Styrian Coarse Haired Hound vs Dutch Smoushond - 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 Smoushond, known also as the Hollandse Smoushond ,Hollandse Herdershond

or Dutch Ratter is a small to medium sized dog. The Smoushondenclub was formed in 1905 as it was thought that the breed was dying out and they wanted to register the dog as a purebred breed.

It is believed that the dog’s origins may have to do with the Schnauzer breed. It was in 1973 that a number of breeders looked to reconstruct the breed, using Border Terrier crosses.

Today this rare breed is popular in the Netherlands, but not particularly well known anywhere else. In 2001 it was recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale as well as by the United Kennel Club in the United States.

Although the dog was once a skilled ratter, most Dutch Smoushond are kept as companion dogs.

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 Smoushond is a small to medium sized dog breed related to the Schnauzer- and Pinscher breed. He stands at about 35 to 43cm at the withers and weighs about 10kg.

He has a rough, shaggy, wiry coat which is waterproof and which is a yellowish or straw color. You’ll notice that the hair around the face is long and fairly straight and forms a beard, eyebrows, and moustache, giving him wise, know-it-all look.

The forelegs are also feathered. He may well give the impression of being ungroomed and untidy with his different length hair. He has floppy ears, the eyes are small and dark, the nose black and the tail is long and feathery, hanging limply when the dog is relaxed.

Temperament:

Easy going, friendly and social, the Dutch Smoushond is a fairly quiet dog, but because he is intelligent and alert, he makes a good watchdog.

When not guarding you, he is cheerful and entertaining. He is an adaptable dog, being able to settle down to life in the city or in the countryside, getting on well with other pets in the home as well as with children.

He is a dog who wants to please, so training him isn’t going to prove difficult. He’ll do well with this training as well as socialization as he becomes obedient, easy-going and relaxed around 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

The Dutch Smoushond, also known as the Dutchie, Dutch Ratter or Dutch Terrier may once have been used as a vermin hunter, but today this terrier dog shares some of the characteristics of the more popular terriers. He may have been a hunter in his day, but more recently he is used as a reliable companion dog.

He tends to be a bit of a barker, particularly when he isn’t getting attention.

He gets on well with other animals in the home as well as with children, but he will need to be trained and socialized. He is lively, friendly and social and is a dog who becomes devoted to his human family.

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.

These dogs are a healthy breed, but nonetheless there are are some health problems that can crop up occasionally.

Ear- and eye infections and joint problems are always a major concern, even in young dogs. Bad diet, old age and being overweight can all contribute to your dog developing joint pain. Joint pain symptoms can include -

difficulty with sitting or lying down

limping or even holding a leg up off the ground

lethargic to take part in any activities

Take your pet to the vet who will examine your pet and perhaps request x-rays.

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.

The Dutch Smoushond is basically an easy care breed, and it won’t do to try and tame the coat as the dog has a naturally unkempt look.

You can brush him twice a week to keep the coat free of matting and to remove loose hairs. The Dutch Smoushond may require the hair being plucked and a professional groomer can do this.

At the same time, the groomer can remove excess hair from the ears and also clean your dog’s teeth. This is of critical importance as bad teeth can lead to a host of health problems.

Get into the habit of brushing your pet’s teeth 2 or 3 times a week, making use of special pet approved toothbrush and toothpaste.