Hovawart is originated from Germany but Northern Inuit Dog is originated from United Kingdom. Hovawart may grow 11 cm / 4 inches shorter than Northern Inuit Dog. Both Hovawart and Northern Inuit Dog are having almost same weight. Both Hovawart and Northern Inuit Dog has same life span. Hovawart may have less litter size than Northern Inuit Dog. Hovawart requires Low Maintenance. But Northern Inuit Dog requires Moderate Maintenance
The 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.
Looking at the beautiful Northern Inuit Dog, you’ll think that this crossbred dog is a wolf.
As with many other dogs, there are sometimes different stories regarding their history. It was in the 1980's that founder of the breed, Eddie Harrison, bred a number of mixed-breed rescue dogs with Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds and Alaskan Malamutes to produce the early Northern Inuit dogs. This is a dog that closely resembled a wolf in looks but which has the more companionable characteristics of the domesticated dog.
The dog is only recognized by its own independent breed club, but by none of the other major kennel clubs.
The 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.
Friendly, calm and gentle, the Northern Inuit Dog is a crossbreed, described as a medium to large sized dog that stands at roughly 58– 81cm in height, male and female, and weighs in the region of 25–48kg.
He has a double coat in typical wolf shades of grey, white, black and cream. He is regarded as a moderate shedder. The ears are erect, the face bright, intelligent and alert and the tail long, bushy and straight.
The Northern Inuit dog is independent, strong-willed and stubborn, and if you want to own one of these dogs, your dog will respond well if you are firm, fair, strong, kind and consistent. This is because the dog is stubborn, sharp, independent and intelligent.
The owner of such a dog must be a firm leader. Training and socialization should start when the dog is still young. He is good with kids, being playful and affectionate with them.
They have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.
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.
They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.
It’s not surprising that people who love wolves would want a similar looking pet. However, they also want this wolf-like dog to be a friend and companion. This is precisely what they get with the beautiful Northern Inuit dog.
With his bright, alert face, the Inuit is actually a calm, gentle dog, bonding closely with his human family and not showing any aggression.
Intelligent and social, and somewhat stubborn, when you provide him with the home he deserves, you’ll see that this beautiful creature can be relied on to be a wonderful family pet.
Though 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:
There are some genetic problems with this dog breed, although with good care, you are highly unlikely to see your dog with them.
Some of these are hip dysplasia and epilepsy.
Hips are always a worrisome aspect with dogs as it can bring on lameness. There are some things that can be done to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia.
Joint laxity in dogs occurs when the head of the femur doesn’t fit into the acetabulum properly. This could be the result of several things such as the dog being overweight, injury or something else.
Epilepsy in dogs is a chronic condition that results in seizures. This neurological disorder is actually a life-long disease, occurring when there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain and which changes a dog’s behavior.
Some breeds are more predisposed to epilepsy than others but you will need to get your dog to the vet when you see your pet jerking uncontrollably. Most of these epileptic fits happen without warning, they last a few seconds to a minute or so and stop on their own.
Feed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day
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 – Stamina
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.
It’s no longer cheap caring for a dog – just like with a child, by bringing a dog into your home, you have a responsibility to care for it.
If you bring a puppy into your home, you will need to feed him 4x a day. If you feed him commercially manufactured food it will need to be specially formulated for puppies. You will have to read on the packaging to make sure you get the right food.
Later on your pet can start having one or two meals a day. Two smaller meals is best as then he doesn’t gobble up his food too fast which can lead to a life-threatening condition known as bloat. Home-made food is always a welcome treat for your pet, but keep it simple and consistent. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach chopped up and added to his dry kibble can offer him some variety from time to time as well as also adding in some raw meat when you get the chance. He must always have access to fresh, cool water.
Your puppy will be due at the vet for his first vaccinations. Your puppy's first vaccination will usually be at about 8 weeks of age.
Your new pet will require a warm, dry, comfortable place to sleep and to retreat to.
You will need to provide him with chewy toys to stimulate him both mentally and physically.
You will need to exercise your pet – nice long walks, ball- and rope games etc.
Nearly every dog sheds, and the Northern Inuit will require you brushing him twice a week to remove all those loose hairs. During the brushing session, check him over for fleas and ticks and run your hands over him and make sure there are no unusual lumps on his body.