Rafeiro do Alentejo vs Chinese Chongqing Dog - Breed Comparison

The Chinese Chongquing Dog is a very rare and unusual breed found only in China and now in Canada. The Chongquing is native to the city of Chongquing, China. This is an ancient breed that is believed to have lived in China over 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty. It was a hunter and protector and still functions in those roles today., although there are very few left in China. Following the revolution and creation of the People’s Republic of China, the CQ Dog was only found in the rural areas of the country.

Pottery versions of the Chongquing Dog and burial figurines have been found in excavation sites from tombs of the Han Dynasty. In this isolated and mountainous area of eastern China, the dogs were unknown throughout the rest of China. Because of this the breed is relatively untouched by human intervention and is today about the same as it was 2000 years ago. There has been no interbreeding to change the natural evolution of the breed. They have their own unique personalities and temperaments.

At this time, it is believed that the Chongquing Dog is more endangered and rarer than the panda. Current breeding is diluting the breed as there are so few true bloods cross breeding and inbreeding is occurring. The knowledge of the exact breeds that contributed to the original Chongquing Dog was lost ages ago. The CQ Dog is known for loyalty, noble character, bravery and protecting its own. Today there is one kennel breeding these dogs outside China in Canada.

Known also as the Portuguese Mastiff, the Rafeiro do Alentejo comes from Portugal and has always been used as guardian for livestock. Their numbers declined quite a bit when there was no longer a need for this kind of job.Today it is essentially a companion dog.

The official standard of the Rafeiro do Alentejo was established in 1953. The dog is is recognized as a breed by the Portuguese Caniculture Club as well as the Federation Cynologique Interationale.

This breed is not well known, even in China. However, its likeness has been found in pottery dating back to the Han Dynasty. It is now beginning to be show in select dog shows. The general appearance upon which a current standard is being developed includes:

The Chongquing is a medium sized, compact and square dog that is powerful, muscular and strong. He is unique in appearance, tail and coat. His head is large, broad and flat. There are wrinkles from the muzzle to the forehead between his eyes. His eyes are brown, and the rims are black. He has high set, small ears that are triangle shape. Its frame is sturdy and strong. He is very muscular, and his strength and speed are explosive.

The Chongqing Dog can be one of three sizes: small, medium and large. All are hunters, but each hunted different prey. The appearance of all three sizes are proportionally the same.

The Alentejo is a large dog standing at between 64 and 75cm in height and weighing 45 to 60kg. He is a powerful dog with a deep chest, dark eyes, floppy ears. His coat is short to medium length, thick and straight. The color of the coat is a mix of fawn, a wolf grey, white, cream and black.

Temperament:

This is a serious dog with a calm demeanour about him. It doesn’t matter how calm he is though, as every dog will require training ad socialization if you want to enjoy having an obedient, well mannered dog around you. This is particularly important with a large, independent, self-confident, territorial dog like this.

He isn’t an aggressive dog but he is protective, wanting to guard and look out for his human family. They are dogs that get on well with children and other pets in the home, being wary of strangers.

They’re not recommended for life in small properties in the city as he requires a large garden at least.

The Chongqing Dog is a confident, passionate, fearless and loyal dog. He is brave, alert, thoughtful and elegant. They make good companions for their people, but they are very wary of strangers and are ready to attack in order to protect their people. They are affectionate and loving with their people, including older children. They should never be off-leash in the company of other dogs.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a quiet dog, but intelligent and strong-willed. Training and socialization will make him easy to get on with.

He will become an excellent companion, and can come indoors because he is well mannered and considerate. He was bred to be a guard dog, and the responsibilities he had taking care of livestock has been transferred to looking out for- and protecting his human family.

He makes a wonderful pet and companion, even with children and other pets, more so when brought up correctly by loving, firm, consistent dog owners.

The Chinese Chongqing Dog is a very healthy breed by reason of its isolation and seclusion in the far regions of eastern China. There has been no human intervention in the natural development of this breed and no health issues have followed.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a generally healthy dog breed, and with good care can get to 11, 12 or 13 years of age.

Of course with a large dog like this, it is always a good idea to be aware of canine hip dysplasia, particularly because this is a large dog with a deep chest.

This makes him also vulnerable to bloat, a condition where the stomach swells with gas and which can be life threatening. Other things to watch for are ear infections and parasites.

Feeding

The best food for this dog is made yourself of human grade foods. Either raw or cooked yourself . This will keep their skin, teeth and coat healthy.

Health issues

This is a really healthy breed especially due to the isolation and natural selection of their history.

Exercise and games

He needs about 30 minutes of exercise today. He has no history of participation in canine games.

Grooming:

Make your grooming time with this serious, calm canine friend of yours a special bonding time. His coat simply requires a brush twice a week to keep it healthy and shiny.

While bushing him, run your hands over him to make sure there aren’t any unusual lumps. Check inside the floppy ears to make sure they’re not red which could be the start of a painful ear infection.

Look a his nails and trim them if they’ve become too long. Check inside his mouth and make sure there aren’t any black, rotten teeth as this can seriously impact the health of your pet.

Exercise:

Options for exercise will include long walks and a chance to run off his leash. In the back yard it will be to his benefit to throw balls for him to fetch. You can even bring him indoors and play some calm games with him. He should have exercise every single day.

Diet:

Good food is needed for good health. It is always convenient to make use of the commercially manufactured dog foods there are on the market.

You don’t want to feed this to your dog day after day so provide your pet with some tasty home-made food too. Dogs want simplicity and consistency with their diets so they don’t battle with upset stomachs and an unnecessary trip to the vet.

Some home-cooked food twice a week and added to the dry kibble can keep him healthy and happy. Boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach will be perfect for him. Chop the food up finely and add it into the dry kibble once or twice a week.

Some people even cook it in bulk, refrigerate it and warm up small portions to add to the kibble. Raw meat added in occasionally can also be a good treat. Make sure your pet is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.