PetzloverBraque d'Auvergne is originated from France but Moscow Guard dog is originated from Russia. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Moscow Guard dog are having almost same height. Braque d'Auvergne may weigh 6 kg / 13 pounds lesser than Moscow Guard dog. Braque d'Auvergne may live 4 years more than Moscow Guard dog. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Moscow Guard dog has same litter size. Braque d'Auvergne requires Low Maintenance. But Moscow Guard dog requires Moderate Maintenance
Sometime over 5 centuries ago, in the Cantal Region of France, was born a hunting breed, that might be the real ancestor of today’s pointing hunter dogs. Perhaps the oldest of all pointing gun dog is the Braque d’Auvergne. This breed comes from Central France in the region of Auvergne. This breed was developed prior to written dog breeding records in order to hunt in this region and find, point, flush out and retrieve fowl. This breed is clearly one of if not the oldest breeds in the French Braque. There is no agreement among historians on what breed is the oldest of the European pointing dogs and where they were developed – was it Spain or was it France? It is thought that the Braque Francais Gascogne is the original one of these in the early 1600’s while the Braque d’Auvergne came soon after. Due to the different hunting needs in the different parts of France, the Braque Francais Gascogne was crossed with a lot of other local scent hounds. The Braque d’Auvergne is one of the very oldest of all of these. There are records of the breeds existence in the 1700’s. It is probable that the Braque d’Auvergne was developed by crossing local dogs with Gascogne as well as with the Petit Bleu de Gascogne and the Grand Bleu de Gascogne.
In all of Western Europe, the region of Auvergne is not very populated and has unique geography in that is hilly and has many extinct and eroded volcanoes. A lot of the region is still unpopulated. In this environment, wildlife has flourished, and hunting is successful in providing food for the regions people. This circumstance with an abundance of birds, led to the breeding of the Braque Auvergne to specialize in hunting in this area. The breed is not very popular outside of Auvergne and probably never was. That fact allowed them to be devastated by the Second World War. The Reunion des Amateurs de Braque d’Auvergne (RABA) was started to promote the pure breeding and the protection of the d’Auvergnes. But when Auvergnes was occupied during the war, the slowed breeding of the Braque d ‘ Auvergne almost eliminated the breed. There might have only been about 25 dogs left following the end of the war. These remaining dogs were used to revive the breed, but it is still uncommon, but not rare. Individuals have been imported by other countries including North America. The United Kennel Club (UKC) accepted the breed in 2006 but is not accepted by the AKC (American Kennel Club). The breed is still a working breed and outside of France, very rare.
Looking much like the Saint Bernard, the Moscow Guard Dog or Moscow Watchdog is large, descending from quite a few giant breeds such as the Saint Bernard, different Russian Hounds and the Caucasian Ovtcharka.
The dog has a gentle temperament. Known also as a gentle giant, the Moscow Guard Dog was developed in the Soviet Union and is fairly common in its native country.
The first US-born litter of Moscow Guard Dogs was born in 2015. The Moscow Watchdog hasn’t yet been recognized by the AKC.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a well built, strong hunting dog with long ears, a large head and a docked tail. His coat is white with black markings and black ears and head. The breed looks a lot like all the other pointing dogs from France. They are medium in stature and has the appearance of a working gundog. He is athletic, muscular and fit. Docking the tail is outlawed in many countries and all of the United Kingdom. In that case the tail is high on the rump and always straight. Their face and head are big for the size of the body and shaped like an oval. With a long muzzle, deep set eyes and a gentle expression, they are kindly and handsome dogs. Their skin is loose but not droopy or wrinkled like hound dogs.
The Moscow Watchdog is a large mastiff-type dog. He stands at between 64 and 69cm in height ad weighs in the region of 45 – 68kg. He has a thick coat which is medium length, he has floppy ears and a long, plumed tail. The most common colors for the Moscow Watchdog are red and white with a little bit of black and tan around the head.
He is quite a heavy shedder so regular brushing and grooming is recommended.
He takes his role seriously as guardian and protector of his human family.
Large dogs don’t usually live as long as smaller breeds, and with good care your Moscow Watchdog can reach between 9 and 11 years of age. If you want your dog to be a parent, the litter size you can expect is anything from 5 to 10 puppies.
The dogs were used for guarding purposes and they are strong-willed, dominant and independent. They are also gentle dogs but will still require training and socialization to make them obedient and an all-round pleasant dog.
While the Moscow Watchdog is described as a pleasant dog, he isn’t a friendly teddy-bear kind of dog, tending to be fairly aloof. He would do well with an owner who is firm, fair, consistent and strong, as he is strong-willed.
This is a gentle, adaptable and obedient breed. With their intelligence and affectionate nature, they make great family dogs and are eager to please their people. Living with other dogs is fine but not with small, prey size animals. The Braque d’Auvergne should never be left alone pets like gerbils and hamsters. They must be socialized to cats as pets and not prey before living with them successfully. They need to work closely with one human partner. They are first and foremost a hunting dog and need some sort of hunting simulation. They are devoted to their families and want to be constantly in their presence. This can lead to separation anxiety if they are left alone too much. They are great with children and need a family.
The Moscow Watchdog is a large dog and beautiful to look at. Even though he is large and strong, he is gentle and calm and makes a splendid pet.
Because of his large size he is better suited to life in the countryside or the suburbs as compared to smaller properties in the city. Their exercise needs will also need to be met such as a walk every day.
Think carefully before you take such a large dog into your home as he will require a lot of good food. Before investing in any dog, make sure that you have the means to provide him with an excellent home where he gets the best care, because he is willing to give you the very best of himself.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a healthy breed but can face some of the same health concerns as other pointers and hunting dogs. The long, droopy ears can get infected easily if wet and need to be cleaned regularly so that food or dirt are not trapped their either. Because of the small gene pool however they may be at risk for several issues. The breeders in France express concerns about possible hip dysplasia and testing is highly recommended. Because they are at risk for other conditions that might not show up until later in life, it is also recommended that they be tested by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) as well as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
The Moscow Watchdog is a healthy dog breed, and with few inheritable health problems, you’re not likely to spend much at the vet with him.
Of course, any dog needs a good diet, adequate exercise, vaccinations, and parasite treatments to stay in top condition. Some of the common diseases to look out for -
We always have to mention hip dysplasia as it is so common with all dogs. Its an hereditary condition where lack of hip joint stability causes pain inflammation and lameness in the dog. Your dog, even though he is young, can develop hip dysplasia and then it can lead to early arthritis too. Your dog will need to get to the vet.
The Braque d’Auvergne needs a high-quality diet fit for a working dog but not too much to make him obese. They are an active breed to choose a formula that is designed for working dogs.
Although no studies have been conducted on the Braque d’Auvergne’s health issues there are many conditions that similar breeds are susceptible to and the d’Auvergne might be as well. This includes any of the following:
This is an active, working dog who needs a lot of stimulation and exercise. The only real appropriate exercise for these dogs is hunting or outings in the woods. He not only needs the exercise, but he also needs to stimulate his sense of smell and his gundog intelligence. He might excel in lure chase or even a form or barn hunt. They certainly could excel at obedience trials and perhaps rally. If you are a weekend hunter then this is the ideal dog for you. They are so easy to train that they surpass other pointers for success with casual hunters. They hunt at a slower pace than many other gundogs. Their intelligence and athleticism lend itself well to agility and flyball also. They need a large (+acres)fenced in area to run and play.
This is a large breed dog so you want to make sure that if you feed him from the many commercially manufactured foods there are, it is the high quality one packed with vitamins and minerals and which cater specifically for large breeds to ensure the right amount of minerals and vitamins for his size.
You don’t want to just go on and on giving him dry kibble every day, so occasionally it will be a good idea to give him some boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables which can be added into his kibble. This is all the variety your dog needs, as dogs like consistency and simplicity because then they don’t suffer with digestive issues.
Never leave him without a constant source of cool, fresh water.
Contrary to what this dog looks like – large and clumsy, he is actually quite agile and will require a good amount of exercise. He may not look particularly active but he will certainly want a daily walk and he will also require running off the leash in the park or some ball and rope games in the garden.
he Moscow Watchdog has a thick, medium length coat. He doesn’t require professional grooming, but a good brush through once a week will help to condition the coat. Also, the breed is a moderate shedder so removing loose hair keeps the coat shiny and healthy.