Karelian Bear Dog vs Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie - Breed Comparison

The Karelian Bear Dog is a Finnish Spitz-type dog who is regarded as a national treasure in the country. They have always been noted for their hunting skills, and because the dog has been found in ancient Viking graves you can assume it is an ancient breed.

In fact the ancestry of the dog can be traced to neolithic times, when dogs followed human settlers to regions of Scandinavia and Europe.The American Kennel Club does not fully recognize the Karelian Bear Dog. It is however included in their Foundation Stock Service.

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is one of the oldest scent hunting dogs around. A crossbreed between the French Hounds and the English hunting dogs, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is believed to be an offspring of several famous dogs such as the Beagles, the Poitevins, and the Petit Gascon-Sainttongeois.

Although the genesis of this dog breed is somewhat unclear, a majority of the sources believe that it was developed in the 16th century at a time when written records of dog breeding never existed. Throughout the 16th to the 17th centuries, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie became a treasured dog breed thanks to the rise of hunting games among European nobles. As the sport thrived in England and especially in France, the need to own the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie became paramount leading to this dog breed’s popularity. Formerly known as the Petit Anglo-Francais, this dog breed was changed to its current name in 1978 before being admitted to the United Kennel Club in 1996.

Standing at between 54–60cm in height and weighing roughly 20–23 kg, the medium sized Karelian Bear Dog has a beautiful shiny coat. The outercoat is shortish, straight and dense and the undercoat is soft and thick.

The color of the coat is black with white markings. The dog has a bushy tail which curls in a circle over the back and the tail’s end is white. The ears of the dog are small and erect while the small eyes are intense.

Temperament:

It is best to have your Karelian Bear dog trained and socialized as he can tend to be aggressive towards other pets in the house, and even towards people he isn't familiar with. The owner of these dogs must be firm and fair with training as the Karelian is a strong-willed dog.

He is devoted to his human owners while being somewhat aloof and unfriendly with strangers. They are very territorial.

He is a very social dog and just loves spending time outdoors with his family. He is also good with children in the home as he is a playful dog.He is a dog who is going to require a lot of space to use up his energy. He needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation, as in the past he has always had a lot of work to do, and just loves being active. He is a confident, brave dog who takes his job as family protector seriously.

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is a dog breed that resembles a Beagle. Developed in France, this scent hound has served as a hunting dog for centuries making it an athletic breed with unusual characteristics. Their chests are narrow and deep while the heads are smaller as compared to the rest of the body. The eyes are brown and dark while the tails are medium in size. The limbs are tall, straight, and muscular while their steady necks and broad muzzles are an indication that these dogs are surely bred for hunting purposes.

Since Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie are athletic dogs, you will, of course, expect their overall weight to be lesser as compared to most other breeds. These dogs have a short, dense coat that’s easy to groom. With a life expectancy of about 13 years, these breeds are generally healthy and quite easy to maintain. The only major problem these scent hounds experience is a hip and elbow dysplasia which will require you to inspect them for injuries upon returning home from their line of duty.

Your energetic Karelian Bear Dog isn’t recommendeded for life in the city in a small garden. He needs a large garden or farm where he can run far and wide.

Exercising him will be an important part if you own one of these dogs. He is a social, friendly, active family pet who happens to make a good watchdog too.

Make sure you have your Karelian Bear Dog trained and socialized and he’ll make you a wonderful friend and pet.

Children friendliness

Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie are non-aggressive, stubborn but tolerable dogs that work well with kids. However, proper training and socialization must be conducted to ensure that these dogs don’t cause harm to your kids.

Special talents

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is not a shy pet. These dog breeds do make a perfect companion especially due to their hunting characteristics. They can get along well with new owners and should be kept with a same-breed companion to reduce nervousness.

Adaptability

When it comes to their adaptability, Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie are better suited to be working dogs over being kept indoors. They are therefore suited to farm settings or rural areas where there’s vast track of lands to play and exercise.

Learning ability

Finally, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is not suited to everyone. This is because this dog breed is quite stubborn and unable to follow orders like most indoor pets do.

The Karelian Bear Dog can reach 10 to 12 years of age with good care, but just like with other dog breeds, he can be prone to certain health problems such as eye and dental problems as well as hip dysplasia.

Many people don’t realize that dental problems are far more serious than what they imagine. An offensive breath can be the first warning sign of tooth decay with your canine friend.

There are other problems that can develop orally for your dog and these include inflammation of the gums, swollen gums and mouth tumors. You need to brush your pet’s teeth but also see to it that he goes for regular dental check-ups at the vet.

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is known to be a generally healthy dog with very few health concerns. We think the reason why it’s a healthy dog is due to its athletic characteristic and medium-sized body which is not prone to problems as compared to its large-sized contemporaries. However, since this scent hound is a cross-breed between two well-known breeds, there are chances that it might suffer from several health problems that mostly affect closely related breeds. Some of these health issues include;

Hip and elbow dysplasia

The hip and elbow dysplasia is a skeletal condition that occurs when the hip or elbow joints fail to develop properly. This condition is very painful and is most common in large breeds such as the St. Bernard, Great Dane, and the German Shepherd. Although the main causes of this condition include; poor nutrition, obesity, lack of exercise, and excessive growth, hereditary issues are very common and can’t be ruled out.

Demodectic mange

Another health condition you need to watch out for is the demodectic mange. An inflammatory disease caused by various types of mites, the mange can become intolerable in case the number of mites inhabiting your dog’s hair follicles become exorbitant. Among the common signs you’ll expect to see include; redness on the skin, alopecia, and problems with the immune system. To tackle this problem, pet owners will need to groom their dogs more often by digging deep into the skin to identify the mites.

Cataracts

Cataract is a normal eye condition that affects the eye lens causing it to lose its transparency resulting in impaired vision and later blindness. Although this condition is viewed as a byproduct of aging, some dog breeds such as the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie are most likely to suffer from this health condition. A common treatment for this condition may include; applying eye drops to help prevent inflammation, surgery or treatment of the underlying factor.

There are many people who just keep a dog for watchdog purposes and fail to make the pet a proper family member by meeting its physical and emotional needs.

Caring for a dog means providing nutritious food and clean drinking water, seeing that he has a warm, dry place to sleep, providing the dog with exercise and ensuring the dog is healthy and content.

Caring for a dog is a big responsibility, and you have to think carefully before you bring a dog into your home and life.

You need to be careful with the food you select for your pet. If you’re feeding him a commercially manufactured food, you need to make sure to read the label and make sure the top ingredients are meat and not meat by-products. If this is something you’ve never thought about, ask your veterinarian for food recommendations.

Speaking of veterinarians, make sure you have a reliable, reputable vet you can call on. At some time or other your pet may get sick and then you want to have the name of a reliable vet in your contacts list on your cell phone. Sometimes your pet can become suddenly sick where he will need immediate, emergency help from the vet.

Just like you look after yourself, you need to look after your pet by brushing him, checking him for fleas, ticks and worms and keeping an eye on his eyes, ears, teeth and general health.

Feeding the puppy

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie puppies need to be fed with excellent-quality dog food to provide a balanced nutrition for precise growth. For puppies between 8 and 12 months, 4 bowls of food a day will be enough. Puppies ranging from 3 to 6 months old should be given at list 3 meals in 24 hours period. Always feed your puppies with top quality puppy foods to avoid any possible nutritional defects. Dry food mixed with canned food, broth, or water is perfect for puppies.

Feeding the adult

When your Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie has reached maturity, it will be best that you feed him once in each day. Always go for the best dog food to ensure that you feed him with proper nutrition. Other meals you can incorporate (but in small quantities) are cooked eggs, fruits, veggies, and cottage cheese.

Points for good health

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie should be fed with excellent-quality food to avoid various health problems such as tooth and bone concerns. Since these breeds are prone to hip dysplasia, regular veterinary check-ups should be observed at all times.

Games and exercises

The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is an athletic dog breed that requires regular physical activity to stay in good shape. Following the footsteps of their ancestors, these dogs are hunting dogs despite the fact that some people prefer keeping them indoors as pets. To eliminate boredom, it’s wise that you set aside some time on a daily basis to exercise your dog as well as take a walk down the streets or around the park.