Moscow Guard dog vs American Staghound - Breed Comparison

Looking much like the Saint Bernard, the Moscow Guard Dog or Moscow Watchdog is large, descending from quite a few giant breeds such as the Saint Bernard, different Russian Hounds and the Caucasian Ovtcharka.

The dog has a gentle temperament. Known also as a gentle giant, the Moscow Guard Dog was developed in the Soviet Union and is fairly common in its native country.

The first US-born litter of Moscow Guard Dogs was born in 2015. The Moscow Watchdog hasn’t yet been recognized by the AKC.

The American Staghound is hunting dog and type of sighthound that is not recognized as a separate breed. They have historically been bred to hunt coyotes and then other game. Even though they are not considered a separate breed some of their breeding lines have existed much longer than some officially recognized breeds. The American Staghound is a cross between the Greyhound and the Scottish Deerhound. There was probably some Borzoi mixed in as well. The Staghound is believed to have traveled with General Custer across the American West. The breed is a long-legged running dog with the speed of a Greyhound, the sighting ability of sight hounds and more endurance than any running breed. They are incredible athletes with amazing agility and have been bred to course game – coyotes mostly – and therefore are bred with a very intense prey drive. In the past they chased stags and deer and today they chase coyotes and hare. Coyotes are much faster than wolves and fight just as hard. The American Staghound is the only breed fast enough to track down the coyote. However, the breed is not recognized by the AKC. Hunting with an American Staghound today is not very different from hunting with them in medieval times. Strict breeding practices and the non-commercialization of the breed has led to the almost perfect preservation of this hunting breed. They have not changed very much over the centuries. They have been breeding Staghound to Staghound since the early 1800’s. At times very, good hunting dogs from Greyhound and Deerhound stock are added to the mix. For hundreds of years now the closed breeding has led to what might be the finest coyote chasing sighthound possible.

The Moscow Watchdog is a large mastiff-type dog. He stands at between 64 and 69cm in height ad weighs in the region of 45 – 68kg. He has a thick coat which is medium length, he has floppy ears and a long, plumed tail. The most common colors for the Moscow Watchdog are red and white with a little bit of black and tan around the head.

He is quite a heavy shedder so regular brushing and grooming is recommended.

He takes his role seriously as guardian and protector of his human family.

Large dogs don’t usually live as long as smaller breeds, and with good care your Moscow Watchdog can reach between 9 and 11 years of age. If you want your dog to be a parent, the litter size you can expect is anything from 5 to 10 puppies.

Temperament:

The dogs were used for guarding purposes and they are strong-willed, dominant and independent. They are also gentle dogs but will still require training and socialization to make them obedient and an all-round pleasant dog.

While the Moscow Watchdog is described as a pleasant dog, he isn’t a friendly teddy-bear kind of dog, tending to be fairly aloof. He would do well with an owner who is firm, fair, consistent and strong, as he is strong-willed.

When you look at the American Staghound you can clearly see the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound lines. They have strong running muscles in their long legs and deep chest. He is of course a sight hound, so his vision is acute. His running endurance is second to none. It is this endurance in running all day that makes the American Staghound difference from the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound. Yes, both the Deerhound are greyhound are great runners, but the American Staghound runs just as fast with an endurance level ten times that of the other hounds. His heavy bones structure and thick skin are also different from the other racing fast sight hounds.

The Moscow Watchdog is a large dog and beautiful to look at. Even though he is large and strong, he is gentle and calm and makes a splendid pet.

Because of his large size he is better suited to life in the countryside or the suburbs as compared to smaller properties in the city. Their exercise needs will also need to be met such as a walk every day.

Think carefully before you take such a large dog into your home as he will require a lot of good food. Before investing in any dog, make sure that you have the means to provide him with an excellent home where he gets the best care, because he is willing to give you the very best of himself.

This dog was bred to run fast and long after something it sees. They are not considered hyperactive but won’t live well in a confined space such as an apartment or condo. You will need a single-family house with a large yard. Though they are affectionate, family dogs, they are not cut out to be guard dogs. They are not especially protective or territorial, though they may bark at what they can see in the distance. They are calm in their homes if exercised enough and great with children. They are often gentle and loving. They are pack oriented and accept other dogs, but they are not welcoming toward cats or other prey sized animals. Be careful with the AS around small children as he might knock them down or see them as prey as well. They consider anything smaller that runs to be prey. When chasing prey, they are not only fast and enduring, they are tenacious and courageous. Remember that this is a breed that has been bred true in order to hunt and only in order to hunt. Their hunting instincts will override almost any other. Over the centuries only the best hunters were allowed to be bred so that only the best hunters would be born.

The Moscow Watchdog is a healthy dog breed, and with few inheritable health problems, you’re not likely to spend much at the vet with him.

Of course, any dog needs a good diet, adequate exercise, vaccinations, and parasite treatments to stay in top condition. Some of the common diseases to look out for -

Hip Dysplasia:

We always have to mention hip dysplasia as it is so common with all dogs. Its an hereditary condition where lack of hip joint stability causes pain inflammation and lameness in the dog. Your dog, even though he is young, can develop hip dysplasia and then it can lead to early arthritis too. Your dog will need to get to the vet.

The American Staghound has been bred so consistently within the breed and true that they exhibit very few health problems. All running dogs are susceptible to joint issues, but the Staghound has less than most. Two issues they do face more often are a problem with anesthesia if they ever need it and the propensity to be vulnerable to bloat. Since they are a centuries old hybrid there are no real health issues born of genetics.

Diet:

This is a large breed dog so you want to make sure that if you feed him from the many commercially manufactured foods there are, it is the high quality one packed with vitamins and minerals and which cater specifically for large breeds to ensure the right amount of minerals and vitamins for his size.

You don’t want to just go on and on giving him dry kibble every day, so occasionally it will be a good idea to give him some boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables which can be added into his kibble. This is all the variety your dog needs, as dogs like consistency and simplicity because then they don’t suffer with digestive issues.

Never leave him without a constant source of cool, fresh water.

Exercise:

Contrary to what this dog looks like – large and clumsy, he is actually quite agile and will require a good amount of exercise. He may not look particularly active but he will certainly want a daily walk and he will also require running off the leash in the park or some ball and rope games in the garden.

Grooming:

he Moscow Watchdog has a thick, medium length coat. He doesn’t require professional grooming, but a good brush through once a week will help to condition the coat. Also, the breed is a moderate shedder so removing loose hair keeps the coat shiny and healthy.

Feeding

It is important that you don’t ever over feed you American Staghound as they are thin and bred to run. Even though they are heavier boned than their closest relatives, they are still very susceptible to obesity if overfed. The adult AS should be fed about 4-6 cups of dry food every day in at least 2 meals but 3 of more would be better. This will prevent bloat.

Health issues

As previously mentioned there are no genetic issues with the health of the American Staghound. Bred for one reason and one reason alone for many centuries has led to this healthy state. Also, as stated previously they can have issues with bloat and anesthesia. The issue with anesthesia comes from the fact that the American Staghound has very little body fat to muscle ration. The issue with bloat or torsion can be avoided with many smaller meals and not running your Staghound right after they eat a large meal.

Exercise and games

Of course, the American Staghound loves to run and if you are not going to hunt with her, you will have to find another source of vigorous physical activity. Every day from puppyhood on the AS must be stimulated mentally and physically in order to grow and mature correctly. He must have a home where the freedom to run is an everyday experience, not a dog park once a week. If you ride bikes, race walk or run on a daily basis this might be the dog for you. They obviously excel at games like lure coursing and can be good at agility.