Mioritic Sheepdog vs Hovawart - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Mioritic Sheepdog vs Hovawart - Breed ComparisonHovawart is originated from Germany but Mioritic Sheepdog is originated from Romania. Both Hovawart and Mioritic Sheepdog are having almost same height. Hovawart may weigh 9 kg / 19 pounds lesser than Mioritic Sheepdog. Both Hovawart and Mioritic Sheepdog has same life span. Both Hovawart and Mioritic Sheepdog has almost same litter size. Hovawart requires Low Maintenance. But Mioritic Sheepdog requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Working dog
Herding dogs
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Germany
Romania
Height Male:
58 - 70 cm
22 - 28 inches
65 - 75 cm
25 - 30 inches
Height Female:
51 - 68 cm
20 - 27 inches
65 - 75 cm
25 - 30 inches
Weight Male:
25 - 51 kg
55 - 113 pounds
50 - 60 kg
110 - 133 pounds
Weight Female:
22 - 49 kg
48 - 109 pounds
50 - 60 kg
110 - 133 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 14 Years
12 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
6 - 8
3 - 9
Size:
Large
Large
Other Names:
Hovie
Mioritic Shepherd Dog
Colors Available:
gold and black, gold, blonde
cream or pale gray, White
Coat:
long dense
Long hair, double coat
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate, Constant
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Courageous, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Territorial
Affectionate, Aggressive, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Territorial
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

History

hovawartThe Hovawart, is a German Black Forest breed developed as a guard dog for large estates in the medieval era. They first appeared in history in the early 13th century as heroes who saved the German son of a castle lord, despite being injured themselves. The boy they saved grew up to be a German legend. He wrote the oldest German code of law that remained from medieval times. In it he names the Hovawarts as a dog that if you are responsible for hurting, stealing or killing it, you must pay for it or replace it. No other dog had this protection.

In the late fifteenth century Hovawarts were featured in Heinrich Mynsinger’s “The Five Noble Breeds”. This guard dog breed was esteemed on a level with the hunting dogs – their health a question of life or death for their owner. In the 1500’s the popularity of the breed began to fade. The GSD or German Shepard Dog began to replace the Hovawarts as the preferred guard dog.

By the early 20th century the breed had almost disappeared but were saved by breed enthusiasts in the early 1900’s. Zoologist Kurt Konig was prominent in this effort and went looking in the Black Forest area for dogs working on farms. Using the dogs, he found on these farms, Konig began a breeding program crossing the them with Newfoundland’s, Kuvazoks, Leonbergers, GSD, an African hunting dogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

By 1922 the first litter of these pups was entered officially into the German Breeding Registry. In 1937 the Hovawart was recognized by the German Kennel Club. However, many members of the breed died in World War II as they were used widely by the military and not many were left by 1945. Once again breed enthusiasts came to the rescue forming a Coburg Hovawart club. This club still exists and in 1964, for the second time, the breed was recognized by the German Kennel Club. Other countries also began to take notice of this working breed.

The Hovawart has many skills in addition hunting and guarding. The Hovawart does not work for people, he works with them as he is a very independent thinker. He is also good at search and rescue and tracking. An owner of this breed must be stronger, smarter, more alert, intentional and consistent than his Hovawart. These are not dogs for the faint of heart or first-timers.

mioritic sheepdogThis is a large dog coming from the Carpathian mountain area of Romania.

He has always been an excellent working dog, guarding and protecting sheep. Farmers always kept these dogs as working dogs, with no written records being kept about the development of the breed.

The breed is ancient, possibly dating back to ancient Roman times. It was in the 20th century that interest in the breed was ignited, and in 1981 the first official breed standard was recorded. The breed was also registered with the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 2005.

Description

hovawart puppy - descriptionThe Hovawart is a proud and majestic dog and his looks match his character. He looks a bit like the Golden Retriever with a powerful and broad forehead. His skull and muzzle are the same length and his nose is black. His oval eyes are a medium to dark brown and his ears are high set and triangular.

Their chests are strong, broad and deep. The breed has strong legs straight in front with round, strong and compact feet. They are heavy boned with dense, long coats that lie flat and have a slight wave to them. The coat can be black and gold, blond or black.

mioritic sheepdog puppy - descriptionThe Mioritic Sheepdog looks very much like the Old English Sheepdog with his huge body covered with long hair.

His head is also large with a black nose and smallish to medium length floppy ears. The color of the double coat is usually white, cream or pale gray, and sometimes you will find patches of these colors.

The tail has always been traditionally docked, otherwise the tail is left long with a slight curl at the end. The height of the dog is 65 to 75cm and he weighs roughly 50–60kg. Below the thick coat is a muscular dog with strong, straight legs which can help him become quite agile and speedy when needed. Allowed to breed, they can produce anything from 3 to 9 of the most adorable looking puppies.

Temperament:

The Mioritic Sheepdog is a balanced dog, loving to be with his owners but being wary of strangers. He is a brave dog, willing to guard his human family with his life.

He is also a strong-willed and dominant so it will be to his benefit to be trained and socialized so that he becomes obedient and easy to have around.Training won’t be difficult as he is an intelligent breed and already naturally obedient.

He is an energetic dog too so he will need to have regular exercise and games. He therefore gets on well with children in the home, loving to join in with all their games. He will need to be supervised around small children just because of his cumbersome, large size.

Characteristics

1.Children friendliness yes, they are good with children.

Special talents

hovawart dog - characteristicsThey have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.

Adaptability

They are not indoor dogs and should have a yard to run in. They do not tolerate hot weather well. They do great out in the country.

Learning ability

They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.

mioritic sheepdog dog - characteristicsThe Mioritic Shepherd has always been used to guard and protect livestock, but even though he has always taken this role seriously, he is calm and loving around his human family, making a splendid family pet.

He also plays the role of guardian and protector of his human family seriously. He is a big strong dog and training and socialization will become necessary as he can become aggressive with certain people who he doesn’t trust.

Inviting one of these dogs into your home will ensure having a constant and loving companion at your side.

Health Problems

hovawart puppies - health problemsThough their isolation protected them from genetic health issues for centuries, once they were being rejuvenated and mixed with other breeds some common issues began to show up. These include:

  • Underactive thyroid
  • Hip Dysplasia – can cause arthritis or lameness
  • Osteochondritis – causes joint pain in shoulders mostly
  • Liver Shunts

mioritic sheepdog puppies - health problemsThe Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog is a truly hardy dog breed and with good care such as good food and exercise can reach 14 years of age.

There are always some common dog illnesses to look out for and because he is a large dog, hip dysplasia can be a problem.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is a disease where there is abnormal growth of the hip joints. Smooth movement of the joint is hindered and this leads to inflammation and pain.

At first you may find your dog limping and then you may find that after lying down, he battles to get up again. The joint becomes thickened with less mobility and the dog is reluctant to play like he used to. He will certainly need to get to the vet for treatments to make him more comfortable.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

hovawart dogs - caringFeed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day

Feeding the adult

Again Feed breed specific high quality dry food for adults. Feed 2-3 cups per day in 1-2 meals per day.

Points for Good Health

Points for Good Health – Stamina

Games and Exercises

The Hovawart needs plenty of exercise. Remember this is a mountain farm dog used to working all the time. Walk or jog with them daily. They can excel at field trials, obedience, search and rescue, agility, flyball, therapy dog, and service dog.

mioritic sheepdog dogs - caringThe Mioritic Sheepdog’s long hair is coarse and will need to be regularly brushed to keep it free of tangles. It will certainly need to be brushed 2 or 3 times a week, while some owners of this dog will prefer to have the coat professionally clipped. Because of the long hair, while brushing him it is an excellent time to check for ticks and fleas.

Diet:

The food you give your pet plays such a critical role in his health and longevity. Always make sure that you’re giving your pet an uncomplicated diet to avoid stomach upsets.

Give him the best commercially manufactured kibble. To provide him with some variety, add in some boiled chicken, cooked vegetables such as potato, carrots and spinach to his kibble from time to time. He will also benefit greatly from having some raw meat added into the kibble occasionally.

Learn to know which human foods are totally toxic to him and avoid these. Make sure he is never without cool, fresh water.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Hovawart vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  2. Hovawart vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  3. Hovawart vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  4. Hovawart vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  5. Hovawart vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Hovawart vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
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  8. Hovawart vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Hovawart vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Hovawart vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. Hovawart vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
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  26. Mioritic Sheepdog vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
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  29. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Mioritic Sheepdog vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Mioritic Sheepdog vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Mioritic Sheepdog vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Mioritic Sheepdog vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Mioritic Sheepdog vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison