PetzloverBasque Shepherd is originated from Spain but Talbot is originated from France. Basque Shepherd may grow 8 cm / 3 inches shorter than Talbot. Basque Shepherd may weigh 21 kg / 46 pounds lesser than Talbot. Basque Shepherd may live 3 years more than Talbot. Both Basque Shepherd and Talbot has almost same litter size. Basque Shepherd requires Moderate Maintenance. But Talbot requires Low Maintenance
The Basque Shepherd is one of the oldest dog breeds. With this Spanish dog, you’ll find paintings dating back 12,000 years ago. The Basque Shepherd is known as a landrace breed, which means the dog hasn’t gone through the same selective breeding programs as what other breeds have. Landrace breeds have more variations in appearance and temperament than regular breeds.
The Basque Shepherd has 2 distinct varieties, the Gorbeiakoa and the Iletsua. The smooth-haired Gorbeiakoa has a softer coat that is fairly short while the rougher-haired Iletsua has a lighter coloured coat, and unlike the Gorbeiakoa, the ears are not typically erect.
Even though this is an ancient breed of dog, only the Royal Canine Society of Spain recognizes the breed with the two varieties, and in January 1996, the two breeds - Iletsua and Gorbeikoa – were recognized.
Known as the Talbot Hound, nobody really seems to have accurate records as to the origins of the Talbot dog breed but it seems to have originated in France.
It is believed that the Talbot, with his excellent nose, was a hunting dog, but he is now extinct.
It is thought that the dog descends from the beagle and the bloodhound. It came to England in 1066 and vanished towards the end of the 18th century.
The Basque Shepherd is a strong, well proportioned dog with brown eyes and medium sized ears, which sometimes have folds. This medium-to-large dog has a beautiful fawn coat of medium-length hair that can be straight or slightly wavy. He has a long feathery tail that will wag readily when he sees his owner. You’ll find other colors for the Basque Shepherd shared between the two varieties - a yellow orange or copper coat with other shades being red, blue and black. His hair is shorter on the head and he doesn’t battle with hair over the eyes.
The Basque Shepherd is a highly intelligent dog and also very energetic. Of the two different kinds of Basque Shepherd, it is the Gorbeiakoa which is the more outgoing. The dogs will require a firm owner and they thrive on the discipline when it is combined with lots of with lots of exercise and activities.
The Basque Shepherd is generally friendly with people, if not a little reserved with strangers. He gets on well with children and other pets in the home, although socialization and training will be necessary to bring out their best.
The Talbot hound was a large, white purebred dog. He stood at roughly 58 to 69cm and weighed between 36 and 50kg.
He had a large head and a short, smooth, coarse pure white coat. He has a long tail which he held upright and fairly long floppy ears. He was a slow but efficient scenthound.
It is believed that this strong, hard working dog was gentle, loving and loyal and that he would have made an excellent family pet.
They were the kind of dogs that needed lots of social interaction with his human family. His amicable nature would have meant him getting on well with children and other dogs.
Slow, it’s a dog that had low intelligence and he may have taken a long time to learn any simple tricks or commands. If he were around today he wouldn’t have been suited to city living as he was a vocal breed – having quite a selection of barks and howls to voice his opinion.
The dog is well suited to being a family pet, loving to spend time with family, being a people-oriented breed. He gets on well with children as well as other pets in the home, but can be reserved with strangers.
He doesn’t have an aggressive nature, and yet he does what it takes to protect his beloved human family.
He is full of energy, hardy and tough. He loves his human family and wants to be included in all their activities. He is energetic though and as a responsible dog owner, you want to make sure that your Basque Shepherd has enough space to run.
The Talbot is extinct, but he was no doubt a docile, calm kind of dog that would have made a great family pet.
He would have been an ideal dog for first time dog owners too as he was a gentle, affectionate dog.They were tough, protective, stubborn but loving and loyal, and more’s the pity that this dog has disappeared.
Because this is an ancient breed, the Basque Shepherd doesn’t have to contend with genetic health problems such as more modern breeds. Just like other dogs though, he could be prone to certain conditions such as hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear infections and cancer. As a larger breed, he may also be prone to bloat.
Breeds with floppy ears, such as the Basque Shepherd will be more prone to developing ear infections. To prevent infection, keep his ears clean and dry. If you’re unsure, the vet can guide you how- and what to do.
This is a disease which is common to other dog breeds too and not just the Basque Shepherd. This condition affects the hip joints and can result in chronic pain for the dog and also lameness. Checking your dog’s weight is important and the pain can be managed with medication.
Nobody can say what the health status of the Talbot dog was, but being a hunting dog, out in the open and getting plenty of exercise, he was no doubt a healthy dog. But all dogs can fall ill at some time or another with any one of the many dog illnesses there are -
Ear infections in dogs are quite common, but more so with dogs that have floppy ears.
You’ll see your pet scratching and pawing at his ears and shaking his head. There will in all likelihood be redness in your pets ears and you may even detect an abnormal odor.
There are quite a few things that can cause these ear infections in dogs such as ear mites, an excess of dirt and wax and bacteria.
Don’t allow your pet to suffer – get him to the vet. Your veterinarian will also show you how you can clean the ear for future times with a gentle cleanser. You have to be so careful not to rupture the ear drum, and some people prefer to get their vet to do this or professional groomers.
The Talbot could have suffered with ectropion – when the lower lids are turned out. Ectropion disrupts the function of the lower lid so that it can't protect the eye, and there is abrasion of the surface of the eye.
This condition can also bring on conjunctivitis. Get your pet to the vet for treatment and relief.
The lifespan of the Talbot was anything from 9 to 12 years of age, and one or two other health problems that could have shortened his life were dermatitis, cancer, hip dysplasia and eye infections.
This is a medium to large breed dog and he should therefore be fed a high quality food which has been formulated for medium to large breeds. Because he is a herding dog, you might want to also look at an active-dog or working-breed formula to supply him with that much needed energy.
The Basque Shepherd’s coat is lush and long with either straight or wavy hair. Regular brush at least twice a week will maintain the coat, get rid of loose hair and prevent fleas.
The Basque Shepherd is an intelligent breed that will respond well to socialization and training. He is a breed that loves sports too because of this very high energy levels. You need to be careful with the Basquae Shepherd around small children, not because he is aggressive in any way, but because he is highly active, and his exuberance and boisterous antics could see him unintentionally knocking over small children.
The Talbot with his short hair would have been looked upon as a low maintenance breed and would have required a brush now and again.
Because of the floppy ears, they would have needed to be checked inside for infection.
The Talbot was a strong, hard-working kind of dog so if commercially manufactured dog food was available in that time, you would have ensured a good quality one for strong, energetic dogs.
At that time, Talbot dog owners tossed their dogs bits of raw meat. Home-made food like boiled chicken, brown rice, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes without any exotic flavorings would have been an excellent diet.