Taigan vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Known also as the Kyrgyzdyn Taighany, the Taigan is a sighthound dog from Kyrgyzstan. Today the dog is recognized by a number of kennel clubs,and more recently by the FCI.

It was after 1991, when Kyrgyzstan became independent, that the role of the dog changed and t became a working dog again.

It was about in 1995 that a new breed standard was adopted, and since 2005 a national kennel club has existed in Kyrgyzstan.

Although the Cretan Hound or the Kritikos Lagonikos is recognized in both Greece and Germany, the hunting dog breed is from the island of Crete, Greece. The dog’s history goes back thousands of years. It is an ancient breed and some believe it is one of the oldest hunting breeds in Europe.

The Cretan Hound has been bred as a working dog, combining sight and scent to track down their prey. Today it is still a rare dog breed that you won’t easily find outside of Crete.

Greece kennels recognize this dog as well as some European kennels, but it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The Taigan is a large dog, looking much like a Grehound. He stands at between 55 and 82cm in height and weighs about 25 - 34kg.

He has that typical slender body and slender head of the greyhound. The coat of the dog is medium length and somewhat curly and can be many colours, sometimes even bi-colored – cream, black and white, brown, grey or yellow.

During the Winter the coat can become long and thick. The ears are floppy and covered with wavy fur. The tail is long and a distinguishing mark of the dog is the way the end of the tail coils up into a ring.

These dogs can’t be kept in small city properties – they are used to wide open spaces.

Temperament:

An intelligent breed, the Taigan will readily learn some basic commands to make him well mannered and obedient. He is strong willed and independent, so it will be beneficial to have him trained.

He also makes a good watchdog. He is an even-tempered dog and he enjoys human companionship although he is somewhat reserved with strangers. Even so, he will still need a strong, firm owner as he is strong-willed and independent and likes to go his own way.

He is able to get along well with children in the home and other pets. Being a fairly large dog, and one that likes to run, he is better suited to large properties in the countryside as opposed to living in the city.

Known for its extraordinary scent abilities as well as its speed, this dog has always been used as a hare hunter because of these skills.

It’s a slender dog of medium to large size and stands at about 60-68cm in height and weighs between 20 – 30kg. It is lean, strong, muscular and swift with a body that is inclined to be longer than tall.

He is slightly heavier than other scenthounds and his ribs aren’t seen. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears drop down, are folded back or can be semi-erect. The eyes are dark and the tail is long and curves upwards with longer hair being found on the tail.

The coat is short and smooth, and coat colors of the dog are varied and can be fawn, sandy, grey, white, black or brindle, and it can be tri-colored too.

Temperament:

The Cretan Hound is alert to sight, sound and scent and when it senses prey, the tail moves in a circular way and the dog becomes rigid for a while before he is off on the hunt.

He is a gentle, intelligent dog, reserved around strangers but making an excellent family pet as he gets on well with all his human family members as well as pets in the house. With good training and socialization, the dog becomes more relaxed around strangers.

He isn’t an aggressive dog, and while he is alert to sounds and smells, he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

Taigans are energetic dogs and they want a lot of activity. They’re good watchdogs too and are gentle with children.

They’re intelligent and independent and also strong willed. They’re fearless, calm, balanced, loving and loyal and capable of being an excellent pet and companion.

The Cretan Hound is an energetic, curious dog, but when it comes to being a family pet, he is affectionate and gentle.

He is a reserved dog around strangers. He likes to be busy and will love his walks and games with his human family members. He is smart so is readily trained and he likes to be obedient and to please.

The Cretan Hound will live in harmony with other dogs in the home and they’re also patient and good around disciplined children who have learned to respect animals.

Provide your Cretan Hound with his fair share of love and attention and he will go out of his way to be a loyal and loving family friend.

Any dog, no matter how healthy they may appear to be, can encounter any one of the many common dog illnesses there are. It is highly unlikely that your Taigan will experience these health issues but it’s good to be aware of some of them -

Bone Cancer:

Also known as osteosarcoma, bone cancer is more commonly seen in large dogs of any breed. It’s a cancer which spreads rapidly through the body and it is terribly sad that the prognosis for your dog is poor.

You might notice swelling, joint pain and lameness and your dog will appear to always be tired. Sometimes you might see a growth. Your vet might do x-rays and if you catch it early, you can give your pet a longer lease on life.

The Cretan Hound is a healthy, robust dog breed, but even so, he can suffer from some common health problems that other dogs are also susceptible to. Some of these are hip dysplasia , cancer, ear infections, bloat and cherry eye.

Remember that if you don’t want your dog to have puppies, they can actually benefit health-wise from being spayed or neutered. Doing this for your pet can prevent a number of health issues later on down the line.

Make sure too, that your puppy receives his vaccinations in a timely fashion so as to avoid terrible, life threatening illnesses such as parvo and rabies.

The Taigan is a large slender dog and you want to keep him that way.

Diet:

If you feed him one of the commercially manufactured dog foods, make sure its for a large, active dog breed and that it has a good list of ingredients. There are bad packaged dog foods and you want to avoid these. They are devoid of vitamins and minerals.

Read the packaging to see how much food to give. Also try and give your dog some home-made food too. Make sure it isn’t spicy, exotic foods. Stick to simple, wholesome foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots. Chop the food up and mix it into the dry kibble twice a week or so as a treat.

Also try and include some raw meat in occasionally.

Never leave your pet without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

General Care:

Provide your pet with a dry, peaceful place to sleep.

Get him to the vet if he is showing signs of sickness.

Give him a good dose of exercise – walks, hikes, runs, ball games etc.

See that his vaccines are up to date.

Have him or her neutered or spayed to avoid unwanted puppies.

If you bring a dog into your family, provide it with love and attention.

You’re certainly not going to have to do too much grooming with the Cretan Hound as he is a low maintenance breed.

The dog is a short haired breed and an average shedder, so a good brush twice a week will keep the coat free of loose hairs and maintain the condition of the hair.

As with all dogs, the nails as well as the ears must be checked and attended to. The veterinarian can advise you on how to keep his ears clean and free of infection, as prodding around without knowing can damage his ears.

Exercise:

This Cretan Hound has high activity needs. He is energetic and also hard-working, and you’ll need to be taking him on long walks and providing him with some highly energetic playing sessions. Throw ball for him and take him with you when you go jogging or cycling.