Styrian Coarse Haired Hound vs Schnoodle - 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 Schnoodle was developed in the 1980s. It is believed the dog originates from the USA. This was when it was discovered that breeding the poodle with other dogs produced excellent mixes.

The idea with the Schnoodle was to develop a low-shedding dog. The Schnoodle is a mix between a Schnauzer and a Poodle,but because both the Poodle ad Schnauzer have different sizes, there is no knowing what size the Schnoodle will be.

Major kennels don’t recognize the Schnoodle as a breed.

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 Schnoodle is a cross between a poodle and a schnauzer and with the poodle parent in the mix, the dog is considered to be hypoallergenic.

Because there are three sizes of Schnauzer, the Schnoodle can be medium sized but also fairly large. Weight of this dog can be anything from 6 to 45 Kg and he can stand at between 38cm to 66cm. The coat can be either wavy, straight or curly and will need to be brushed, stripped or clipped according to the coat they have.

The most common coat colors are grey, a mix of grey, silver and white, a fawn or creamish color and black. The medium sized ears are floppy.

Temperament:

Because this is a mixed breed you won’t get a fixed personality type and you won't find fixed looks. Because the dog comes from two excellent parent breeds, you can expect your schnoodle to be friendly, alert and very active.

They may not take readily to kids so it is up to the human owners to see that their children are brought up to be kind and respectful to dogs and animals. Your Schnoodle can be gentle too and stubborn but he will bond closely with his human family.

The smallish size of these dogs makes it a good choice for city or country life, but wherever he is, he will need lots of exercise. Schnoodles are smart and respond well to training.

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

Thanks to their parents, Schnauzer cross Poodles are smart, easy to train and fast learners.

Schnoodles are also fun-loving dogs, and they make great playmates for children. They are also a good choice for first time dog owners. A bonus part for dog owners is that these dogs are low shedding, making them great for anyone who suffers from allergies.

The Schnoodle forms strong bonds with their human family and this makes them both protector and watchdog. He is a great family dog with some excellent characteristics from each of the parent dog breeds involved.

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 Schnoodle is a robust, healthy breed, but unfortunately he can also succumb to any one of the many dog illnesses there are -

Progressive Retinal Atrophy:

This refers to an eye disease which results in the deterioration of the retina. Your dog develops night blindness and this can lead to total blindness. Unfortunately there is no cure.

Epilepsy:

It can be horrible seeing your pet jerking and twisting out of control with seizures. You will need to get your pet to the vet as epilepsy can be a symptom of a bigger issue.

Bloat:

This is a life threatening disease where your dog’s stomach fills with gas and becomes hard and swollen. The stomach can twist. Symptoms of bloat include restlessness, drooling and trying to vomit.

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.

Exercise:

The Schnoodle is a dog that will need a good dose of exercise. Provide him with daily walks, walks in the park, hikes, runs along the beach as well as ball and rope games.

Diet:

Always try to feed your dog a high quality food. Many people give their dogs one of the commercially manufactured foods there are because they are wonderfully convenient, and you get some good ones.

You don’t want to give this food to your dog day after day after day. Feed him some home-made food occasionally which can be added to his dry kibble twice a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet.

You can boil it, chop it all up and add smaller portions to the dry kibble twice a week as a wonderful, tasty treat for your dogs.

Try and include some raw meat into the diet as this can help to fight of skin diseases. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water for him.

Vaccines:

Make sure all the necessary vaccines are up to date to avoid some of the deadly canine diseases there are.