Styrian Coarse Haired Hound vs Bichon Frise - Breed Comparison

The Styrian Coarse Haired Hound is a German hound, a medium sized breed that was found to originate in Styria in Austria. It was bred to be a boar hunting scent hound in the mountains. The breed is an Austrian Bracke and one of the largest. In the 1870’s the breed was developed by Karl Peintinger to get a hardy, rough coated hunting dog. Peintinger took the Istrian Hound and an old type scent hound of Hanoverian and continued selective breeding until he got the dog he wanted.

The breed is still used to hunt boar and track wounded animals. They work in high altitudes and rough terrains. They were not created to be companion animals and most of them are still working dogs. They do not make great house or family pets. Because of these circumstances, the breed is rare today.

Sometimes you will see the breed called the Peintinger Bracke after its developer. The Austrian Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1889 and the Federation Cynologique Internationale as a scent hound. The Styrian Coarse Haired Hounds were next recognized in 2006 by the United Kennel Club in North America, but not the AKC – American Kennel Club. There are many smaller kennel clubs and organizations for the breed as well many hunting clubs.

As mentioned, the breed is the largest of the Austrian Brackes. They are one of the three breeds included in the Grand Brackes. The name comes from the fact that all these dogs were developed for hunting in the Austrian mountains. They are pretty much unknown in the rest of the world. They thrive in the harsh climates of the Austrian mountains.

Contrary to the myths and many of the tales of the history of the Bichon Frise, the breed was originally developed in Spain. Later specific trait development occurred in France to give us the lap dog Bichon Frise that we know today. The original Spanish dog – the Bichon – was a water – sailing dog. It was descended from the poodle breeds crossed with either the water spaniels or the Barbet. These early dogs were friendly and happy and because of this, sailors carried them with them on their ships and even bartered them for supplies. Prior to the 14th century the Spanish probably brought them to the Canary Islands. Later in the 14th century they we discovered again by Italian sailors who returned them to Europe where they lived in the courts of the nobility. During the Renaissance and after the French fell in love with the breed while the Spanish continue to enjoy their presence.

In the late 19th century in France the breed fell out of popularity and became street dogs and circus and fair dogs. They also worked with organ grinders and assisted the blind. In the early 20th century, the Societe Centrale Canine, the National Kennel Club of France, adopted the breed’s official standard – while they were still known as both the Bichon and the Tenerife. The popularity of the breed at this time is heavily attributed to “The Adventures of TinTIn” , by Herge, which featured a small, white, fluffy fox terrier. Then the president of the Federation Cynoloqique Internationale presented a new name for the breed based on its characteristics. The name Bichon Frise kept the Bichon heritage and added “curly” the meaning of Frise. Under this name the breed was admitted to the Societe Centrale Canine stud book in October of 1934.

The Bichon Frise came to the United States for the first time in 19554 and was admitted to the American Kennel Club Stud Book in 1972. They entered the non-sporting group of the AKC in 1973. By 2001 the Bichon Frise, J.R., won the Westminster Dog Show. In 1976, the Bichon Frise came to Australia, imported by Harry and Margaret Begg who oversaw the growth of the breed there. Today there are 4 separate breeds believed to be descended from the original Bichon/Tenerife breeds – the Bichon Frise, the Bichon Bolognaise, the Maltese and the Havanese.

The Styrian Coarse haired Hound is well muscled, medium sized and lithe. They run easily on all types and levels of terrain. Their coat is rough and harsh, giving the breed part of its name. They can tolerate both extremes of the climate temperatures. They are strong and confident dogs wearing a very serious facial expression. These guys are all about the job – the hunt. Their prey drive is extremely high.

The modern Bichon Frise is a white, small dog with a round skull and muzzle. The nose should be black and the eyes round and dark. Depending on the size of the dog, the legs and head are proportionate to the body, while the tail should be curly and long. Both the tail and the ears must not be docked. Their coat is as hypoallergenic as a dog gets. It is white, dense and for most Bichon Frise, it is curly. They should have black lips as well.

1.Children friendliness yes to older children

2.Special talents endurance/smell extremely strong senses of smell.

3.Adaptability no apartment for these guys. They need room to run.

4.Learning ability intelligent but stubborn

The Bichon Frise, according to the American Kennel Club is a cheerful and merry dog. They are gentle, playful, sensitive and affectionate. These dogs love people, are very social and like other dogs as well. They love to play with children and they are intelligent and affectionate. They were developed in their latter stages by the French to be “lap dogs” or companion animals. They are not territorial by nature but can become so if confined and encouraged. Start obedience training early and be consistent throughout their lives. They take to training easily if positive techniques are used. They do however, have a reputation for not taking well to housetraining. Be persistent

The breed is fairly healthy and isolated from crossbreeding. They are susceptible to several major conditions.

• Ear infections – keep them clean as with any dog with hanging ears.

• PRA or Progressive Retinal Atrophy = a group of degenerative, genetic eye diseases the cause blindness over time.

• Hip Dysplasia – can cause lameness and arthritis.
• Cancer – can be treated or fatal.
• Obesity – if they don’t get enough exercise.

• Bloat – most large dogs suffer from this and not so much a medium breed like this one, but it is a condition that their energy levels and work ethics could lead to. Fatal if not treated immediately.

The coat of the Bichon Frise can easily become matted if not brushed or combed every day. Severe matting can lead to a hematoma in their ears. They are also very prone to ear infections so paying a lot of attention to their ears is imperative. They are will chew and scratch themselves if not groomed well and this can cause skin infections and conditions. They might have allergies to fleas, pollen, chemicals, and dust. The patella (knee cap) can be loose, diabetes, cataracts and heart disease also affect the Bichon Frise. In the United Kingdom the number one cause of death for the breed is old age -13 plus years, with 21% dying of cancer. In North America cancer is the number one killer as it is for most dogs. The Bichon might also be afflicted with hematologic disorders such as AIHA (Autoimmune hemolytic anemia) and ITP (Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) which while less common than cancer will kill the dog much earlier in life than cancer. The other condition that the Bichon Frise is prone to are liver shunts. If found early they can be surgically corrected but most are not, and liver failure is eventually the cause of death.

1Feeding the puppy – Feed this very active breed a high quality dog food for medium sized dogs. Feed puppies 3-4 times a day a total of ¾ to 1 cup.

2.Feeding the adult - feed this very active breed a high quality, high protein diet. Feed the adult 1-2 times a day a total of 1.6 cups of dry food.

3.Points for Good Health- the breed shows remarkable physical endurance.

4. Games and Exercises They are energetic, athletic and extremely agile. They are muscular and lithe and need a lot of exercise. The is a dog that can travel across rough terrain for hours at a time. They are tenacious hunters and need an outlet for that prey drive.

They need space and time to run. A large yard is great because you don’t want to take them to a dog park. Give them a lot of toys and puzzles. They excel at lure coursing, field trials and hunting trials. Their sense of smell makes them great at nose work and they like agility, tracking and rally obedience.

Feeding

Being a small dog, the Bichon Frise is susceptible to obesity and that condition will be terminal in the end for this breed. So make sure you do not overfeed your Bichon Frise. The same is true with the use of treats. The Bichon loves treats and loves the association with treats of having pleased you. They should be fed small meals – about ¼ cup of good high quality dry food twice a day.

Health issues

As previously mentioned the Bichon Frise is susceptible to:

Hematomas and infections of the ear if not groomed well and consistently.

Cancer is number one killer.

Hematological Issues are deadlier than cancer.

Liver shunts are a very serious concern.

Exercise and games

Though the Bichon Frise is not an overly active dog, they do love to play. They are characterized by short bursts of activity followed by long periods of rest. They can be worn out just by running around the house. You must play with them everyday as well as take them on a walk each day. Bichons are fast and agile and do well in agility trials. They also like to compete in rally and obedience trials. Most of all they love to and need to play with their people every day.