MyDogBreeds
Rafeiro do Alentejo is originated from Portugal but German Shepherd is originated from Germany. Rafeiro do Alentejo may grow 8 cm / 4 inches higher than German Shepherd. Rafeiro do Alentejo may weigh 16 kg / 36 pounds more than German Shepherd. Both Rafeiro do Alentejo and German Shepherd has almost same life span. Rafeiro do Alentejo may have less litter size than German Shepherd. Rafeiro do Alentejo requires Moderate maintenance. But German Shepherd requires Low maintenance
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.
In 1882 german shepherd was introduced in a show at Hanover. They were created
by the cross breeding of the rural sheep dogs by a man named Max. In 1906 they were first
exported to America. After that the breed became very popular in UK.
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.
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.
The GSD is very good for being a watchdog and hence it do not welcome guests to home.
But when trained from a puppy it will suit itself for making new friends. GSD like to be
always with somebody and they can be its master or his family members or else its partner.
The GSD is very intelligent and active hence they should be always kept busy, exercised
and playing. Nowadays many of them are trained well and made as four legged stars.
When we see all around the world many of them are involved in helping the physically challenged people. Also they are very important personnels in working with police and military for finding the criminals. Their excellent sniffing power works very good when given proper training for finding illegal smuggling. But basically the breed was set in to herd the sheep and protect them from predators.
Based on the popularity they are ranked 2nd in US and 4th in UK.
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 GSD is a very good child friendly dog, they love to play with kids.
They adopts both hot and cold climates, but they like cold weather very much and also their body is suitable for cold than hot.
The GSD has high ability to learn tricks and also they are interested in learning. As they have very high intelligence they learn very easily and quickly.
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 GSD has the chances for getting orthopaedic diseases such as hip dysplasia
and elbow dysplasia. Other common orthopaedic problems which affects GSD are Panosteitis,
Osteochondritis and cruciate ligament rupture.They also get some skin problems such as
allergies and pyoderma. Digestive problems such as chronic diarrhea and colitis are
also seen in GSD.
GSD is a continuous shedder. They are having a two layer coat. They should be brushed daily as it will remove the dead fur and thus prevents shedding.
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.
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.
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.
The GSD should be given an cool environment which they will enjoy a lot.
The GSD puppy should be fed small quantities of food but several times per day as it needs to gain 2 gms weight per day. The preferred food for them is dry food along with raw liver pieces which would provide them excellent energy. The protein food given to puppy should contain 25 to 30% calories. Puppies consume more food when compared with adults.
The GSD needs a food which has a considerable amount of protein. They are carnivores in the nature. The protein can be given from cooked meat. The artificial food products will not be suitable for them. When are provided with protein food they will gain fat from itself. The recommended fat content for GSD is 5% to 8%.
The GSD should be provided with a nutritional food for their good health.
Physical exercises are very much needed for GSD since they are very energetic and power packed. It is highly recommended to make them play and run daily as they don't need to get bored. They can be made to climb in hilly areas as they want to explore their surroundings. They can be made to swim or play hide and seek and find the missing objects. Regular morning walk will be very good for them.