MyDogBreeds
Tibetan Kyi Apso is originated from China but Slovak Cuvac is originated from Slovakia. Both Tibetan Kyi Apso and Slovak Cuvac are having almost same height. Both Tibetan Kyi Apso and Slovak Cuvac are having almost same weight. Both Tibetan Kyi Apso and Slovak Cuvac has same life span. Both Tibetan Kyi Apso and Slovak Cuvac has almost same litter size. Both Tibetan Kyi Apso and Slovak Cuvac requires Moderate maintenance.
The Tibetan Kyi Apso is an ancient rare breed. In fact, it is one of the rarest breeds on earth. Coming from Tibet, the Kyi Apso guarded livestock and homes for the nomads of the “rooftop of the world”. Apso means bearded and Kyi meand dog thus the Kyi Apso is a bearded dog.
This breed is very intelligent with a great personality and charm. In Western countries the breed is called Apso Do-Kyi or the Tibetan Collie. The first time these dogs are mentioned in any kind of documents was the late 19th and early 20th centuries in writings about Central Asian dogs. The Kyi Apso is related to the Tibetan Mastiff.
The breed is known to have been imported by Captain George Augustus Graham as a Tibetan wolf dog. The dog was also known to be owned by the 13th Dali Lama. There have not been many exported to Europe or North America, with the first coming to North America in the 1970’s.
There have been no registered litters since 2000 and the Tibetan Kyi Apso Club closed in 1999.
Looking quite a bit like the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the Slovak Cuvac is a large dog that has served as a guard dog. The Slovensky Cuvac is still used on sheep farms as he isn’t afraid of wolves and bears and will take them on if needs be.
Records of this dog have been kept since the 17th century already, and when the breed started dying out, a certain Dr Antonin Hruza put in efforts to revive the dog.
The registered breeding of the Slovensky Cuvac was established in Czechoslovakia and a club for the dog was established in 1933. A written standard was established in 1964. The dog is not recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
The Tibetan Kyi Apso is a large dog with a bearded face, full coat and curled tail. They have longer hair than the Mastiff and of course the shaggy, bearded muzzle. It is not as hefty as the Mastiff of course, and he is more athletic. Like many primitive dogs before them, the Kyi Apso comes into heat only one time a year, contributing to the rareness of the breed.
With their bearded face, the breed’s head appears bigger than it is. The ears are shaped as a V and skull is flat with the eyes on the outside of it. Their muzzle looks larger than it is due to the beard. Nose and lips are black, eyes are amber and almond shaped.
The coat is double, sheds odors and molts once a year. The coat can be black and tan, shades of red, blue-gray with white and solid black.
This is a large dog standing at between 59 and 70cm in height and weighing between 31 and 44kg.
The neck is broad and has quite a bit of fur around it. The head is large, the eyes dark brown, the double coat is white and thick and medium length. The eyes are brown, the ears medium length and floppy and the tail long and furry.
This is a robust dog, used to spending time outdoors keeping watch over livestock. When he is invited into the home, he is gentle and well behaved, more so when he has been trained and socialized.
He is loving and loyal towards his human family and will get on well with children in the home. He isn’t the brightest dog but you can still have him trained.
Your playful Slovak Cuvac is an affectionate dog, wanting nothing more than to be totally involved in his family’s life.
He is social and loving and also makes an excellent watchdog. He’s a big dog so think carefully before you bring him into your home. Many dog owners like the look of a big dog and forget that it costs a lot of money to feed a big dog and to pay for vet fees.
This big dog is wanting to be part of your family and not just to be discarded when you find that he is costing you too much.
Bloat: Fatal unless treated immediately by a vet. Common to this size dog and can be controlled by eating habits.
Other than these the Tibetan Kyi Apso is an ancient dog and very healthy as they were mostly isolated and did not interbreed. No genetic predetermined health problems.
This is a healthy dog breed, but as with many large dogs, hip dysplasia is a threat. Hip dysplasia is always reason for concern as the condition can reduce a dog’s quality of life.
It is distressing seeing your once active pet becoming reluctant to play and move around.
Canine hip dysplasia is a common skeletal condition. It can strike any size dog but is more prevalent with large dogs. The ball and socket of the hip doesn’t fit properly and deterioration sets in resulting in loss of function of the joint.
You will need to get your dog to the vet who will perform a physical exam and discuss treatments to alleviate the pain your dog can experience.
1Feeding the puppy – grow quickly don’t overfeed. High quality large breed puppy food and feed 4 small meals a day.
2.Feeding the adult – don’t over feed and don’t feed right before or after exercise due to the possibility of bloat. Feed high quality adult large breed dog food 2 x day in smaller meals.
◆The thick white hair will require regular grooming to keep it free from burrs and dirt. He sheds so this brushing will help him to look more groomed.
◆The nails should be trimmed regularly and the ears too should be checked for redness and infection. You’ll need to look inside his mouth too as a rotting tooth can cause havoc within his body. A rotten tooth can also cause him tremendous pain and he has no way of telling you this.
◆Have your pet spayed or neutered if you don’t want any puppies. This is better for your dog’s health in the long run too.
◆Your Slovak Cuvac is going to need a lot of exercise as they have always been used to roaming the mountains watching over livestock.
◆This is a big dog so if you buy commercially manufactured food, make sure its for large, energetic dogs. There are good commercially manufactured dog foods on the market – just make sure you buy the best one for your pet to enhance health and longevity.
Try and give him some home made food too. Healthy food which won’t jeopardise his digestion is boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots. These can all be chopped up and small portions mixed into the dry kibble twice a week as a treat.
Try and include some raw meat occasionally. Your dog will thank you for not giving him exotic people foods which can do lots of harm. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water within his reach.