Swedish Vallhund vs Flat-Coated Retriever - Breed Comparison

Swedish Vallhund vs Flat-Coated Retriever - Breed ComparisonFlat-Coated Retriever is originated from United Kingdom but Swedish Vallhund is originated from Sweden. Flat-Coated Retriever may grow 27 cm / 11 inches higher than Swedish Vallhund. Flat-Coated Retriever may weigh 22 kg / 49 pounds more than Swedish Vallhund. Flat-Coated Retriever may live 5 years less than Swedish Vallhund. Both Flat-Coated Retriever and Swedish Vallhund has almost same litter size. Both Flat-Coated Retriever and Swedish Vallhund requires Moderate Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Sporting dog
Herding dogs
undefined
United Kingdom
Sweden
Height Male:
59 - 61 cm
23 - 25 inches
30 - 34 cm
11 - 14 inches
Height Female:
56 - 59 cm
22 - 24 inches
30 - 34 cm
11 - 14 inches
Weight Male:
27 - 36 kg
59 - 80 pounds
9 - 14 kg
19 - 31 pounds
Weight Female:
25 - 32 kg
55 - 71 pounds
9 - 14 kg
19 - 31 pounds
Life Span:
8 - 10 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 8
4 - 10
Size:
Medium
Medium
Other Names:
Flatcoat, flatt, Flattie Flatte (Sweden)
Västgötaspets, Swedish cow dog
Colors Available:
liver and yellow (blonde, black
Cream, grey, brown
Coat:
double, glossy and smooth
Medium length, thick
Shedding:
Constant
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loyal, Outgoing
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Territorial
Grooming:
Moderate Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

flat coated retrieverThe Flat-Coated Retriever traces its heritage to 19th century England. A popular gamekeepers’ dog, the actual descendants of the breed are not entirely known. Like so many well-established breeds, there are many lines of thought about the breed line. There is an unverified line of ancestry that includes the St. Johns Water Dog – an extinct breed from North America. Another story has Canadian sailors bringing their Newfoundlands to England and mixing them with Colliers and Setters. This story has more truth to it and it took 20 years to establish the final breed type.

The breed was originally a retriever with two purposes – to retrieve the hunters’ bounty on land and on water.

The Flat-Coated Retriever was then introduced to the United States as a gun dog. By 1873 it was a “stable type” and in 1915 the AKC recognized the breed. After this, their popularity grew quickly until the American public fell in love with the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever. Then the Flat-Coated Retriever’s numbers and popularity fell. The irony was that both the Golden and the Labrador credited the Flat-Coated Retriever as an ancestor. The survival of the breed was questionable following World War Two. They were brought back by a specific breeding program in the 1960’s.

Breeders in the ‘60s made sure they bred for both show dogs and companion animals. The Flat-Coated Retriever survived and is less popular than other retrievers, but he has his fans. The breed is more popular in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States in part because of Best in Show wins at Crufts

swedish vallhundKnown also as the Västgötaspets or Swedish cow dog, the Valhund hails from Sweden. It’s a herding dog, and was always a farm dog in that country.

It was in 1943 that the dog was first recognized as a breed by the Swedish Kennel Club. Only later, in 1996, did the American Kennel Club start registering the breed.

Description

flat coated retriever puppy - descriptionThe Flat-Coated Retriever has a straight and strong topline with unique head, strong jaws, a long muzzle and small ears. His eyes are dark brown almonds with a friendly and intelligent expression. He has an arched neck and a moderately long tail. The Flat-Coated Retriever is more of an athlete, lighter and certainly more elegant than any other type or breed of retriever.

swedish vallhund puppy - descriptionLooking much like a cross between a Corgi and the German Shepherd, the Swedish Valhund is a medium sized dog that stands between 30 and 34cm in height and weighs between 9 and 14kg.

His medium length weather-resistant coat is available in wolf like shades – cream, grey, brown etc. The tail can be long or bobbed and the medium sized ears are held erect.

Temperament:

Intelligent, confident, independent, alert, playful and active, your Swedish Valhund promises to make a good family pet.

You'll need to be an active, outdoor type of family though, as he isn’t a couch potato type of dog, snoozing in front of the TV.

He wants to be up and about going on long walks or playing ball games that give him a good run. If he gets his fair share of exercise he can adapt to life in the city or the countryside.

He is intelligent too and will respond well to training and socialization.

He just loves his human family and wants to be constantly with them. He won’t do well if you just keep him locked outside away from everyone. He is social, alert innovative and entertaining as well as being a good guard dog.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

flat coated retriever dog - characteristicsThe Flat-Coated Retriever is great with children. Just be careful they don’t knock over small children in their enthusiasm.

Special talents

They are confident great family dogs. They are “thinking dogs” and need something to work for or they will work for themselves. They can be clowns.

Adaptability

They are adaptable although their size might preclude small locations without yards.

Learning ability

Smart, thinking all the time, they are very trainable. However, they are considered the “Peter Pan” of dogs – they never grow up.

swedish vallhund dog - characteristicsYour Swedish Valhund is such a confident, independent dog and he promises to be a loving, faithful pet. He's also alert and will let you know if strangers are approaching his property.

He is a calm, easy going pet and is capable of adapting to quiet or noisy homes. He may be quite a strange looking dog, but he's got a whole lot of loving to give.

Health Problems

flat coated retriever puppies - health problemsFlat-Coated Retrievers have their share of health concerns from dysplasia to cancer. The breeds problems include:

  1. Hip Dysplasia – not very common
  2. PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) – can result in blindness
  3. Glaucoma - an eye disease that can result in blindness
  4. Epilepsy – very rare but still seen
  5. Bloat (Gastric Dilatation and volvulus) – fatal if not treated immediately

Cancers

Hemangiosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Malignant Histiocytosis, and Fibrosarcoma. Studies show that about half of all Flat-Coated Retrievers die of cancer.

swedish vallhund puppies - health problemsCapable of living a long, healthy life, the Swedish Valhund isn’t likely to fall victim to some of the many dog illnesses there are, and yet it is wise to be alert to some of them that he could get.

One of these is an hereditary eye disease known as retinopathy. Its where there is degeneration of the retinal photoreceptor cells. This eye disease can lead to blindness.  

You need to be careful with this pet of yours, because with his long back and short legs he can so easily hurt his back if he leaps off a bed or high chair.

Whenever you pick this dog up, always support his legs and back. Don’t pick them up without supporting both the front legs and the rear end.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

flat coated retriever dogs - caringHe will be a medium size dog. Feed puppies 3-4 times a day about a 1/8 cup of high-quality food. Feed a puppy food designed for medium size dogs or specifically for retrievers.

Feeding the adult

Feed 2 times a day about !/2 cups of dry food per meal. Do not overfeed. They have a tendency to be obese.

Points for Good Health

Maintain a healthy weight and avoid exercise before and after meals. The good news is dysplasia and epilepsy are rare in the breed.

Games and Exercises

They are very energetic and need good exercise. Long walks and a yard to run in. Remember they are hunting dogs and will chase to retrieve things so don’t let them off leash outside your yard. They will excel at agility, tracking. Rally, obedience, swimming, hunting, and jogging. They make great therapy dogs.

swedish vallhund dogs - caringTry and feed your Swedish Valhund two meals a day instead of just one, so that he doesn’t gobble down his food too quickly.

Your dog can be prone to obesity, so you have to be careful with the way you feed him. Overfeeding a dog packs on extra weight and this puts strain on the joints.

Apart from the dry kibble that you feed him, try to include some tasty, nutritious homemade food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach.

This can all be chopped up and added to his dry kibble. Some raw meat added to the diet can only be to his benefit. Remember to always ensure a bowl of fresh, cool water is available.

General Care:

Give his thick coat a brush twice a week to remove dead hair. Brushing also stimulates the sebaceous glands that produces oil which gives the coat is sheen.

Open his mouth and check for rotting teeth which can be painful for him.

Trim his nails because left long, they can hook onto things and rip the skin open.

Check inside the ears too for redness which could mean an ear infection.You get dog wipes that you can wipe the ear out with. There are always professional dog groomers who can do these chores for you if you don't want to.

See that his vaccines are up to date and that if he shows signs of illness, you get him to the vet.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Flat-Coated Retriever vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  2. Flat-Coated Retriever vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  3. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  4. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  5. Flat-Coated Retriever vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Flat-Coated Retriever vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  7. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  8. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  12. Flat-Coated Retriever vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  13. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  14. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  15. Flat-Coated Retriever vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  16. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  17. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  18. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  19. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  20. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  21. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  22. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  23. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  24. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  25. Flat-Coated Retriever vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Swedish Vallhund vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Swedish Vallhund vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Swedish Vallhund vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Swedish Vallhund vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Swedish Vallhund vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Swedish Vallhund vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Swedish Vallhund vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Swedish Vallhund vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Swedish Vallhund vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Swedish Vallhund vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Swedish Vallhund vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Swedish Vallhund vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Swedish Vallhund vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Swedish Vallhund vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Swedish Vallhund vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Swedish Vallhund vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Swedish Vallhund vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Swedish Vallhund vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Swedish Vallhund vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Swedish Vallhund vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Swedish Vallhund vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Swedish Vallhund vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Swedish Vallhund vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Swedish Vallhund vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Swedish Vallhund vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison