Hellenic Hound vs Boston Terrier - Breed Comparison

Nicknamed the American Gentleman, the Boston Terrier is the result of crossing the British Bulldog with the white English Terrier. At first the Boston Terrier was bred to be a fighting dog, but since then, undesirable characteristics have been bred out and today the Boston Terrier is regarded as an indoor dog that doesn’t tolerate extreme weather conditions.

The breed emerged in the 1870s when Robert Hooper from Boston bought a dog thought to be a mix of a Terrier and Bull type lineage. A specialist breed club was formed in 1891 and in 1979 the commonwealth of Massachusetts named the Boston Terrier the Official State Dog. By the 20th century, the breed’s color and patterns were standard and an essential feature.

Developed in Southern Greece, the Hellenic Hound was bred to hunt hare and is an ancient breed. It is a medium sized breed with strong scent and tracking skills. It is believed to have been in existence for thousands of years. The ancestry of the breed included the Lagonikoi or laconikoi, native to southern Greece in ancient times. The breed was spread by sailors on Greece trading ships and colonization.

Todays Hellenic Hound is found throughout Europe. Kept somewhat isolated by the mountains, the breed was protected from outside breeding and they remained pure for centuries. It is a fearless, smart and hyped up purebred. The Hellenic Hound needs to have a job and if you don’t give him one, he will find one. He is smart and independent which sometimes makes him stubborn. It also takes this dog longer to mature than others, sometime between two and three years. It is not good for first time owners. Today’s hound is still a popular hunting dog and companion animal as well. They are rarely seen outside of the Greek country.

In 1996 the Hellenic Hound was recognized as the first Greek dog breed into the FCI. They are not recognized by the AKC. Its numbers continue to decline.

The Boston Terrier is a lively, strong-willed breed with an alert expression and fairly large, erect ears. He is a small to medium sized dog and his square muzzle puts him among the Bull breeds. The dog is compact in build and varies quite significantly in size. Weight with the dog is actually divided into 3 categories – lightweight (under 6.8kg), middleweight (up to 9kg) and the heavyweights being between 9.1kg and up to 11.4kg. The Boston has a short head and a naturally short, low-set tail. The coat is short and smooth, and the colour can be brindle with white markings, brown and white or black and white.

It’s the energetic liveliness of the Boston Terrier that makes him such a lovable and popular pet. He has an affectionate, gentle nature that makes him a fantastic family pet and he gets on well with children and pets in the home. He can adapt to city or country life. One or two interesting facts of this breed are -

with his short nose, he is prone to drool and snore

he is prone to corneal ulcers because of his large, somewhat protruding eyes

with a small pelvis, the females often battle with the birthing process and may require a caesarean section.

Today’s Hellenic Hound is not a big dog but rather very average or medium. It is an athletic dog and looks like it. It has a balanced body with a deep chest and thick neck. It has medium height legs that are strong and muscular with paws that are prepared for the terrain it always works on. Its coat is short and tight. The colors of the Hellenic Hound are black with tan or white on the chest. Their heads are noble and rounded with a rectangle shaped muzzle. They have v shaped, long ears and round eyes. Their toe nails are black and so is their nose. It has excellent scent glands, very quick responses, speed and stamina. Their tail is thick and tapers off.

The Boston Terrier is such a sweet little dog, but you can’t really say what your puppy’s personality will be as personality varies quite a bit between individual Boston’s. Remember that just like with a human child, your puppy will turn out with characteristics that can be attributed to the way he was raised. The Boston just loves his human family and he wants to be part of all your activities, even though he may gravitate towards one favorite family member.

Your Boston can be your Best Friend

Your Boston is a Terrier and that means he is full of life and will require being exercised by you. He can’t just be left outdoors day after day because this is one particular breed that can’t adapt to changing weather conditions. He likes being inside where the temperature is more even. Look after your Boston, because if you do, you’ll be rewarded by having one of the best friends you’ve ever had.

Children friendliness

yes, they are very fond of children as long as they are carefully socialized.

Special talents

Great hunter, stamina ,scent, voice

Adaptable

He needs to have a yard or land. He doesn’t do well in apartments.

Learning

The breed is very intelligent and can be very trainable. However, they can also be stubborn and that makes training harder.

Boston Terriers are generally healthy, feisty little dogs but it is always wise to know that you may well come across some health conditions that can affect your pet.

Eye Problems

Your Boston may well have to contend with cataracts, and in the dog world, this isn’t only an ailment for old dogs. Juvenile cataracts can develop in young puppies already. Cherry Eye is another eye problem with a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid. It is also an eye disease than can be found in young dog of less than a year old.

Deafness

Boston Terriers actually have a fairly high incidence of deafness in one or both ears. White Bostons tend to produce more puppies with deafness.

Brachycephalic Syndrome

The Boston Terrier is a brachycephalic dog and therefore more predisposed to Brachyphalic Syndrome where the dog battles to breathe because of too much soft tissue which forms in the airways.

To avoid many dog diseases with your Boston, buy your puppy from a reputable dog breeder who screens dogs used in a breeding program as this prevents puppies inheriting genetic disorders.

The Hellenic Hound is a fairly healthy breed having been isolated on the Island of Greece for the most part. They are susceptible to:

Joint dysplasia

Could be hips, elbows or knees. If untreated can lead to lameness or inability to walk.

Arthritis

Causes joint pain and can cause lameness or inability to walk.

Bloat

Can be fatal if not treated immediately. To avoid it don’t feed a large meal before or after exercise.

Hunting injuries

Can be a variety of things that occur during the hunt.

Ear infections

Need to keep the ears clean and dry in order to avoid infections.

Exercise

The Boston Terrier is a lively dog, and even though he doesn't have any extreme exercise requirements, he will still require you exercising him by taking him on walks, or having ball games with him. As an essentially indoor dog, he can even enjoy some quieter indoor games.

Feeding

You’ll be able to gauge how much your pet requires in terms of high quality food, but by the time he is an adult, he usually has one or two bowls of food a day. Size and age play an important role in determining his eating habits. Home made foods made up of rice, meat and vegetables are always welcome for your pet and these can be added into his top quality commercially produced dog food. For a healthy dog who is free of skin problems include some raw meat in the diet from time to time. Always make sure that there is a bowl of fresh, cool water which is available 24/7.

Grooming

With his short coat, the Boston Terrier isn’t a heavy shedder and is low maintenance in terms of keeping his coat groomed. Brush him at least twice a week to remove loose hairs and to also prevent flea and tick infestations. Brush his teeth 2 or 3 times a week to ensure no plaque build-up which can damage the teeth. Never use human toothpaste, but invest in special toothpaste and -brush for dogs. If he is essentially an indoor dog, you may have to get the vet to trim his nails too.

Feeding the puppy

Feed the puppy 2-3 times a day a total of 2 cups

Feeding the adult

Feed the adult twice a day a total of 2-3 cups

Points for Good Health

The Hellenic Hound has excellent stamina, speed and scenting ability.

Games and Exercises

This is a very active, athletic dog that needs to work and needs exercise. He is powerful, quick and has great endurance. It thrives on hunting but will need other activities on the days it doesn’t hunt. It needs a yard or land to play in. Agility, Field Trials, tracking, hunting and fly ball are all activities the Hellenic Hound will enjoy.