Styrian Coarse Haired Hound vs Dutch Shepherd - 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.

The Dutch Shepherd is of Dutch origin, hailing from the Netherlands. They were originally used as herding dogs on the farms, where they became a jack-of-all-trades type of dog.

The Dutch Shepherd in those days, 100 odd years ago, were also known as Hollandse Herders.

These dogs are more rare in modern days, but when you do find them, they are being used as police or security dogs, as guides for the blind, or simply as family friends.

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 Dutch Shepherd dog is very similar in appearance to the popular German Shepherds, being a medium to large sized dog.

The males are slightly heavier than females, but both males and females can stand between 55 and 62cm and weigh between 20 and 32kg.

There are actually 3 varieties found in the Dutch Shepherd dogs - short-haired, long-haired, and wiry or rough-haired. The dog has a double coat, consisting of a woolly undercoat and a top coat. The basic color of the coat is gold or silver through to red, giving rise to the brindle variations. Too much black or white seen in the fur is considered a fault.

In 1914 it was decided that brindle coats would distinguish them from the others.

The eyes of the Dutch Shepherd are dark, almond shaped and slightly slanting, while the medium sized ears are erect and high on the head and the thick tail is slightly curved. The dog has an unusually long tongue which is often found hanging out.

Temperament:

Early training and socializing for this dog is important so that he can learn to stay calm around new people, or visitors to the property.

The beautiful Dutch Shepherd doesn’t like being left alone for too long, loving rather to be involved with all that the family is involved in. They get on well with other pets in the home as well as being child-friendly.

They are happy dogs, who can also be smart and cunning, therefore highly trainable. They soak up new commands easily. Dutch Shepherds are also good watchdogs as they are fiercely loyal, and do not take kindly to strangers.

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

Your alert, intelligent and somewhat rare Dutch Shepherd is a loyal, protective dog, and while he can be aggressive around intruders and be a great guard dog, he can also be a gentle, loving animal around his human family members.

Though his tongue is long and often hangs out, you won’t have to contend with drooling. He is a wonderfully active dog and doesn’t easily gain weight. He isn’t a barker or howler, and his exceptional intelligence makes him highly trainable.

Whether there are children or other animals in the house, you can rely on your Dutch Shepherd to get on well with them, making him a wonderful family pet and canine friend.

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 Dutch Shepherd dogs are the healthiest of the Shepherd breeds. They have relatively few health problems.

However, like the German Shepherds they may develop hip dysplasia, but this is in fact fairly rare. Get your pet to the vet if you suspect this in your dog because it can lead to lameness.

In 2018 the University of Minnesota identified a disease in Dutch Shepherds called Miositis. This is an inflammatory myopathy causing painful inflammation of the skeletal muscle tissue.

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.

Grooming:

Unfortunately Dutch Shepherds shed quite a bit of hair during their shedding period in spring and autumn. This makes regular brushing important during these seasons so as to remove the dead hairs, especially from the undercoat.

The wire- or rough-haired variety shouldn’t be brushed but should rather be groomed by a professional groomer every 6 months or so.

Their nails need to be trimmed when necessary, to avoid cracking, splitting, or an injury.

Their ears can be cleaned weekly to get rid of any debris or wax build-up. This, if left, can lead to infection. Brush his teeth 2 or 3 times a week to avoid dental disease which brings on a host of illnesses.

Exercise:

These dogs do need regular exercising, and at the same time need to be physically and mentally stimulated. He is the kind of dog that has been used for herding purpose on the farm and he just craves activity. Take him with you on your walks and include him in ball games, hikes, jogging, swimming or when you go cycling – he is game for all kinds of activities.

Diet:

The formula for their diet would be that of a medium to large dog with high energy levels. The top commercially manufactured foods have been developed to include all the important vitamins and minerals. Fish oil can also be added to their food to keep the coat shiny.

Add in cooked rice, cooked vegetables and chicken from time to time and be sure to add in some raw meat occasionally to prevent problems with the skin. Always ensure that your pet has fresh, cool water to drink.