Cretan Hound vs Australian Cattle Dog - Breed Comparison

Australian Cattle Dog is originated from Australia but Cretan Hound is originated from Greece. Australian Cattle Dog may grow 18 cm / 7 inches shorter than Cretan Hound. Australian Cattle Dog may weigh 14 kg / 30 pounds lesser than Cretan Hound. Both Australian Cattle Dog and Cretan Hound has almost same life span. Both Australian Cattle Dog and Cretan Hound has same litter size. Australian Cattle Dog requires Low Maintenance. But Cretan Hound requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Herding dogs
Hound dog
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Australia
Greece
Height Male:
45 - 50 cm
17 - 20 inches
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
Height Female:
43 - 48 cm
16 - 19 inches
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
Weight Male:
14 - 16 kg
30 - 36 pounds
20 - 30 kg
44 - 67 pounds
Weight Female:
13 - 15 kg
28 - 34 pounds
20 - 30 kg
44 - 67 pounds
Life Span:
13 - 15 Years
12 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
1 - 7
3 - 7
Size:
Medium
Medium
Other Names:
ACD, Cattle Dog, Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, Queensland Heeler
Kritikos Lagonikos, Kressa Kyon, Ntopio
Colors Available:
blue (mottled or speckled), red (mottled or speckled)
grey, Fawn, sandy, tri-colored , white, black or brindle
Coat:
short double coat
Short and smooth
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Responsive, Territorial
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Quiet, Responsive, Social
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

History

During the 19th century, in the New South Wales, lived a cattle farmer Thomas Hall. He wanted to have a perfect cattle dog so he mixed two breeds: dogs used by stockman with the dingo. The new breed was given an interesting name - Halls Heelers. Heelers was a part of the dog breed because this new breed of the dog inherited the nipping instinct. As time passed, one breed was developing in two breeds: the Australian Cattle Dog and the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog.

The Australian Cattle dog can be found in two available colours: red and blue. This is how they got their nicknames: Red Heeler and Blue Heeler.

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.

Description

The Australian Cattle Dog originally mixed with Australian herding dog that was kept near the cattle to guide them. Medium-sized, with the short coat, this dog is generally easy to groom and maintain. It does require more brushing during the shedding period, but it is still not an everyday need. He is easy to train because he likes challenging games and activities which are. It gets very attached to its owner, and he is always protective of them and their possessions. The most common health problems happen with their ears and eyes, but they are usually very healthy and they have a long life – up to 15 years.

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.

Characteristics

Around children

Children and Australian Cattle Dogs can grow up together in harmony. They will have a loyal and protective companion. After you properly train your dog and teach your child how to play with the dog, you will bring the friendship on the safe side. Some of them will have the instinct to nip at heels, so you should pay attention to this while training your pet.

Special talents: cattle dog, service dog, therapy dog, police dogs, drug detection dogs.

Adaptability

Australian Cattle Dogs can survive cool, hot and temperate conditions. They can live in a shelter outdoors, and they do well living indoors. But, be aware – without enough physical activity, this dog will end up being frustrated and unhappy.

Learning ability

They will absorb every new trick so quick that you will be amazed. They love to learn, and if you start with some good trick you will raise a great friend and maybe a great competitor in fetch, swim, bring-a-stick, or run-the-show dog sports.

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.

Health Problems

Health Problems: are mostly inherited. You can avoid this by searching for a good breeder that can clear out the hereditary diseases.

Eyes

The Australian Cattle Dog is one of the breeds that can be born with progressive retinal atrophy. Progressive rod-cone degeneration is a disease that causes the rods and cones in the retina of the eye to degenerate. It might lead to blindness.

Ears

The Australian Cattle Dog is one of the rare breeds with recessive piebald alleles. This gene is the reason why they have white colour on their coat. But, unfortunately, this gene can be the reason why congenital hereditary deafness develops.

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.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy and adult

Herding dog have a history of the joint diseases. That’s why some of the pet suggest feeding a herding dog with meat like chicken, turkey, beef, lamb and fish. Dry dog food, even premium quality, may not be enough for this energetic dogs and their bone structure. But it depends on the dog. The best advice is to always take an advice from your breeder or your wet.

Grooming

You won’t be very busy with grooming your Australian cattle dog. You don’t have to take everyday care of it. Occasional brushing will be more than enough. Bath the dog only when you notice odour problem.

Points for Good Health

The Australian Cattle Dog needs a high level of activity. Like many other herding dog breeds, they love walks, spending time with people, running or doing any athletic sports with them, teaching them tricks since they have above average intelligence. Fetching will be super fun for everyone, agility, competitions or any other challenging activity. They love water and they swim very well so you can take the dog with you to the nearest pool and have a great time.

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.

Comparison with other breeds

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