MyDogBreeds
Valley Bulldog is originated from Canada but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Valley Bulldog may grow 25 cm / 9 inches shorter than Hovawart. Valley Bulldog may weigh 15 kg / 33 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Both Valley Bulldog and Hovawart has almost same life span. Both Valley Bulldog and Hovawart has same litter size. Both Valley Bulldog and Hovawart requires Low maintenance.
The Valley Bulldog originates from Nova Scotia, Canada. It is thought that the Boxer, English Bulldog and the Olde English Bulldogge have been used to bring about the Valley Bulldog.
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 Valley Bulldog stands at between 36 and 46cm in height and he weighs in the region of 18 – 36kg. He is actually a taller version of an English Bulldog.
He is muscular and sturdy and has the true broad head of which the Bulldog is so familiar. He has small to medium floppy ears and a stump of a tail. He also has the flat muzzle.
The dog’s coat is short and smooth, making him fairly low maintenance, although he is a moderate shedder. It comes in typical Bulldog shades – tan, white, red, black and brindle.
The Valley Bulldog has an excellent nature, being completely non-aggressive, and when he has been trained and socialized you get a superb pet.
He’s intelligent so you won’t have any trouble learning any basic commands. He is able to get along with other pets in the home. He can be quite entertaining too as he becomes clownish, loving to be around his human family. He is also capable of being calm and gentle.
He makes a splendid playmate for children, loving the games as he is quite an energetic dog. He isn’t suited to life in a tiny home in the city because he loves to just run sometimes, and then he can be like a bull in a china shop.
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.
The Valley Bulldog is guaranteed to make you a splendid pet because he has such a sweet temperament.
He is such a social, playful dog too. Because of his intelligence, you won't have any trouble teaching him some basic commands. You’ll be amused and entertained by this wonderful dog in your life as his warm personality will ensure you have a true friend in him.
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.
It can be sad watching a dog becoming less mobile as joint problems set in. The vet can recommend a diet which can help to manage joint disease. Also, the pain associated with joint problems can be debilitating for your pet and you will want to get your pet to the vet so the pain can be managed.
These dogs have quite a few folds around the face and these areas need to be kept clean and dry. An overweight Valley Bulldog should be avoided at all costs as this can put additional weight on the joints.
This is a Brachycephalic breed so they tend to battle with breathing, particularly when they are stressed, agitated or hot. Sometimes these dogs will even gag so as to clear their airway.
Watch for coughing and choking. Such difficulties can be life-threatening for your Valley Bulldog so it is important to recognize respiratory problems with your dog.
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:
You need to be careful with a bulldog as they have sensitive stomachs and are prone towards indigestion and flatulence. They will certainly need to avoid some foods and you also want to avoid obesity at all costs. The wrong foods can also cause allergic reactions as well as dermatitis which can be very painful and frustrating.
If you have a Valley Bulldog, for your own peace of mind, speak to your veterinarian or a dog expert about the best foods for a bulldog and also the amount to feed. There are some foods that are totally toxic to bulldogs. Make sure your Valley Bulldog always has a bowl of fresh, cool water available that is easy to reach.
Have grooming sessions with your bulldog where you check inside his ears, inside his mouth for bad teeth and check his eyes and face. His nails will also need to be trimmed.
These dogs are more active than you think but you need to be careful that the exercise isn’t too strenuous. He isn’t the kind of dog that will do well with running next to you as you cycle.
Rather take him on a walk every day and give him some ball games in the garden where you can throw him a ball or allow him to pull on a rope.
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.