Tahltan Bear Dog vs Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher - Breed Comparison

Hailing from Austria, the Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher, better known as the Austrian Short-Haired Pinscher has always been depicted on paintings from the Baroque period.

The dog is a terrier-type canine and has always been used as a watchdog but he was also used to hunt because of the terrier qualities he possesses.

This dog has always been used for working on farms. Breeding of this dog started in 1921 and the dog was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2006.

The primitive Tahltan Bear Dog comes from Canada. The dog was developed by the Tahltan people to hunt bears, so you can imagine he was a strong, brave dog.

They also had fox-like yaps that confused bears until the hunter could come and kill the bear. These dogs are descended from pariah-type dogs with their diet being birds and fish.

It was in 1988 that the Canadian Post Office honoured the Tahltan Bear Dog by having a picture of it appearing on a stamp.

Some people claim that after the 1960s there are no longer any living descendants while others say that breeding projects were established and that there are still a few of these dogs around today. There are records on the other hand that claim the dog became extinct in the 1970s.

These dogs have been recognized by the American Kennel Club.

As a medium sized dog, both males and females stand at between 42 and 50cm in height and the dog weighs roughly between 14 and 20kg.

The coat is shortish, dense and smooth and is essentially black and tan with some white, fawn or brindle. The ears of the dog are fairly short and they look as though they wanted to be erect but then decided to be floppy. The nose is black and the eyes dark brown.

The tail is usually docked but when it is left long, it curls over the back. If you want your dog to be bred you can expect between 4 – 6 puppies.

Temperament:

These are playful dogs, getting on well with their human families and wanting to get involved in their activities. They are suspicious of strangers. They are good with kids, making them a good playmate, but they don’t like small children being allowed to climb over them.

They are able to get along well with any other pets in the house. It would be to your benefit to have the dog trained and socialized as he becomes obedient and good around people in social settings. He is an intelligent dog and will find training easy.

They also take their role as guardian and protector seriously.Because he was bred to be a farm dog, he wouldn’t e able to adapt to life on a tiny property in the city.

Not like a bear, but more foxy in appearance or even more like a husky, the Tahltan Bear dog is medium sized, standing at between 36 – 43cm in height and weighing between 6 – 9 kg.

It is believed that they were similar to spitz and pariah type dogs, and were athletic. The short to medium length coat of the dog was mainly black or brown with some white.

He had fairly large pointed, erect ears and also a fairly pointed muzzle. The tail was interesting and was short and furry and always carried erect.

Temperament:

The Tahltan Bear Dog is fearless, not being deterred when meeting large bear. It's why the dog has been valued by hunters – their bravery and fearlessness.

They’re great family dogs too and will get on well with children. He is intelligent and easy to train if you want to give him training and socialization.

Have your Osterreichischer Kurzhaariger Pinscher trained and socialized if you want him to be amicable and obedient around you and your visitors.

He does well with a human family who are firm, kind and patient with him. He loves to be kept busy with both mental and physical exercise, thriving on challenging activities, and he will become frustrated if he is left day after day just to lie around.

Take him with you on walks, buy him nice chewy, stimulating toys, throw a ball or frisbee with him and include him in your activities.

This is a dog more suited to life in the countryside as opposed to life in the city. Care well for this splendid family pet and you’ll quickly begin to see why dogs like him are known as man’s best friend.

Because some claim that this dog is extinct, there are only a few accounts of what he is actually like.

Even though they were hunting dogs, they were devoted pets and companions of the people of the Yukon.

If these dogs are still to be found today, you will find them to be easy going, protective, loyal, intelligent, playful, alert, watchful and energetic. Just don’t allow them to get too hot as they prefer cooler climates.

The Austrian Short-haired Pinscher is a robust kind of dog that isn’t going to have you rushing to the vet very often. True, he does have some hereditary health issues but it is highly unlikely that you will find these health issues in your pet.

Nonetheless it pays to know about one of the more serious conditions -

Congenital Heart Condition:

This is a heart disease that is present from birth and could have been passed down from the parent dog to the puppy. A congenital heart defect occurs as a malformation of any valve, with the most common congenital heart diseases in dogs being patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonic stenosis as well as subaortic stenosis, all potentially inherited defects.

Sometimes a dog can live a fairly normal life with this disease but other times there are complications which can lead to congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation, causing symptoms such as difficulty with breathing, cough and weakness. Your dog will need to get to the vet to discuss treatment options.

Healthy dogs are unlikely to pick up any of the many common dog illnesses there are. There are many – cancer, diabetes, bloat, hip dysplasia, ear infections, dental disease and many more.

Kennel Cough:

This is a contagious and infectious disease known as canine tracheobronchitis and which is transmitted through the air. Treatment is usually administered as a nasal spray, but your dog will need to get to the vet because of his dry, honking cough and lack of appetite.

Rabies:

This is a viral disease which in most instances is fatal. It is mostly transmitted when an animal that carries the disease bites the dog. Your dog develops behavior which is totally uncharacteristic of him. He'll also froth at the mouth and become aggressive. Death is nearly always guaranteed.

Exercise:

They need quite a lot of exercise, and even though they can adopt to life in the countryside or the city, they will require regular walks, ball- and rope games to prevent them becoming bored, frustrated and destructive.

Grooming:

The Austrian Short-haired Pinscher sheds quite a bit so he will need to be brushed at least twice a week to remove the loose hairs.

Diet:

As a medium sized, energetic dog, you want to ensure you maintain your dogs energetic nature by providing him with excellent food.

Choose your commercially manufactured food carefully as some of them are of a poor quality and can actually be detrimental to your dog’s health. Choose a high quality kibble that has quality ingredients.

Home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and vegetables such as carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes all chopped up and added to his kibble occasionally will do wonders for this dog. He will thrive on also getting in some raw meat from time to time.

Ensure a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

This double coated hunting dog’s thick coarse coat will require brushing at least twice a week to free the dog of loose hair. He is regarded as a low mainenance dog.

During brushing, you would check inside his ears and make sure there are no signs of redness. Eyes of the dog should be bright, eager and free of discharge.Always keep the nails of the dog trimmed.

If you keep your pet outside for any lengths of time it is imperative that this dog has shade to lie down in as he doesn’t do well in too much heat.

Exercise:

Because he is a hunting dog, he is used to being outdoors and being active. He wont be content to lie around inactive for too long. He’ll want at least a walk every day and some ball games.

Diet:

A pet dog can’t choose his own food so they depend on us to make the right choices for them. It’s always convenient to have a packet of commercially manufactured dog food available, but who knows if this dog, which some claim is extinct, ever ate commercially manufactured food.

If he did, you would want to mix it every now and again with home made food - boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach. This food could be chopped up and added to the dog’s kibble.

Ensure that a constant supply of fresh, cool water is available to him.