Grand Gascon Saintongeois vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison

Known also as the Virelade, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois hails from the Saintongeois region of France, being a newish addition to the hunting dog breed.

The Saintongeois hound and the Grand Blue de Gascogne are the ancestors of this scentdog as these two breeds themselves, are exceptional hunters. The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large dog and favored by the French nobility for its ability to hunt.

After the French Revolution the popularity of the breed waned. It was Baron Joseph de Carayon-LaTour who tried to revive the Saintongeois Hound. The dogs were mated with the Grand Bleu de Gascogne and were so outstanding that breeding was continued. The breed that was created is the Grand Gascon Saintongeois which we know today.

It was in January 1993 that the Grand Gascon Saintongeois was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club.

Siberian Huskies are very close to Chukchi people.Chukchi is a tribe in Siberian nomads and huskies are beleived to be originated with them. DNA tests on huskies prove that they are the oldest among the dog breeds and they used them to travel fast. Also children used to sleep with them as they provide body heat to them. Siberian Huskies also like to be very close to the children. In 1908 at the gold rush, huskies were imported to Alaska and used as sled dogs. In Alaska they were used for dog sled race until today.

Siberian Huskies were exported from Siberia and they continued their journey in North America. American kennel club recognized them in 1930 and the Siberian club of america has been founded in 1938.

The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large, well built breed of dog that looks strong and robust. His head is strong and covered with loose skin that forms wrinkles around the cheeks. He stands at 61-73cm and weighs 30 to 35kg.

He has straight, long legs. He has a short, smooth coat which is white with black patches. Sometimes you'll also find a speckled or ticked pattern. There'll be tan dots over the eyes.

The eyes are brown, the nose black and the long, thin textured ears are low on the dogs head and also well back on the skull. The tail is long.

Temperament:

He is known for his deep voice to voice an opinion. He is a loving, friendly, courageous and affectionate breed with a well balanced temperament, making him a splendid pet. He is also intelligent and so he won't battle at all to learn some rules. Training and socialization will be good for him even though he is such an amicable dog already, but then he just becomes extra obedient.

Siberian Huskies are said to be one of the beautiful dog breeds in the world. They are well known for their thick coat and blue coloured eyes. Siberian Huskies are really challenging for new dog owners. It is preferred to give them a fenced yard and the fence should be sunk well to the ground to prevent them from escaping, as they always try to escape. They are medium sized working dogs having high energy level. Initially huskies were developed as sled dogs.

They are affectionate and intelligent breed. Also they are independent in nature. They are kid friendly dogs and also are friendly with everyone including strangers. Siberian Huskies will be a good companion when given proper training and care. They are low shedders but it depends on the climate it lives. Normally they dont shed in cold climate but in warmer climate they will do. They shed heavily twice in a year for a three week strech. Normally Siberian Huskies do not suit well for apartment living. They are not watchdogs as they will bark very rarely but it enjoys to howl.

Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a true hunting dog breed and valued for his hunting prowess. He has another side to him though and is gentle, loving and calm with his human family.

He makes a wonderful family companion, getting on well with children as well as pets in the home. He may show a bit of aggression to strangers and this is why training and socialization works so well with him as it helps him behave well around family and strangers.

Training is never a problem as he is an intelligent dog. He is an energetic dog and won't fit well into city life in tiny properties, also because of his tendency to bark when bored. He fits well into country life or large properties.

When you provide your large pet with good food, a warm place to sleep, exercise and plenty of love and attention, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois is going to turn out to be one of the most loyal, affectionate pets you can imagine.

Children friendliness

Siberian Huskies are very much affectionate with children. But it is necessary to train both parties to behave with each other. It is recommended to have an adult supervision for younger children.

Special talents

They are very good diggers and so they should be watched if they are in garden. They tolerate well in cold weather and mostly huskies can be seen in the area of snow falling. They are very good in pulling sledges.

Adaptability

They adapt well in cold weather. It is advised to give them a well fenced yard. They do not like apartment living. Also they do not like to be alone and if kept alone for long time they will disturb your house and make it dirty.

Learning ability

Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a robust dog, who with good care can reach up to 14 years of age. You're not going to be running to the vet often with this strong looking dog, but even so, there are one to two problems that you'll want to look out for.

Ear Infections:

Long-eared dogs are more susceptible to canine ear infections. The symptoms of the infection will be dependent on how severe it is. Certainly your dog may experience pain and you'll see him shaking his head and pawing at his ear. If both ears are affected by inflammation, he may even walk in a wobbly fashion and the infection could lead to deafness. It is imperative that he get to the vet as soon as possible.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is where the ball and socket joint of the hip is malformed. It results in a joint rubbing and grinding. It can lead to loss of function of the hip joints. It is a common skeletal disease in young or old dogs, small or large dogs and in both males and females.

Large dogs are more commonly affected though with hip dysplasia which can see arthritis developing too. Your dog will display decreased activity and difficulty with standing up after lying down. Veterinary intervention will be required.

Siberian husky suffers with minor health problems such as hypothyroidism, Progressive retinal atrophy and cataract. They are also prone to lose pigment in nose and muzzle. Some health problems occur due to bad breeding practices and some due to environmental problems where the puppy is brought up. They have also chances to get skin disease such as allergies.

Hair fall

When they are in the age of 2 to 5 years, they are having chances to hairloss due to Alopecia X. This condition mainly causes due to hair clipping in Siberians. They will be healthy but the hair will not grow in affected areas. Siberians are double coated and when the situation prevails the topcoat will fall off first and the undercoat follows it. The hair will fall off in both side of the dog in same area. Spaying or neutering will reduce such problems as it causes because of sex hormones.

These large dogs with their short smooth coats have very little grooming needs. Regular brushing twice a week will remove dead hair and also ensure the good condition of the coat.

He has long ears and these will need to be checked regularly to avoid ear infections. It will be a good idea to learn how to clean the ears and to do it in such a way as to avoid damaging them. Signs of ear infection include redness, discharge, irritation and bad odor.

Diet:

Following the feeding instructions on the packaging of top quality kibble, provide your Grand Gascon Saintongeois with at least 2 meals a day. To steer away from the monotony of kibble every day, mix in some raw meat from time to time, and also include some cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables as a tasty treat. Fresh, cool water should always be easily accessible to him.

Feeding the puppy

In one method of feeding the Husky puppies, the food will be given always available, but this method is not recommended as it has some problems. This method is followed by large breeders because of lack of time to spend on individuals. Another method is to keep meal for 3 times a day. At about 12 to 16 weeks of age the meals can be reduced to two times a day. In this method the meal given should not be there after 15 minutes even if puppy did not ate. The important training for Husky puppies while eating is they should not growl when the food is taken by its master.

Feeding the adult

Many Siberian experts don't like commercial dog food as they are sure that because of such foods dog may get problems like itching, dandruff, loose stools and hot spots. According to experts the good food for them are home cooked food from turkey, real chicken, beef and fish. Fruits and fresh vegetables are also very good for them. It is advised by dog owners to add only low salt or even without salt in their food. Also sugar is not good for them as it will bring some problems like hairfall and itching.

Points for Good Health

Siberian huskies can be easily groomed. Their eyes should be checked in puppyhood as they get chances to get eye problems and hereditary eye diseases. It is advised to make siberians to bath once in a year and they must be brushed once in a week. While brushing, the ears should be inspected and its teeth should be brushed. It is good to trim the long hairs in their feet and also nails should be trimmed slightly and very carefully as they have blood vessels there.

Games and Exercises

To give training and exercises to Siberian Huskies, the home should be prepared for them and it is better to make a fenced yard to prevent escapes. They have very high chances to escape and so the fence should be minimum 6 feet high and base should be strong as it should not break it or dig under to escape. Since they are active from their puppyhood they must be given lots of exercise. They should be socialized in their early stages as to get good behaviour and manners.