Pugnaces Britanniae vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison

Cretan Hound is originated from Greece but Pugnaces Britanniae is originated from United Kingdom. Cretan Hound may grow 7 cm / 2 inches shorter than Pugnaces Britanniae. Cretan Hound may weigh 80 kg / 176 pounds lesser than Pugnaces Britanniae. Both Cretan Hound and Pugnaces Britanniae has almost same life span. Cretan Hound may have less litter size than Pugnaces Britanniae. Cretan Hound requires Moderate Maintenance. But Pugnaces Britanniae requires Low Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Miscellaneous dogs
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Greece
United Kingdom
Height Male:
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
67 - 75 cm
26 - 30 inches
Height Female:
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
67 - 75 cm
26 - 30 inches
Weight Male:
20 - 30 kg
44 - 67 pounds
52 - 110 kg
114 - 243 pounds
Weight Female:
20 - 30 kg
44 - 67 pounds
52 - 110 kg
114 - 243 pounds
Life Span:
12 - 14 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 7
10 - 15
Size:
Medium
Large
Other Names:
Kritikos Lagonikos, Kressa Kyon, Ntopio
War Dog of Britannia
Colors Available:
grey, Fawn, sandy, tri-colored , white, black or brindle
brindle, tan, Fawn
Coat:
Short and smooth
Short and smooth
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Quiet, Responsive, Social
Affectionate, Aggressive, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Territorial
Grooming:
Moderate Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

cretan houndAlthough the Cretan Hound or the Kritikos Lagonikos is recognized in both Greece and Germany, the hunting dog breed is from the island of Crete, Greece. The dog’s history goes back thousands of years. It is an ancient breed and some believe it is one of the oldest hunting breeds in Europe.

The Cretan Hound has been bred as a working dog, combining sight and scent to track down their prey. Today it is still a rare dog breed that you won’t easily find outside of Crete.

Greece kennels recognize this dog as well as some European kennels, but it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Pugnaces Britanniae is a dog which is now extinct. There isn't certainty surrounding the origins of the dog but it is thought they descended from dogs brought to Britain way back in the 6th century BC already.

These are ancient dogs, and when you do research you find references dating back to centuries ago. In fact when you read of the Roman conquest of Britain you read of huge dogs, which the Romans referred to as Pugnaces Britanniae.

It is believed that the English Mastiff descended from the ancient Alaunt and Pugnaces Britanniae and that the dog was used as a war dog.

Description

cretan hound puppy - descriptionKnown for its extraordinary scent abilities as well as its speed, this dog has always been used as a hare hunter because of these skills.

It’s a slender dog of medium to large size and stands at about 60-68cm in height and weighs between 20 – 30kg. It is lean, strong, muscular and swift with a body that is inclined to be longer than tall.

He is slightly heavier than other scenthounds and his ribs aren’t seen. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears drop down, are folded back or can be semi-erect. The eyes are dark and the tail is long and curves upwards with longer hair being found on the tail.

The coat is short and smooth, and coat colors of the dog are varied and can be fawn, sandy, grey, white, black or brindle, and it can be tri-colored too.

Temperament:

The Cretan Hound is alert to sight, sound and scent and when it senses prey, the tail moves in a circular way and the dog becomes rigid for a while before he is off on the hunt.

He is a gentle, intelligent dog, reserved around strangers but making an excellent family pet as he gets on well with all his human family members as well as pets in the house. With good training and socialization, the dog becomes more relaxed around strangers.

He isn’t an aggressive dog, and while he is alert to sounds and smells, he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

The Pugnaces Britanniae was a huge dog standing at roughly 67 to 75cm and weighing 52 to 110kg.

He was a heavily built dog, a Mastiff type dog that had a large head, broad muzzle with fairly loose skin around the mouth, brown eyes, a broad back and rump, muscular legs and floppy ears with a long tail. In fact the Mastiff, thought to have descended from the ancient Alaunt and Pugnaces Britanniae, gives you an idea of what the dog looked like. He no doubt has a short, smooth coat available in fawn, tan or brindle and with the black mask.

Temperament:

The Pugnaces Britannia was a naturally aggressive dog so it is to be expected that he wouldn’t automatically have been a good family dog, possibly being aggressive around children and other dogs. They were intelligent and were no doubt taught some simple commands.

They were also very territorial dogs, wanting to instinctively chase and attack unknown people and animals. They were strong minded, confident, loyal ad loving dogs towards their owners, being protective of them, wanting to please them.

Characteristics

cretan hound dog - characteristicsThe Cretan Hound is an energetic, curious dog, but when it comes to being a family pet, he is affectionate and gentle.

He is a reserved dog around strangers. He likes to be busy and will love his walks and games with his human family members. He is smart so is readily trained and he likes to be obedient and to please.

The Cretan Hound will live in harmony with other dogs in the home and they’re also patient and good around disciplined children who have learned to respect animals.

Provide your Cretan Hound with his fair share of love and attention and he will go out of his way to be a loyal and loving family friend.

The Pugnaces Britanniae may well have been a large dog and quite imposing to look at but he was in all likelihood a good-natured pet who got on well with his family members, being loyal and loving if brought up correctly.

Long ago dog training and socialization didn’t exist but a large dog like this would have to be socialized and trained to become obedient and an amicable all-rounder.

Health Problems

cretan hound puppies - health problemsThe Cretan Hound is a healthy, robust dog breed, but even so, he can suffer from some common health problems that other dogs are also susceptible to. Some of these are hip dysplasia , cancer, ear infections, bloat and cherry eye.

Remember that if you don’t want your dog to have puppies, they can actually benefit health-wise from being spayed or neutered. Doing this for your pet can prevent a number of health issues later on down the line.

Make sure too, that your puppy receives his vaccinations in a timely fashion so as to avoid terrible, life threatening illnesses such as parvo and rabies.

The Pugnaces Britanniae could live to 10, 11 or 12 years of age with good care. Large Mastiff type dogs like this would have had to watch out for common canine diseases such as hip dysplasia, cancer and bloat.

In those days, no screening tests were available for health problems like this. Gastric dilatation volvulus or bloat is a common health issue with large, deep chested dogs where the stomach fills with gas and the stomach twists. Its a life threatening disease.

Canine heart disease is another serious health issue with these mastiff type dogs. Early stages with heart disease show there may well be no symptoms at all. However, as the heart disease progresses towards congestive heart failure, the dog will have symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty with breathing, weight loss, a distended abdomen and coughing.

A dog with symptoms like this would have to see a vet immediately.

Caring The Pet

cretan hound dogs - caringYou’re certainly not going to have to do too much grooming with the Cretan Hound as he is a low maintenance breed.

The dog is a short haired breed and an average shedder, so a good brush twice a week will keep the coat free of loose hairs and maintain the condition of the hair.

As with all dogs, the nails as well as the ears must be checked and attended to. The veterinarian can advise you on how to keep his ears clean and free of infection, as prodding around without knowing can damage his ears.

Exercise:

This Cretan Hound has high activity needs. He is energetic and also hard-working, and you’ll need to be taking him on long walks and providing him with some highly energetic playing sessions. Throw ball for him and take him with you when you go jogging or cycling.

Diet:

The diets of ancient dogs were different to what they are today, as in those days there were no commercially manufactured dog foods. Dog owners in all likelihood tossed scraps to them which included starch.

Today a large dog such as the extinct Pugnaces Britannia would have no doubt been fed a high quality kibble from a leading brand and packed with minerals and vitamins specially formulated for a large dog breed.

Homemade food is also important, but not any kind of food – it has to be food which doesn’t upset the dog’s digestive system. Simple but nutritious food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach is ideal for a dog, and when it is chopped up can be added twice a week to the dry kibble for a tasty, healthy treat.

Raw meat added in occasionally is also hugely beneficial. No dog should ever be without fresh, cool water constantly available.

Grooming:

As a short haired dog, the Pugnaces Britanniae would have required a brushing twice a week to rid the dog of loose hairs. Maybe in those days they didn’t check their dogs over to see that all was well, but today you would need to check the inside of the ears. If the insides were red, it could be a sign of an ear infection brought on by dampness, excess wax and dirt.

The eyes would need to be checked for discharge and the teeth checked a well. One rotten tooth can cause a lot of havoc. The nails of the dog would have had to be checked and clipped as well.

Exercise:

As a war dog, the Pugnaces Britanniae would have been fit. He is a big dog and while they require exercise such as walks and hide-and-seek type of games, he isn’t the kind of dog that would go running with you on a jog, as large, heavy dogs can overheat easily.

Comparison with other breeds

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