Rafeiro do Alentejo vs Basset Hound - Breed Comparison

Known also as the Portuguese Mastiff, the Rafeiro do Alentejo comes from Portugal and has always been used as guardian for livestock. Their numbers declined quite a bit when there was no longer a need for this kind of job.Today it is essentially a companion dog.

The official standard of the Rafeiro do Alentejo was established in 1953. The dog is is recognized as a breed by the Portuguese Caniculture Club as well as the Federation Cynologique Interationale.

The Basset is a French dog bred in Great Britain in the late 1800s. The history of the Basset goes way back to ancient times as there have been discoveries of short legged dogs found in the catacombs of Egypt. These dogs also became popular during Emperor Napoleon III’s reign. Controlled breeding of the Basset began in France in 1870.

Hunting was popular with noblemen during the Middle Ages, and Francois Hubert bred hounds for this purpose. After his death, in his honor, the monks named the hounds bred at the monastery the St. Hubert's Hound. It is accepted that the St. Hubert's Hound is an early ancestor of many hound breeds that we see today.

French Bassets were imported into England in the 1870s. Everett Millais, thought to be the father of the modern Basset Hound, bred such dog to a Bloodhound to create a heavier Basset. The puppies were later refined with English- and French Bassets, and the first breed standard for the Basset Hound was made in the UK at the end of 19th century. To this day, many cartoon dogs are based on this extraordinary looking dog, and they also appear in adverts, a popular one being the logo for Hush Puppies, a shoe brand.

The Alentejo is a large dog standing at between 64 and 75cm in height and weighing 45 to 60kg. He is a powerful dog with a deep chest, dark eyes, floppy ears. His coat is short to medium length, thick and straight. The color of the coat is a mix of fawn, a wolf grey, white, cream and black.

Temperament:

This is a serious dog with a calm demeanour about him. It doesn’t matter how calm he is though, as every dog will require training ad socialization if you want to enjoy having an obedient, well mannered dog around you. This is particularly important with a large, independent, self-confident, territorial dog like this.

He isn’t an aggressive dog but he is protective, wanting to guard and look out for his human family. They are dogs that get on well with children and other pets in the home, being wary of strangers.

They’re not recommended for life in small properties in the city as he requires a large garden at least.

Short but Large Stature

The Basset Hound is a scent hound, a short-legged breed of dog belonging to the hound family. He is renowned for his long body, his loose skin and the very characteristic long, droopy, low-set ears. This is also a dog that drools a lot. The Basset Hound stands only 33 – 38 cm in height. You wouldn’t call him a small dog as he is robust and solid, weighing anything from 18 to 30kg. The Basset Hound is also well known for his eyes, where the red of the lower eyelid shows. Their calm, serious expression is also a familiar and much loved feature of these dogs.

A Friendly Tri-colored, short-haired dog

The Basset is a short-haired dog, but in spite of that he sheds constantly. Coat colors can vary but the most common colors are white, tan and black – a tri-color coat.

This scent hound is a friendly canine, outgoing and playful. He gets on well with children and other pets in the family, and training and socialization can make him even more amicable with them. He adapts easily to life in the city or in the country.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a quiet dog, but intelligent and strong-willed. Training and socialization will make him easy to get on with.

He will become an excellent companion, and can come indoors because he is well mannered and considerate. He was bred to be a guard dog, and the responsibilities he had taking care of livestock has been transferred to looking out for- and protecting his human family.

He makes a wonderful pet and companion, even with children and other pets, more so when brought up correctly by loving, firm, consistent dog owners.

The Basset's long body with his short legs give him a unique look. Add to that this breed is among the most even-natured and easy-going. It is why he makes such a cool pet. While he adapts well to both city living and country living, you can’t afford to let him become a couch potato. Sitting around and eating consistently will just make your best friend sick and increase your medical bills for him.

The amicable Basset Hound is child friendly and because he isn’t particularly territorial, he will be alright with your other pets too. If you're looking for a wonderful friend who will be loyal to you, the Basset is waiting to fill the role of companion for you.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a generally healthy dog breed, and with good care can get to 11, 12 or 13 years of age.

Of course with a large dog like this, it is always a good idea to be aware of canine hip dysplasia, particularly because this is a large dog with a deep chest.

This makes him also vulnerable to bloat, a condition where the stomach swells with gas and which can be life threatening. Other things to watch for are ear infections and parasites.

The Basset Hound is a pretty robust breed and with proper nutrition and exercise, can live up to 12 years of age but this particular breed is prone to some major health conditions.

Eye Diseases

Cherry Eye is seen quite often in Basset Hounds. It is very painful because the tear gland tears away and it will require surgery before infection sets in. Also, glaucoma is an inherited eye disease that needs to be checked out as it can lead to blindness. The eye is red and the dog is constantly rubbing at it.

Joint Disease

This is when the cartilage in the Basset’s joints don’t attach to the bone properly. It is known as osteochondritis dissecans or OCD. Be careful to stick to the recommended growth rate suggestions for feeding with a Basset puppy.

Heart Disease

Basset Hounds are more prone to a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. It is where the heart becomes large and weak so that it battles to pump blood to the body.

Other illnesses to look out for are Canine Hip Dysplasia and obesity.

Grooming:

Make your grooming time with this serious, calm canine friend of yours a special bonding time. His coat simply requires a brush twice a week to keep it healthy and shiny.

While bushing him, run your hands over him to make sure there aren’t any unusual lumps. Check inside the floppy ears to make sure they’re not red which could be the start of a painful ear infection.

Look a his nails and trim them if they’ve become too long. Check inside his mouth and make sure there aren’t any black, rotten teeth as this can seriously impact the health of your pet.

Exercise:

Options for exercise will include long walks and a chance to run off his leash. In the back yard it will be to his benefit to throw balls for him to fetch. You can even bring him indoors and play some calm games with him. He should have exercise every single day.

Diet:

Good food is needed for good health. It is always convenient to make use of the commercially manufactured dog foods there are on the market.

You don’t want to feed this to your dog day after day so provide your pet with some tasty home-made food too. Dogs want simplicity and consistency with their diets so they don’t battle with upset stomachs and an unnecessary trip to the vet.

Some home-cooked food twice a week and added to the dry kibble can keep him healthy and happy. Boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach will be perfect for him. Chop the food up finely and add it into the dry kibble once or twice a week.

Some people even cook it in bulk, refrigerate it and warm up small portions to add to the kibble. Raw meat added in occasionally can also be a good treat. Make sure your pet is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Keepingyour Basset Hound healthy and happy requires

Watching his diet. He will need quality, nutritious food and plenty of exercise.

It is also a good idea to get into the habit of brushing his teeth a couple of times a week with a special dog toothbrush and toothpaste. Never use toothpaste made for humans.

Clean his long ears and keep them dry. The vet will show you precisely how.

Be sure to see that he get his puppy vaccinations, and that you continue to give him vet check-ups when he shows signs of sickness.

He has low grooming needs but brush his coat twice a week to get rid of dull, loose hairs.

He is a smart, active dog with lots of energy so set aside time to have ball games with him and to get him out of the yard with walks.