Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher vs Cesky Fousek - Breed Comparison

The Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is an ancient dog breed and dates back to 1780. It is believed that this dog breed is extinct, but that the German Pinscher of today is family of this dog breed. The dog used to be good on the farm as an all-purpose working dog.

When you look at the history of dogs, there are so many that have come and gone, never to be seen or heard of again. Other animals become extinct because of environmental factors, but with dogs it’s a bit different and most, like the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher, died out simply because it became unfashionable.

Maybe the jobs that this dog was designed to do no longer existed and he died out because he was no longer needed.

The Cesky Fousek is also known as the Bohemian Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon and he hails from the Czech Republic. The name ‘Fousek’ is referring to the dogs facial hair.

With World War 1, the dog all but disappeared, but with careful breeding, its numbers have built up. Today the dog is a popular hunting breed in its home country. In 1957 and 1958, Czechoslovakia joined the Federation Cynologique Internationale, and this is when a new breed standard was written and approved. In 1964, the dog breed was recognized by the FCI and by the United Kennel Club in 1996.

The Cesky Fousek has even been represented on postage stamps issued in the country in 1965, and again in 1973. Today, the breed is as popular as ever in the Czech Republic as well as other countries where there are breeding programs.

Described as a medium sized dog, the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is an extinct variety of the German Pinscher. Like that dog, the Swiss Shorthaired had a muscular, strong square build.

Possibly he also had his ears and tail docked at that time. It is thought that he stood between 40 – 48cm in height and weighed in the region of 11 to 15kg.

He had the typical looks of the Doberman Pinscher with short smooth hair in black and tan, short erect ears and a tail that was traditionally cropped. He was lean and muscular with brown eyes. They were working dogs in their day and were not considered the best dogs to have for the first time dog owner.

Tempeament

These dogs have always been hardworking, brave and fearless. They make good family pets too and get on well with children. They would have been adaptable too to life in the city or the countryside, so long as he got his exercise.

A well bred Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher was alert and a good guard dog, and one wonders why this dog with its good qualities died out.

The Cesky Fousek is a medium sized dog with both the male and the female standing between 58 – 66cm and weighing 22–28kg. The dog has a fairly distinctive appearance, looking quite a bit like a German Wire-haired Pointer, but he has the mustache and beard which the Pointer doesn’t have.

The tail of this dog is carried horizontally and is generally docked to 3/5 of its natural length to give the dog a distinctive look. These days, with regulations around docking, the tail is left long. The ears are floppy and rounded at the tips and the eyes are brown.

The dog’s coat is short to medium length and fairly coarse with colors being dark roan or brown with ticked markings.

Temperament:

The Cesky Fousek is an energetic, eager-to-please dog and he just loves playing with the children in the home. He is an intelligent dog who is loyal, social and protective and you’ll find that he is easy to train. In fact, with socialization and training, he becomes obedient and amicable around adults, children and other pets.

The Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is no longer around but he would no doubt have made a good family pet. He would have wanted to protect his human family.

He was a stubborn, bold dog, and maybe socialization and training didn’t exist then, but he would have benefited from it.

He’s the kind of dog that would have adapted well to life in the city or the countryside, but you could never neglect his exercise needs. In the right environment, this Pinscher would have made a loving, loyal pet.

The Cesky Fousek is a fun loving, good natured dog who is always up for a game. This is why he isn’t a dog that will fit into an apartment or shoe-box size garden.

Socialize and train him and he becomes a wonderful family pet, good around children and other pets. He loves human companionship and isn’t a dog to be left outside to run around on his own.

The Cesky Fousek is easy to train, and when he is treated properly and made to feel an important member of the family, he provides you with his unconditional love and friendship.

It is not too sure about the health status of this extinct dog but we can assume that he would have been prone to some of the typical dog illnesses there are.

Hypothyroidismd, bloat, cancer, cataracts, infections and obesity were just some of the diseases this dog would have had to contend with.

Hypothyroidism:

The thyroid glands in the neck produce hormones. These hormones affect the functioning of the body. Hypothyroidism in dogs is usually caused by shrinkage of the thyroid gland or inflammation.The disease occurs more often in Pinscher dogs.

You may notice a dulling or thinning of your dog’s hair, weight gain and reduced activity. Hypothyroid dogs also tend to battle more with ear- and skin infections. Veterinary treatment will become necessary.

Catarats:

It causes a whiteness,cloudiness or opacity on the lens of the eye. It's not painful for a dog but it can cause loss of vision. Surgery can improve vision for the dog.

The average lifespan of this dog breed is about 12 to 15 years, and even though he is a robust breed, some common health issues do exist.

Certainly if you’re considering breeding for your Cesky Fousek, you’ll want to have him tested for dysplasia, eye problems and Von Willebrands Disease.

Von Willebrands Disease is an inherited bleeding disorder, caused by a deficiency in the amount of a specific protein needed to help platelets.Often the dog doesn’t show outward evidence of having the disease while other dogs might even hemorrhage from the nose or elsewhere.

Diet:

In those days of the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher, maybe commercially manufactured dog foods weren’t available. If the dog were still around today, you would feed him dry kibble for medium sized dogs.

Probably the owners of these dogs fed them from the food they ate. It can be a good idea to feed any dog you have with some homemade food.

This can include things such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots. This is the kind of simple food that dogs love.

Being a farm dog in his day, he was probably tossed raw meat occasionally and this would have done him the world of good.

General Care:

Although the short, smooth hair of the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is looked upon as low maintenance, the dog would have needed a good brush twice a week just to keep it shiny and healthy.

After a hard day of work on the farm, the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher would have required a nice warm, dry spot to sleep.

Grooming:

The coat of the Cesky Fousek is easy to maintain and you’ll want to brush him at least twice a week with a firm bristle brush to get through the coarse hair and rid him of loose hairs.

Ear infections are common in dogs, but dogs with floppy ears are more susceptible to ear infections than dogs with erect ears. The infection often starts in the external ear canal and occurs when excess bacteria grows in the ear canal and it becomes inflamed.

Always take your pet to the veterinarian at the first sign of an ear infection. You’ll notice your pet shaking his head and the ear may well be red and inflamed. Your vet will discuss the proper treatment and suggest ways to prevent recurrence. The vet may also recommend an ear cleaning solution as well.

Exercise:

This dog breed needs plenty of exercise and he’ll love his daily walks with you. Put him on a leash and allow him to run with you when you go cycling or jogging.

Diet:

This is a very active dog used to hunting and he’ll require good quality protein. Speak to your vet about how many calories your dog will need each day, more so if you have a puppy and are unsure in terms of his growth.

He is a medium-to-large breed so you’ll want a food that caters for his size, his age and his energy. Include portions of rice, vegetable and meat into his kibble from time to time for variety, and never forget to include some raw meat into his diet.

Fresh, cool water is of critical importance and should be available night and day.