Toy Schnauzer vs Estonian Hound - Breed Comparison

Estonian Hound is originated from Estonia but Toy Schnauzer is originated from Germany. Estonian Hound may grow 17 cm / 7 inches higher than Toy Schnauzer. Estonian Hound may weigh 11 kg / 25 pounds more than Toy Schnauzer. Both Estonian Hound and Toy Schnauzer has same life span. Both Estonian Hound and Toy Schnauzer has same litter size. Both Estonian Hound and Toy Schnauzer requires Moderate Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Toy dog
undefined
Estonia
Germany
Height Male:
42 - 52 cm
16 - 21 inches
33 - 35 cm
12 - 14 inches
Height Female:
40 - 50 cm
15 - 20 inches
33 - 35 cm
12 - 14 inches
Weight Male:
15 - 20 kg
33 - 45 pounds
4 - 9 kg
8 - 20 pounds
Weight Female:
13 - 19 kg
28 - 42 pounds
4 - 9 kg
8 - 20 pounds
Life Span:
12 - 15 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 8
3 - 8
Size:
Medium
Toy
Other Names:
Estonian Scenthound, Gontchaja Estonskaja
Miniature Schnauzer
Colors Available:
tan with black patches or blackish brown with red patches
Black and silver, chocolate or a salt and pepper look
Coat:
short, rough coat
Medium length, hard and wiry
Shedding:
Constant
Minimal
Temperament:
Affectionate, Cheerful, Energetic, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn
Grooming:
Moderate Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

estonian houndIn 1947, the Estonian Hound was developed and remains today the only pure breed ever developed in Estonia. At that time the national economic minister of the Soviet Union declared that every country in the USSR must have a national dog breed. Thus, the Estonian Hound and the Estonian Kennel Union were born. The Kennel Union is currently seeking breed recognition from the Federation Cynoloqique Internationale.

The Estonian Hound came from breeding local Estonian hunting dogs with several different breeds of foreign dogs. The Soviet decree also established that hunting dogs had to be no more than 17 inches high. This result in a hunting dog with great agility and drive that is extremely popular in now inependent Estonia. It is the national dog.

The Miniature Schnauzer was actually a distinct breed as early as 1899. It is believed that the dog came from breeding the smallest Standard Schnauzers with Affenpinschers, Black Poodles, and the gray Spitz.

Miniature Schnauzers were registered as a separate breed in 1926. The Toy Schnauzer is registered as a Miniature Schnauzer but is actually a little bit smaller.

The Miniature Schnauzer was developed as a farm dog with the purpose of killing rats.

Description

estonian hound puppy - descriptionThe Estonian Hound is a strong, muscular body of medium size, with well-developed muscles and strong bones. It has a straight muzzle and skull with defined eyebrows and long drop ears. They have black noses and dark eyes. Their back is wide and straight, and their chest is deep and wide. They have skin that is tight with no wrinkles or folds anywhere.

The Estonian Hound is double coated, but the undercoat is not well developed. The top coat is rough, short and shiny. The tail has a thick covering of hair. The color is usually white with red patches, black or brown patches or yellow patches.

The Toy Schnauzer is a small dog standing at between 33–35cm tall and weighing about 4 to 9 kg.

He has medium length hair which is hard and wiry and which requires minimal grooming. These low-shedding dogs make the ideal family pets for those people who have allergies.

Colors of the coat are essentially black and silver, chocolate or a salt and pepper look. You'll find they have a beard and bushy eyebrows, giving him an almost human-like expression.

These dogs were brought about to be all-around farm dogs and ratters and they are tough, muscular, and fearless without being aggressive.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

estonian hound dog - characteristicsThe Estonian Hound is a happy dog and loves to play with children. He was bred to hunt though and he can get fixated on a scent and knock over a small child.

Special talents

He is a hunting dog with great agility and drive.

Adaptability

He has had to be adaptable through his short history and is now more a companion than a hunting dog. He can live in the city or country.

Learning ability

He is intelligent and trainable. He is lively and energetic and the challenge might be keeping his attention long enough to train.

The Toy Schnauzer is spunky, strong-willed and confident. They all have different personalities and while some people report they are aloof, stubborn and uppity, others say they are playful, friendly and amicable.

A lot depends on the owners as dogs often develop the temperaments of the owners.

With this range in temperament, you can’t say with certainty how your Toy Schnauzer will turn out. Most of them just want to be involved with their human families and they make great family pets.

Health Problems

estonian hound puppies - health problemsWith such a young breed there have not been any studies done on their health or genetic issues. It seems the breed is fairly healthy but there is too little information to really say. Being confined to Estonia there has been little commercial or backyard breeding. He is less likely than most pure breeds to have genetic issues.

It is likely that dogs of his type are at risk for:

Bloat – distended or twisted stomach

Caused by excessive exercise before or after having eaten a large meal. It is suggested that you feed your English Setter twice a day, smaller meals and not right before or after strenuous exercise.

  1. Luxating Patella
  2. Leads to lameness and arthritis
  3. Allergies skin/food
  4. See vet if issues arise
  5. Respiratory allergies - It would be very important to see vet if any breathing issues arise
  6. Joint dysplasia - This could be elbow or hip and can lead to lameness or arthritis

Your Toy Schnauzer has a life expectancy of 12 – 15 years if you care for them properly. They can, however, suffer from some health problems that so many other dogs might also have to contend with.

Some of these are -

Cataracts:

You’ll notice your pet's eyes taking on a filmy look. Most times these cataracts emerge in older dogs and they can be surgically removed.

Entropion and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) are other eye diseases that may affect your dog. Most dogs are able to adapt well to their limited vision and can even adapt to lost vision.

Bladder Infection:

A bladder infection can be terribly uncomfortable for your pet and occurs when bacteria gets into the bladder. Females are more likely to get a bladder infection, but male dogs can pick up the infection too. Having a bladder infection increases the pet’s urge to urinate even when there is no urine to come out.

The little bit of urine that does come out may be cloudy or even have some blood in it. It is imperative to get your pet urgent veterinary attention. When you see your pet trying to urinate all the time with nothing happening, then this is the sign to get your dog to the vet for a course of antibiotics.

Congenital Megaesophagus: 

This is when food and liquid are retained in the dog's esophagus so that you find him regurgitating his food. This can lead to pneumonia.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

estonian hound dogs - caringFeed a high quality dry food made for puppies. Feed ¼ to ½ cup per day in 2-3 meals for the first six months.

Feed 1 to 2 cups in two meals from 6 months to a year or so.

Feeding the adult.

Feed about 2 to 3 cups in two meals.

Points for Good Health

As previously mentioned this seems to be a fairly healthy breed.

Be careful not to feed a large meal before or after exercise due to possibility of bloat.

Check their ears and clean them periodically.

Games and Exercises

The Estonian Hound is a hunting dog and needs a good deal of exercise – at least an hour and a half every day or a long walk if not used for hunting. He is a working dog with a lot of energy and stamina. Don’t let him off leash though or he will follow his nose and take off. He is usually calm and quiet indoors if he gets enough physical and mental stimulation outdoors. He can be destructive and loud, nervous and hyper if he doesn’t. They enjoy Frisbee, agility, tracking and of course hunting.

Most people have their Toy Schnauzers professionally groomed on a regular basis. He is a double-coated dog with a wiry coat. Some people, looking to maintain the wiry texture do hand-stripping, certainly if the dog is used for show purposes.

Diet:

No dog deserves to have dry kibble served up to him day after day. However, there are some excellent commercial dog foods on the market and you can choose the best one.

These foods provide a lot of convenience for the dog owner. Dogs also need to have their share of home-made food. It doesn’t have to be all complicated as dogs like simplicity.

Wholesome foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice and some nutritious vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots can do him the world of good. Schnauzers are also prone to pancreatis so you want to avoid giving him food that is high in fat.

Exercise:

Toy Schnauzers love an active lifestyle. They don't like sitting around inactive for too long.

Your Toy Schnauzer can adapt to life in the country or the city but he will certainly need to be well exercised. Walking your dog each day will be essential as will ball games and just generally giving your pet some of your attention,

Comparison with other breeds

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