Korean Mastiff vs Bloodhound - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The history of the Bloodhound breed is a fascinating one. Known as a Sleuthhound for its ability to smell out the culprit and bag the prey. Even more so the Bloodhound is known for tracking and finding lost people. He is famous for finding human scents and being able to follow them even days or weeks after the person is lost. They are also able to track people over a great amount of land and have been known to successfully track escaped prisoners or wanted criminals. They are descended from the Saint-Hubert Hounds that were bred at the Abbey/Monastery at Saint-Hubert, Belgium. According to the legends the St. Hubert hounds were bred by the Monks in 1000AD. This hound was thought to be a mixed breed rather than a purebred. That’s because the ancestry of this hound is not really known but it is known that the monks bred them and sent several to the King of France annually. Only black hounds were gifted.

Some kings preferred not to hunt with these hounds thinking them not good enough while others thought the only use for them was as a leash hound. All described the St. Hubert as long in body with short legs. These gifts continued until the French Revolution when hunting in France was greatly reduced until the 19th century. The original St. Hubert strain became extinct in the 19th century and that the current European St. Hubert hound has its origins in the Bloodhound. The Bloodhound as a separate breed was already established in Europe by the middle of the 14th century. They were used as leach hounds to sniff out the prey so that the pack hounds could chase and keep it “at bay”. They were also used from the beginnings of the breed to track humans. At this time they were often known as sleuth hounds. As recorded by John Caius – the authority on Bloodhounds from their origins – writes about the breeds ability to find and track the scent of blood – thus becoming the Bloodhound and its use to track poachers and thieves. He also reported that the Bloodhound and the Sleuth Hound were the same basic breed. The number of Bloodhounds in Britain gradually declined until few remained after World War II. Britain has gradually built their breed back up by importing dogs from America. It was during the 19th century that the Bloodhound was imported into France by breeders who wished to reestablish the St. Hubert Hound. Thus the St. Hubert is both the ancestor and descendent of the Bloodhound. The Britain’s continue to believe that the Bloodhound is a native British breed.

The Bloodhounds in America have had great success as companion animals, with police departments and forest rangers and showing in the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club in New York. There are more Bloodhounds in the United States than anywhere else in the world.

In the end the Anglo-Saxton Bloodhound cannot be specified with any real certainty. Many believe it was not the St. Hubert that the Bloodhound descended from but rather the Norman hound or the sleuth-hound. Many believe it could have included other breeds such as the southern hound, the dun-hound and the Talbot. It cannot be proven today it the Bloodhound’s origins come from Belgian or England.

This large breed dog is also known as the Mee Kyun Dosa. In spite of his huge size, he isn’t aggressive at all and is bred to be a companion dog.

He was originally developed to be a working dog. The dog was developed in the late 1800’s from European and Asian working breeds. Those interested in dog breeds suspected that a crossing of the Japanese Tosa-Inu with the Neapolitan Mastiff and the Dogue de Bordeaux brought about the breed. They also thought that the Saint Bernard and English Mastiff were brought in later on as well.

These large molosser dogs have been developed through years of inbreeding. It is one of the biggest dogs in Korea.

When being judged for confirmation in a show ring, the preference is for a larger dog, with an unusual skeleton in respect to its large size and heavy weight in the bones. They have a narrow head, flat at the sides, but long. They have deep set eyes buried in the deep, long face and wrinkles. The eyes might be yellow or run the gamut to deep hazel depending upon the color of the dog. The long velvety ears and thin and low set on the head. These long ears are as much a part of the Bloodhounds Olfactory system as his amazing nose. They curl backward and inward as the ends. There is a large amount of loose skin on the head and at the jowls. When the Bloodhound lowers his head the loose folds and ridges of skin are prominent on the face and forehead.

For many centuries all different colors of Bloodhounds could be found. Today however they are pretty much red, black and tan and black and liver. The Bloodhound is a powerful dog and is larger than most breeds of hounds.

You can’t help but stare at the Korean Mastiff because of his strong, muscular neck of loose skin that forms dewlaps. His face is wrinkled and he has a cumbersome, sluggish gait.

He is a large dog standing at anything between 59 to 76cm in height, both male and female. He can weigh between 65 to 74kg. He is noticeable because of his fairly loose fitting coat, which is short and smooth and which is a rich, shiny reddish, orange or brown colour.

The nose of the dog is broad and dark, the ears soft and floppy and he has eyes which are set wide apart.

Temperament:

The Korean Mastiff is reserved with strangers but he is friendly and even tempered with his human family, making an ideal pet.

He is looked upon as a gentle giant, being an oversized playmate for children and he also tolerates other pets in the home.

He isn't an overly energetic dog, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be exercised. He will need long walks to avoid him putting on weight.

The Bloodhound is known as a gentle soul and he truly is. They are affectionate and gentle with people and children. However, their strong will to track can make them stubborn and hard to handle and train. They are easy going dogs and really like to be with people, children and other dogs. They are affectionate but tend to be set in their ways.

Your huge Korean Mastiff is a good natured dog who isn’t aggressive. He loves being with his human family and makes a particularly good pet when he has been trained and socialized.

He likes a firm but fair owner who takes a leader-of-the-pack role. In spite of his largeness and sluggishness, he can be quite agile and makes a good watchdog too.

All round, the Korean Mastiff, known as a gentle giant, is capable of making you a splendidly friendly, loving canine companion.

Obviously with ears like the Bloodhound there is always a chance for problems and serious infections. The ears need to be cleaned daily. Because their coat is so thick, they can overheat easily, and they are very prone to bloat, as are many large animals. However, with the Bloodhound, Bloat is the number one killer. Their lifespan is one of the shortest of all dogs at 6.75 years.

Treat your big Mastiff dog like the wonderful fur-child he is and make sure your attend to all his medical needs to avoid pain and discomfort for him.

Cherry Eye:

Cherry eye is a fairly common health issue with this breed. It affects the tear gland of the third eyelid, and if left untreated, can lead to ongoing eye problems.

All dogs have a third eyelid, as well as two tear producing glands to lubricate the eyes. Its an important protective component to eye health in dogs. When the connective tissue that holds the gland in place is damaged or weak, there is a red protrusion of the gland from the lower eye. This is a congenital disorder. Don’t ignore it, but get your pet to the vet so you can catch it early.

Bloat:

Canine bloat, known as gastric dilatation and volvulus can be a killer disease for your pet, more so with deep-chested, large breeds.

Gas accumulation is known as bloat, and its the accumulation of gas which can cause the stomach to rotate. A dog can go into shock from bloat. The reason for this is that the stomach expands, putting pressure on veins. Blood can’t flow as it should and the blood supply gets cut off to the stomach.

Your dog could be vomiting, restless, the stomach hard and bloated or he may be drooling. Dogs who gobble their food down and eat just one large meal a day have an increased susceptibility to GDV than other dogs.

The wrong ingredients of a dog’s diet can also contribute to bloat. High quality food and feeding your pet smaller meals can help.

The Bloodhound is not a high energy, fast moving dog but that does not mean he doesn’t have serious nutritional needs. An overweight Bloodhound is on a course to an early demise. They should be fed a high-quality food once a day or split into two daily servings. Do not feed them right before or right after strenuous exercise and remember that strenuous exercise for a Bloodhound is considerably less than it is for a terrier.

Health issues

As previously mentioned the number one cause of death in Bloodhounds is Bloat. They are also prone to cancer. They have minor issues with their eyes, but their ears and skin are also major concerns. Clean the ears daily and wipe out the skin folds and wrinkles to prevent infections. They should be test for hip and elbow dysplasia simply because they are large dogs, though these conditions are less common in Bloodhounds.

Exercise and games

Though the Bloodhound is known as a couch potato his stamina and activity levels are usually greatly underestimated. He can follow a scent for 7-10 hours over miles of terrain with out a problem. He needs daily exercise such as long walks on a leash. Do not take your Bloodhound out off leash because if he picks up a scent and wanders off you will not be able to get his attention to call him back.

Grooming:

A Korean Mastiff is an easy dog to groom with his short smooth coat. He is a moderate shedder so a brush twice a week will be sufficient to maintain the shiny, smooth condition of his coat.

Because the dog has lots of skin and folds, these folds will need to be washed and kept clean as grime can collect.

While you're busy attending to his skin check his nails too and check inside and outside his ears for signs of redness and irritation.

Diet:

Puppies use up more energy than mature adults, requiring a diet of good quality protein. Dogs that have been spayed or neutered will require less calories as will senior dogs.

Korean Mastiffs require high quality nutrition, and if its dry kibble, make sure its the best brand. Mix in some home-made food such as cooked chicken, brown rice and vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat occasionally.

Protein and fat from good sources are top ingredients for your Korean Mastiff. Avoid food with allergens such as corn and wheat, sweeteners, preservatives and colorants.

Make sure your large pet has constant access to fresh water.