Hovawart vs East German Shepherd - Breed Comparison

Hovawart vs East German Shepherd - Breed ComparisonBoth East German Shepherd and Hovawart are originated from Germany. Both East German Shepherd and Hovawart are having almost same height. East German Shepherd may weigh 11 kg / 24 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Both East German Shepherd and Hovawart has almost same life span. Both East German Shepherd and Hovawart has almost same litter size. East German Shepherd requires High Maintenance. But Hovawart requires Low Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Herding dogs
Working dog
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Germany
Germany
Height Male:
60 - 65 cm
23 - 26 inches
58 - 70 cm
22 - 28 inches
Height Female:
55 - 60 cm
21 - 24 inches
51 - 68 cm
20 - 27 inches
Weight Male:
29 - 40 kg
63 - 89 pounds
25 - 51 kg
55 - 113 pounds
Weight Female:
23 - 33 kg
50 - 73 pounds
22 - 49 kg
48 - 109 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 13 Years
10 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 9
6 - 8
Size:
Large
Large
Other Names:
East German Shepherd Dog, DDR, EGSD
Hovie
Colors Available:
grey with darker shading, brown and yellow to light grey markings; single-coloured black, are black with reddish-brown, black saddle and mask
gold and black, gold, blonde
Coat:
double, dense
long dense
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Aggressive, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Independent, Loving, Protective, Social
Affectionate, Alert, Courageous, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Territorial
Grooming:
High Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
No

History

east german shepherdThe East German Shepherd is a line of the German Shepherd Dog breed. The German Shepherd Dog came about when the three types of “continental shepherd dogs” separated into the Dutch Shephers, German Shepherd and Belgian Shepherd. In the 1800’s it was local shepherds who bred their dogs and selected the traits they needed in their geography. The result was dogs in various local areas who all could herd and guard flocks; who were intelligent, strong, fast and had a good sense of smell, but their appearance and skills varied from town to town. The changes in Germany from agriculture and sheep to industrial cities rendered the German Sheep Dog obsolete. But was it really? Many felt the dog could be a good working dog in the cities as well but needed some refinement in the breed according to Max von Stephanite. At a dog show in 1899, he found what he wanted – the perfect working dog.Stephanitz bought the dog and founded the Society for the German Shepherd. (Verein fur Deutsch Schaferhunde) Stephanitz is considered the developer of the German Shepherd Dog.

The East German Shepherd is a line of the same breed. There are several different lines of the German Shepherd Dog, with slight difference for the reason they were bred. For instance, the German Shepherd Dog is bred for looks while the East German Shepherd is bred to be a working dog. Often called a DDR German Shepherd, they came about from the Deutsche Democratic Republic or the Republic of East Germany. For about 40 years in East Germany these dogs were bred only within the DDR bloodline.

The East German Shepherd is stronger, heavier boned, leaner, more muscular and solid. During the time of the Berlin Wall, from 1961-1989, there were few German Shepherds for breeding stock on either side of the wall, but especially in the East. There the government controlled the development of the breed. They developed a separate registry for the DDR – East German Shepherd. With such strict standards for a perfect working dog and such little breeding stock, the only dogs allowed to reproduce were the ones that passed a rigorous test and were deemed perfect working dogs.

In West Germany they continued to breed for appearance. The West German Shepherd are the most popular ones and are usually simply called German Shepherds. The show dogs of today and the American line came from the West.

Preserving the East German Shepherd today is important and difficult. It means preserving not improving. The Strength of the East German Shepherd is their body line and style, Today’s breeder must maintain this while making sure there is enough diversity in the gene pool to keep the line healthy without losing its body style and working temperament. It is important that the East German Shepherd have a straight back rather than the sloping one of the German Shepherd Dog or the American lines of the GSD. The working dog is also more aggressive and has a much higher work drive than any of the other German Shepherd Dogs lines.

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.

Description

east german shepherd puppy - descriptionWhat are the differences between the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) and the East German Shepherd? The East German Shepherd has a straight back and a larger bone structure. He has a very large and block shaped head with a lean, athletic build. His lips are taunt and dark, and his nose must be black. He has a scissor bite and strong teeth. His eyes are medium sized almonds that are slanted slightly. The eyes are also very dark. His ears are erect and not too big. His legs, haunches and feet must all be coordinated so that he trots rather than runs.

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.

Characteristics

east german shepherd dog - characteristicsThe East German Shepherd is a well- balanced dog. He is sure of himself, friendly, loyal and wants to please his owner. He is intelligent, resilient and attentive. He will make a great family pet. He is aggressive with a high prey drive but that can be tempered with good socialization and training. He is easy to train.

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.

Health Problems

east german shepherd puppies - health problemsBecause the East German Shepherd line has been isolated behind the Berlin Wall, there are not many genetic health issues in the line. Most importantly the East German Shepherd shows no hip dysplasia which plagues most GSD. There are a couple of situations to look out for. They are:

  • Bloat

A life threatening issue that must be addressed immediately for fear of death. Bloat is caused when a larger dog with a deep chest eats too large a meal before or after strenuous exercise, eats too fast, or drinks too much water. The stomach distends with air or gas and twists. Sometimes it is completely inverted. Get help fast or your dog will die.

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

Caring The Pet

Feeding

east german shepherd dogs - caringBecause these dogs were bred to work you need to feed them a high quality dry food, made for working dogs. It needs to have a good amount of calcium and glucosamine. Feed about 3-4 cups per day divided into 2 feeding times.

Health issues

In addition to bloat as mentioned above, the East German Shepherd can also have both air born, and food born allergies. These are easily treated by your veterinarian.

Exercise and games

The East German Shepherd is a high energy, high activity dog so you have some for him. He is agile and athletic. He needs serious exercise and a job is essential. If you can’t give an East German Shepherd a job, then don’t get this dog. He loves tracking and has a high prey drive. Keep him trained, challenged and working. Try tracking and herding trials, obedience, agility, fly ball and bar hunt.

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.

Comparison with other breeds

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