Wheaten Terrier vs Hovawart - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Wheaten Terrier vs Hovawart - Breed ComparisonHovawart is originated from Germany but Wheaten Terrier is originated from Ireland. Hovawart may grow 20 cm / 8 inches higher than Wheaten Terrier. Hovawart may weigh 31 kg / 69 pounds more than Wheaten Terrier. Both Hovawart and Wheaten Terrier has almost same life span. Both Hovawart and Wheaten Terrier has same litter size. Hovawart requires Low Maintenance. But Wheaten Terrier requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Working dog
Terrier dog
undefined
Germany
Ireland
Height Male:
58 - 70 cm
22 - 28 inches
43 - 50 cm
16 - 20 inches
Height Female:
51 - 68 cm
20 - 27 inches
43 - 50 cm
16 - 20 inches
Weight Male:
25 - 51 kg
55 - 113 pounds
13 - 20 kg
28 - 45 pounds
Weight Female:
22 - 49 kg
48 - 109 pounds
13 - 20 kg
28 - 45 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 14 Years
10 - 12 Years
Litter Size:
6 - 8
2 - 8
Size:
Large
Medium
Other Names:
Hovie
The Wheaten
Colors Available:
gold and black, gold, blonde
Wheaten, gingery
Coat:
long dense
Soft single coat
Shedding:
Moderate
Minimal
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Courageous, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Territorial
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
Yes
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

History

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.

The Wheaten Terrier hails from Ireland, some 200 years ago.

wheaten terrierThe dog was bred to be a useful dog to have around the farm. He was needed to help with the guarding and herding of livestock and to keep the rat population down.

This little dog has a long history, but in spite of this, he wasn’t recognized as a breed in his home country by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937.

It was in 1943 that the Wheaten was recognized by the British Kennel Club. They were exported to the United States in the 1940s and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1973.

Description

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.

wheaten terrier puppy - descriptionThe Wheaten Terrier is a robustly built, medium-sized dog with males and females standing at between 43 to 50cm in height and weighing between 13 to 20kg.

The soft, single coat is a silky texture and a wheaten, gingery color. A bonus is that the coat doesn’t shed much. Puppies are born with darkish coats of a reddish-brown color but the coat lightens significantly as the puppy grows older.

Most Wheaten Terrier owners opt to have the dog professionally groomed. Their tails have always been docked.

Temperament:

Your Wheaten Terrier is a smart dog, albeit headstrong and stubborn. His intelligence makes it easy to have him trained.

They love their human family and aren’t known for any aggression issues. They’re energetic, playful dogs and are sometimes even looked upon as being hyperactive. They’re able to get along well with other dogs and cats in the house. They generally make great family pets.

These dogs are well suited to life in the city as well as the countryside just so long as he gets his daily walks and other forms of exercise.

Characteristics

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.

wheaten terrier dog - characteristicsThe Wheaten Terrier is such a bouncy, lively little dog that he brings joy into any home.

He is energetic, playful and full of the joys of living but you don’t want to take advantage of his good nature.

Don’t leave him stuck in your back yard but include him in all your family activities. He’s your best friend, providing you with unconditional love that few humans can equal.

Health Problems

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

wheaten terrier puppies - health problemsYour Wheaten Terrier is a dog breed that can live healthily with you for a good number of years.

Just like most other dogs, they are prone to some heritable diseases. Perhaps a condition to look out for with this particular dog is protein wasting conditions - protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) and protein-losing enteropathy (PLE).

Both of these diseases are actually fatal but if caught early enough, they can be managed with dietary changes and medication.

Your dog produces proteins known as enzymes, one group being digestive enzymes that help with the breakdown and digestion of food. When your pet battles with malabsorption, digestive enzymes don’t absorb protein and it passes through the large intestine into the faeces. Your dog will have inflammatory bowel disease.

Dogs with PLE for instance, will have vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss.

Caring The Pet

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.

wheaten terrier dogs - caringBrush your pet’s coat twice a week to keep it healthy and have him professionally trimmed to keep him looking nice and groomed.

Dental disease is a common problem with dogs, and more specifically small dogs. Dental problems start with tartar build-up on the teeth and then infection of the gums and roots can set in too. The teeth have to be kept in good condition as rotten teeth can have a negative impact on other important body parts like the heart and kidneys.

Have your pet vaccinated against bacterial and viral infections such as rabies and parvo.

Speak to your vet about the many worms and other parasites that can invade your pet’s body.

Have your Wheaten spayed or neutered if you want to avoid unwanted puppies.

Provide your Wheaten with the best food there is to encourage good health and longevity. Keep his meals simple and consistent and always go for high-quality foods that are in keeping with your dog’s age, Kibble as well as home-made food are good choices. Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water.

Provide your Wheaten Terrier with good exercise. Remember though that these dogs are sensitive to warm temperatures, and you don’t want to have him exercising in hot weather because of the fear of heat stress.

Comparison with other breeds

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