successful as the rescue dogs, therapy dogs or educators for school children.

Adaptability

This is not a type of dog that will be alone in the house, wait for you and then be quiet while you rest. They need a great deal of activity and they are not such great choice for indoor life anyways. The best thing for them would be the large yard, with somebody home most of the time. They are great if raised in a family, with children and active owners. They will be great for a loner at the farm as well since that is in their blood. They need enough place to run, chase, play, rest on the sun and be active as they please. They get affectionate towards their families, but they will be accepting their new home when they are older just fine.

Learning ability

They are very good at learning. Intelligent, yes, but yet very silly and playful to do what is told all the time. They will surprise you with how quickly they will pick up the new trick but not feeling like doing it every time you would like them to. Everything is a play for them, so it would be best if you know how to play, be affectionate and friendly to become a good owner of this breed.

The Sindh Mastiff is a healthy breed of dog who could develop any one of the main dog illnesses there are, although it is highly unlikely to get the diseases.

Nonetheless it is wise to be aware of some of the illnesses.

A common problem with dogs is canine cancer, of which lymphosarcoma and bone cancer are common. Then you have to be aware of bloat or gastric dilatation volvulus, which is particular common in deep-chested dogs. The stomach dilates and twists, and blood supply is cut off.

This is a life threatening illness. Urinary tract infections and skin conditions are just some of the diseases your pet will need to contend with.

If you are careful enough, you will choose your Koolie form patiently chosen breeders, after checking the health history of the pup and the pup’s family. Advisable is to do these things in person and never to buy a Koolie from a pet shop.

Sometimes, pups can be born blind or deaf pups. They have the great chance of joint problems because of their extreme activity. Their need to run, jump and play all the time may result in damage to cartilage and ligaments, especially since they are not aware of their age most of the time.

There is a chance that pup has skin allergies or immune system issues if they are growing on a farm near the chemicals used for plants, so be careful what kind of herbicide you use if you have a Collie.

In some rare cases, they suffer from seizers. If untreated, they can cause death. If you decide to take him to a regular vet check, you will have a happy and playful life together.

General Grooming:

This is a low maintenance dog as the short coat will only require a brush twice a week. As you brush him take note of any unusual lumps you come across.

Also, while grooming him, check the inside of his ears and look for signs of redness and the possibility of an ear infection. Look into his eyes and make sure they are clear and bright.

Check inside his mouth, if he will allow you to, and make sure he doesn’t have any bad teeth. These could cause a lot of pain and also cause problems with body organs such as the heart and the kidneys.

Exercise:

This is a big dog that is going to need plenty of exercise. He is not suited to small spaces in the city but will require a fairly large property in the suburbs or the countryside. He will become frustrated and more dangerous to others if left day after day without exercise.

Diet:

The Sindh Mastiff is an energetic dog, so it is important do ensure he has good food to eat to ensure he remains fit and energetic. For convenience, commercially manufactured dog foods can be a good choice, but only when you choose the better quality ones with vitamins and minerals in them.

Some of the inferior food brands load the food with bad fillers, colorants and preservatives and these can all make your pet sick. Try and give him some home made food too – nothing exotic – just plain boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots.

Your dog will thank you for such a plain diet as then he isn’t plagued by digestive problems. Chop it all up and add it into the dry kibble a couple of times a week. Try and include some raw meat into the diet occasionally to avoid skin problems. Always ensure a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Feeding the puppy and adult

Whether you choose canned food or dry food, treats as biscuits or left-overs, the quantity is the safest way of keeping the balanced diet for your Collie. They like raw meat and raw bones. Make sure not to feed them with cooked bones because they can do more harm than good.

Grooming

Since Koolie coat can be very short with the undercoat or a bit longer with undercoat, bristle brushing every 3 or 4 days will be enough for them. Some of them like the water and some of them don’t and that is perfectly fine since there is no need for a regular bath.

Points for Good Health

Lots of activities and lots of love. They express their love all the time and you can learn a lot from them actually. They like raw bones and from-the-table delicious treats but make sure not to overfeed them.

The best type of activity

Games that need them to be fast and think quickly. Running with them, driving a bike with them (but not on the leash!) would be a great fun for them. Why not leash? They are so playful and happy and they tend to jump and run to the side to chase a butterfly or catch the falling leaf.