Estrela Mountain Dog vs Beagle - Breed Comparison

Also known as the Cao da Serra de Estrela, the large Estrela Mountain Dog from Portugal is an ancient breed, having been used for centuries to guard homesteads and livestock.

The Estrela, as a herding dog, has been developed over a long period of time because shepherds particularly wanted a dog that could survive in the mountains and be strong enough to guard livestock from predators.

The first official recorded breed standard was published in 1933, with an attempt to make the Estrela a distinct breed with a hooked tail and double dew claws.

Today the Estrela is a dog which can be found in other countries beyond Portugal, and in fact in 1973 pairs of the dogs were imported to the United States.

There are some accounts of similar size dogs used for hunting in Greece in 5th century BCE. During 8th century the Talbot Hound breed was created. In 11th century Talbot Hound was brought to England by William the Conqueror. While using in hunting they are found to be a slow runner. To overcome the situation and increase their running speed the hunting people bred Talbot Hound with Grey hounds. The beagles described earlier were very small in size and are said as pocket beagles.

The large Estrela Mountain Dog stands between 62 and 72cm and weighs between 30kg and 50kg.

The dog has 2 coat types – short and long but always coarse and thick. The coat is available in a number of colors, from fawn to gray to yellow and brindle and there can be white and black mixed throughout the coat.

The head of the dog is large and long, the neck fairly short and thick, he has dark brown eyes, a bright, intelligent expression with small, floppy ears which are set high on the skull, falling backwards against the side of the head. The tail is long and thick and the dog has a deep chest.

Temperament:

A large, athletic dog, the Estrela Mountain Dog is actually a calm dog, while still being protective towards his human family.

He is an intelligent dog who responds well to training and socialization. He is an independent dog, so this training and socialization is important - will be good for him, turning him into an obedient, relaxed pet who gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children.

They are small and compact breed, and always happy and fun loving. They should be trained by patient and creative training techniques. Beagles are very much interested in using their nose in finding interesting scents and are food focussed. They always wake their neighbours at 6 am by their half howling. They think everyone is their best friend and love to have friendship with other animals and humans. They have about 220 million scent receptors and are said as "a nose with feet" by humorist Dave Barry.

We can see beagles at many airports in their duty. They can easily trace out the illegal things being smuggled. Since they are small in size they are suitable for apartment living. But they like to walk around several times. They should be exercised for plenty of time. Obedience training should be given to them by giving food reward. Beagles are wanderers of nature and so if possible they will try to escape. So it is necessary to make them microchipped or to wear a collar, to find them easily.

The Estrela Mountain Dog loves his human family and takes guarding them and protecting them seriously. He is a strong willed, independent dog that will require training and socialization. He makes an excellent pet, and is calm and gentle with children.

The Estrela Mountain Dog has so much going for him – he is beautiful to look at, he is loyal and protective with his human family, he is intelligent, loving and a healthy type of breed, and he is just waiting to become a member of your family.

Children friendliness

They are very good companion for children. They love to play and spend time with children.

Special talents

They have millions of scent receptors and so they can be seen in Airports and many important places in duty. Also they are interested in hunting small rodents.

Adaptability

They adapt well for apartment living but they don't like being alone for a long time. If kept alone for a long time in back yard they will begin to bark and dig pit or try to escape. Beagle likes hot weather more than cold weather.

Learning ability

Beagles are difficult to train up. Many people say it will take about one year to house train beagles. They have an attitude of "what's in it for me". But it depends on the personality and temperament of the individual.

The Estrela Mountain Dog can live to be between 10 and 14 years of age, but as with any large dog, he will have a tendency to suffer from hip- and elbow dysplasia.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is another common heart failure disease found particularly in large-breed dogs. The Estrela is prone to this disease and you’ll notice he has shortness of breath, abdominal swelling and coughing. The disease may not be curable, but there are certainly treatments for it.

Beagle's ears should be checked occasionally for any sign of infections like discoloured wax, dirt or foul odour. Also their nails should be trimmed regularly. They should be exercised regularly in order to maintain a proper weight. The most common health problems in beagles are obesity, epilepsy and allergies.

Hair fall

They are average shedders and having short hair thus it is easy to groom. They should be made to bath with a mild and non irritant shampoo.

Diet:

The Estrela Mountain Dog is a large dog and thankfully, when it comes to feeding him, experts in dog feeding have come up with commercially manufactured dog feeds that particularly cater for a dog’s age, his size and any illnesses he may have.

As a large dog, your Estrela Mountain Dog can suffer with joint problems such as hip dysplasia. For hip dysplasia you want to be looking at a dog food for large dogs which contains joint-health ingredients. An ingredient in the dog food such as glucosamine can work to reduce the damage brought about by hip dysplasia.

Mix in some cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken into his kibble from time to time. You want your pet to live a long, healthy life and raw meat added in occasionally can increase your pets energy levels, reduce the risk of joint disease and ensure a shiny, soft coat. Raw meat can provide iron, zinc, vitamins, minerals and potassium.

Grooming:

The Estrela isn’t a huge shedder, but his beautiful, thick coat will require brushing twice a week. It’s your chance to check him over for fleas and ticks as well, and the entire grooming process – checking his ears, nails and teeth – is an excellent bonding experience for you and your canine friend.

Exercise:

The Estrela may be large, but he is fairly calm. He’ll love to join you on your daily walks or for a ball game in the garden. He can adapt to life in the city or the country, but his big size will mean he isn’t suited to a tiny property.

Feeding the puppy

After 4 weeks of birth the puppy can be given solid foods by slowly increasing the ratio for many weeks. The recommended food is fresh meat of chicken breast, lamb, turkey and lean hamburger. The vegetables can be given as raw or steamed. The vegetables that will be good for them are raw baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet peas. The puppies should be fed 3 to 4 small meals per day as they require more nutrients for their growth.

Feeding the adult

The grown up dog should be fed with the same food and 1 complete meal is enough for them. The meal should be given at noon. The food should be given based on calories as they should not get overweight. In addition to food, fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, banana and mango can also be given to them periodically.

Points for Good Health

Beagles should be exercised daily in order to maintain proper weight. Beagles are average shedders and having short hair which is easy to groom. They should be made to bath periodically with a mild shampoo.

Games and Exercises

Moderate exercise such as walking and cardio exercise such as chasing a ball should be given to them for staying them to be active and for maintaining good health.