Petit Gascon Saintongeois vs Gull Terr - Breed Comparison

The Gull Terr hails from Pakistan. Having been introduced to the country by the British Raj, the dog has always been valued for its guarding and fighting abilities.

The British army, on bringing English Bull Terriers with them, mated them with local dogs. The dog was in other words, created from the old bull terrier which became extinct, and the Bully Kutta.

The Gull Terr or Pakistani Bull Terrier as he is known is a rare breed of dog. Today they are usually found in rural areas of Pakistan as well as in the Indian Panjab area, becoming popular as both pet and watchdog. It is no longer used for dog fighting as this has been banned.

The Petit Gascon Saintongeois comes from- and is in fact a smaller version of the Grand Gascon Saintongeois. The dog has been used for hunting. Hunters wanted a smaller dog and these were the Petit Gascon Saintongeois.

There was a time when the numbers of these dogs became less and their numbers were restored by Baron Virelade in the 19th century. It is where this dog gets his nickname from.

The Petit Gascon-Saintongeois was recognized by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1993.

As a medium sized dog, the muscled Gull Terr stands as 45 – 66cm in height and weighs in the area of 40 – 45kg.

The dog has a short, smooth coat which is white, but you may find some black spots on him. He has a egg shaped head, ears are naturally erect, dark slanted eyes, and he has a long tail which is held upwards. Muscled and agile, he is a powerful working breed and makes a good watchdog.

Temperament:

This is an aggressive dog breed, and first-time dog owners might want to have a more amicable kind of pet to start off with.

He is a fearless dog, somewhat aggressive and suspicious towards strangers and therefore wants to protect his owner from them. With training and socialization he can be good with children in the home, although he is inclined to be boisterous and stubborn. He has fierce protective instincts, even though he is considered not as aggressive as some other Pakistani dog breeds.

The Gull Terr will need an experienced dog handler. Even though he has been a fighter in his day, he is capable of being an excellent family pet as well. You won't have trouble training him as he is intelligent. He then becomes more obedient and more manageable. He is a very active dog and therefore he won't fit into city dwelling where there are small spaces. He needs a place to run and on top of that he will require a good deal of exercise.

The Petit Gascon Saintongeois is a smaller version of the Grand Gascon Saintongeois but he is still muscled and lean and looked upon as being a large, robust dog.

His coat is short and dense and is white with black patches and some speckles. You'll find that there are nearly always black patches found on either side of the head, surrounding the eyes and covering the ears. The ears are essentially black, although there is also some tan coloring.

The ears are floppy, the tail long and saber-shaped.The Petit Gascon Saintongeois is a well proportioned dog standing at between 56 to 62cm in height and weighing 23 to 27kg.

Temperament:

The Petit Gascon Saintongeois is a friendly, good-natured pet, being loyal and loving with his human family and being a good playmate to children. He is also intelligent and amicable and will be easily trained and socialized.

Your Gull Terr love the attention he receives from his human family and he won’t flourish at all if he is put into the back yard for watch dog purposes only. He is a dog that needs to come indoors to be with his family.

He tends to be somewhat aggressive and this is why he isn’t looked upon as the ideal pet for first-time dog owners and those with young children in the home.

He is a confrontational dog, willing to enter into a fight with provocation. Strong willed he will require early training and socialization, and when he is brought up by a firm, consistent, kind owner, he can get over his aggression and become a loyal, devoted, protective and loving pet.

Your gentle, calm, amicable Petit Gascon-Saintongeois is such an excellent hunting dog, but he doesn’t let that get in the way of him being a wonderful family pet as well.

His friendly, good natured, docile temperament makes this particular breed a superb choice as he gets on so well with children too if they themselves have been taught to be kind to animals and to respect them.

He is intelligent too and easy to train, and he is attractive to look at as a bonus. This all makes him the kind of pet and companion that everyone could benefit from.

Bloat:

The Gull Terr has a deep chest and this means he is more prone to bloat, a condition known as gastric dilation volvulus.

Your pet's stomach fills with air and this leads to decreased blood flow to vital organs. The stomach can twist and this is when the condition becomes life threatening as blood supply to the stomach is cut off. Instead of feeding him large meals, feed him smaller meals more frequently.

Deafness:

Deafness in your pet can be temporary or permanent, in one ear or both. There are are so many reasons why your pet could be deaf and it could be a birth defect, an infection or old age. Certain dogs such as the white coated Gull Terr are also more predisposed to congenital deafness.

Get him to the vet who will examine your dog’s ear canal for wax and debris and discuss the way to go for your beloved pet.

The Petit Gascon-Saintongeois has no documented breed related health problems. As previously mentioned, with his long ears, check out the inside of his ears regularly for ear infections.

Parasites:

Ticks fleas and worms are a curse. Worms particularly are terrible internal parasites and in fact some worms can even be fatal in puppies. Some of the signs your dogs may have worms include weight loss, a dull, dry, thinning coat, no loger interested in food, diarrhea and vomiting. The best way to respond to your pet’s worm issues is to get him to the vet.

Bloat or Swollen Stomach:

This problem is looked upon as a medical emergency. Gastric dilatation and volvulus, if left, can kill your dog. It’s when gas is trapped in the stomach which has twisted, blocking off the stomach’s blood supply.

Deep chested dogs, feeding your dog just one meal a day so that he gobbles it up too quickly, and older, obese dogs are more prone to bloat. Your dog will require immediate veterinary intervention.

Grooming:

Easy to look after with his short coat, the Gull Terr will only require a brushing twice a week to keep the coat shiny and healthy.

Because his coat is white, it can show dirt easily, and it will simply require taking a damp cloth and wiping the mark off him. You don't want to be bathing him often as this dries his skin out – rather just wipe the coat down.

Exercise:

Your Gull Terr is a highly energetic dog and he loves nothing more than to be involved in robust exercise and games. He is best suited in a home with large grounds and if you do opt to have him in the city, you will have to pay close attention to his exercise needs – lots of walks, runs, ball games, swimming and running with you as you cycle.

Diet:

You want to be sure that your energetic Gull Terr has a healthy diet full of important proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Protein is always important for a dog like this and you want to make absolutely sure that apart from his high quality kibble, you mix in raw meat from time to time as well as cooked chicken, fish, brown rice and vegetables.

When looking for a commercially manufactured dog food, look for high-quality animal protein as a top ingredient. Make sure he always has fresh, cool water available to him.

The Gascon Saintongeois is looked upon as being a fairly low maintenance breed. That is because the coat is short and smooth, although the coat does become thicker in the Winter time. He sheds so you will want to brush his coat at least twice a week.

With his long floppy ears, during your brushing session, check inside his ears as dampness, wax and debris can become the ideal breeding spot for bacteria, and ear infections can be the result. Check for redness and possible discharge.

Check his eyes that they are clear and bright.

While brushing him, check for any new, unusual lumps.

Keep his nails well trimmed.

Provide him with a nice warm, dry spot to sleep.

When he’s oudoors, make sure that he has both sun and shade and that his waterbowl is always available.

Make sure that at the first signs of illness you get your pet to the vet.

Feed him only the best quality kibble there is. Occasionally give him some home-made food. Keep this food simple and nutritious. You can’t go wrong with boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. You can chop this up and add it to his kibble. Sometimes it can benefit your pet to include some raw meat as well.

If only pet owners would realize that their pets don’t want all those spicy, exotic people foods. They just give a dog a stomach ache and eventually shorten his life. Make sure he always has access to a bowl of cool, fresh water.