MyDogBreedsVikhan Sheepdog is originated from Pakistan but Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher is originated from Austria. Vikhan Sheepdog may grow 18 cm / 8 inches higher than Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher. Vikhan Sheepdog may weigh 27 kg / 60 pounds more than Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher. Vikhan Sheepdog may live 6 years less than Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher. Vikhan Sheepdog may have more litter size than Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher. Vikhan Sheepdog requires High maintenance. But Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher requires Moderate maintenance
The Vikhan Dog is a rare breed that very little is known about. It is not sanctioned by any breed club or kennel club. The breed originally came from Pakistan in the North-west Frontier Province near the Indian border, in the Chitral region and the state of Himacchal Pradesh. For the most part Pakistan is credited with the development of the breed. They originally guarded livestock and hunting leopard. He is fast and fierce. The breed is bonded to the livestock when they are very young and instinctually guard them for the rest of their life. They do not herd them, they blend into the flock and watch for outsiders.
They confront strangers and predators with aggressive displays and vocal intimidation. If this does not work, it will attack and drive them off. They are even known for luring coyotes into a trap with food so that they can hunt them.
Hailing from Austria, the Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher, better known as the Austrian Short-Haired Pinscher has always been depicted on paintings from the Baroque period.
The dog is a terrier-type canine and has always been used as a watchdog but he was also used to hunt because of the terrier qualities he possesses.
This dog has always been used for working on farms. Breeding of this dog started in 1921 and the dog was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2006.
The Vikhan Sheepdog is a large working breed that is lean, muscular and aggressive. He is immensely intelligent and fearless. He has a thick coat in solid brown, red, fawn or black. There are also multi-colored and spotted versions as well. They are related to the other regional Molossers and are sometimes called the giant Rough Collie. They are faster than they are strong. All Molossers are solid, large and share the same ancestor.
They typically have short, muscular necks and broad but short muzzles. They have heavy bones, wrinkles and pendant ears. With well-muscled legs and wide chests, the Molossers include the mastiffs and bully breeds and all other breeds that come from those groups. Molossers are either flock guardians or home guardians. The Vikhan Sheepdog is a flock guardian
As a medium sized dog, both males and females stand at between 42 and 50cm in height and the dog weighs roughly between 14 and 20kg.
The coat is shortish, dense and smooth and is essentially black and tan with some white, fawn or brindle. The ears of the dog are fairly short and they look as though they wanted to be erect but then decided to be floppy. The nose is black and the eyes dark brown.
The tail is usually docked but when it is left long, it curls over the back. If you want your dog to be bred you can expect between 4 – 6 puppies.
These are playful dogs, getting on well with their human families and wanting to get involved in their activities. They are suspicious of strangers. They are good with kids, making them a good playmate, but they don’t like small children being allowed to climb over them.
They are able to get along well with any other pets in the house. It would be to your benefit to have the dog trained and socialized as he becomes obedient and good around people in social settings. He is an intelligent dog and will find training easy.
They also take their role as guardian and protector seriously.Because he was bred to be a farm dog, he wouldn’t e able to adapt to life on a tiny property in the city.
Have your Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher trained and socialized if you want him to be amicable and obedient around you and your visitors.
He does well with a human family who are firm, kind and patient with him. He loves to be kept busy with both mental and physical exercise, thriving on challenging activities, and he will become frustrated if he is left day after day just to lie around.
Take him with you on walks, buy him nice chewy, stimulating toys, throw a ball or frisbee with him and include him in your activities.
This is a dog more suited to life in the countryside as opposed to life in the city. Care well for this splendid family pet and you’ll quickly begin to see why dogs like him are known as man’s best friend.
Because this is a rare breed having lived in isolation for centuries, little is known or documented about their health issues. However being a large Molosser, they face some of the same health challenges as all large dogs. These include
• Bloat – when the internal organs of the intestinal system are knotted or inverted. Without immediate attention it causes death under all circumstances. You need to get the dog to a vet as soon as possible.
• Hip Dysplasia – Can cause lameness in hind legs and/or arthritis. Can be treated.
• Elbow Dysplasia – Can cause lameness in the front legs and/or arthritis. Can be treated.
The Austrian Short-haired Pinscher is a robust kind of dog that isn’t going to have you rushing to the vet very often. True, he does have some hereditary health issues but it is highly unlikely that you will find these health issues in your pet.
Nonetheless it pays to know about one of the more serious conditions -
This is a heart disease that is present from birth and could have been passed down from the parent dog to the puppy. A congenital heart defect occurs as a malformation of any valve, with the most common congenital heart diseases in dogs being patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonic stenosis as well as subaortic stenosis, all potentially inherited defects.
Sometimes a dog can live a fairly normal life with this disease but other times there are complications which can lead to congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation, causing symptoms such as difficulty with breathing, cough and weakness. Your dog will need to get to the vet to discuss treatment options.
1Feeding the puppy – due to the risk of bloat, don’t overfeed and don’t feed large meals before or after exercise. Also don’t feed too high protein since the puppies grow so fast and it can cause bone injuries. Feed 3-4 x day.
2.Feeding the adult - due to the risk of bloat, don’t overfeed and don’t feed large meals before or after exercise. feed 2 X day
4. Games and Exercises Although large dogs they are surprisingly good at agility, they need a lot of exercise and long walks.
They need quite a lot of exercise, and even though they can adopt to life in the countryside or the city, they will require regular walks, ball- and rope games to prevent them becoming bored, frustrated and destructive.
The Austrian Short-haired Pinscher sheds quite a bit so he will need to be brushed at least twice a week to remove the loose hairs.
As a medium sized, energetic dog, you want to ensure you maintain your dogs energetic nature by providing him with excellent food.
Choose your commercially manufactured food carefully as some of them are of a poor quality and can actually be detrimental to your dog’s health. Choose a high quality kibble that has quality ingredients.
Home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and vegetables such as carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes all chopped up and added to his kibble occasionally will do wonders for this dog. He will thrive on also getting in some raw meat from time to time.
Ensure a constant supply of fresh, cool water.