Schnorkie vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Although the Cretan Hound or the Kritikos Lagonikos is recognized in both Greece and Germany, the hunting dog breed is from the island of Crete, Greece. The dog’s history goes back thousands of years. It is an ancient breed and some believe it is one of the oldest hunting breeds in Europe.

The Cretan Hound has been bred as a working dog, combining sight and scent to track down their prey. Today it is still a rare dog breed that you won’t easily find outside of Crete.

Greece kennels recognize this dog as well as some European kennels, but it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

This dog is a cross between the Miniature Schnauzer and the Yorkshire Terrier.

It’s not a purebred dog and is known as a designer dog. These dogs inherit characteristics from both of its purebred parents.

The origins and history of these breeds is often unknown with their being no records as to when or where breeders started developing them. This particular mixed breed dog originated in the United States.

Known for its extraordinary scent abilities as well as its speed, this dog has always been used as a hare hunter because of these skills.

It’s a slender dog of medium to large size and stands at about 60-68cm in height and weighs between 20 – 30kg. It is lean, strong, muscular and swift with a body that is inclined to be longer than tall.

He is slightly heavier than other scenthounds and his ribs aren’t seen. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears drop down, are folded back or can be semi-erect. The eyes are dark and the tail is long and curves upwards with longer hair being found on the tail.

The coat is short and smooth, and coat colors of the dog are varied and can be fawn, sandy, grey, white, black or brindle, and it can be tri-colored too.

Temperament:

The Cretan Hound is alert to sight, sound and scent and when it senses prey, the tail moves in a circular way and the dog becomes rigid for a while before he is off on the hunt.

He is a gentle, intelligent dog, reserved around strangers but making an excellent family pet as he gets on well with all his human family members as well as pets in the house. With good training and socialization, the dog becomes more relaxed around strangers.

He isn’t an aggressive dog, and while he is alert to sounds and smells, he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

The Schnorkie is a small dog standing at between 12 to 30cm in height and weighing just 3 to 6kg.

Schnorkies have an athletic build but they are lean and you want to keep them that way.

Their double coat is mostly silky and straight, but can be wavy too. The double coat can be grey, silver, fawnish and have a mix of colors while also being available in solid colors.

The ears are half erect, half floppy and the tail tends to be medium length, plumed and held up.

Temperament:

Schnorkies are high spirited little dogs and they can also prove to stubborn. There is nothing that a bit of training and socialization won't do for stubborn dogs, making them obedient and responsive to their owners.

Because they are hybrid dogs, they can inherit temperaments or looks from either of the parent dogs.

The Cretan Hound is an energetic, curious dog, but when it comes to being a family pet, he is affectionate and gentle.

He is a reserved dog around strangers. He likes to be busy and will love his walks and games with his human family members. He is smart so is readily trained and he likes to be obedient and to please.

The Cretan Hound will live in harmony with other dogs in the home and they’re also patient and good around disciplined children who have learned to respect animals.

Provide your Cretan Hound with his fair share of love and attention and he will go out of his way to be a loyal and loving family friend.

Your Schnorkie is a jaunty little dog who is going to love playing games with you. Children will need to treat him with gentleness and respect simply because he is small.

He is social, friendly and loving with his human family, though sometimes, coming from the Schnauzer, he gets a bit moody.

He makes a great family pet though and and while he loves to be outside playing, he also loves to come indoors and be everybody’s lap dog for the evening.

The Cretan Hound is a healthy, robust dog breed, but even so, he can suffer from some common health problems that other dogs are also susceptible to. Some of these are hip dysplasia , cancer, ear infections, bloat and cherry eye.

Remember that if you don’t want your dog to have puppies, they can actually benefit health-wise from being spayed or neutered. Doing this for your pet can prevent a number of health issues later on down the line.

Make sure too, that your puppy receives his vaccinations in a timely fashion so as to avoid terrible, life threatening illnesses such as parvo and rabies.

Your Schnorkie, as a hybrid breed, can inherit some health problems from either parent – the Schnauzer or the Yorkshire Terrier.

Then again, mixing pure bred dogs can eliminate some common dog ailments. Overall, the Schnorkie is a healthy dog and can live up to 15 years of age.

A couple of major health concerns with the Schnorkie are dental problems and pancreatitis.

Dental Problems:

If your dog has tooth problems he might be in terrible pain and that is why it is so important to look inside his mouth.

Dogs can break their teeth and they can also get gum disease. Dogs have a more alkaline mouth and this is what encourages plaque. Try and brush your pet’s teeth with special canine toothpaste and toothbrush because dental disease can cause lots of problems for your pet.

Pancreatitis:

The pancreas helps with the digestion of food and to regulate blood sugar. Pancreatitis is more common in Schnauzers, and then the pancreas is swollen and inflamed.

Dogs with this disease will lose their appetite, be lethargic, restless and have stomach pain. You may see your pet hunching his back. Pancreatitis can lead to organ damage and you will need to get your dog to the vet.

You’re certainly not going to have to do too much grooming with the Cretan Hound as he is a low maintenance breed.

The dog is a short haired breed and an average shedder, so a good brush twice a week will keep the coat free of loose hairs and maintain the condition of the hair.

As with all dogs, the nails as well as the ears must be checked and attended to. The veterinarian can advise you on how to keep his ears clean and free of infection, as prodding around without knowing can damage his ears.

Exercise:

This Cretan Hound has high activity needs. He is energetic and also hard-working, and you’ll need to be taking him on long walks and providing him with some highly energetic playing sessions. Throw ball for him and take him with you when you go jogging or cycling.

Diet:

Puppies will need 4 small meals a day, but by 8 weeks your Schnorkie will be ready to move onto dry dog food. As he grows into an adult you will cut the meals down to two a day.

The best commercially manufactured dry dog food is able to meet your dogs nutritional needs and it’s super convenient too. It can be a good idea to feed your pet some home-made food too. Twice a week will be sufficient to add in this home-made food - boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach will be excellent for him and his digestion and be a tasty treat for him. You can simply chop it up and add it to the dry kibble. Some raw meat occasionally can help to ward off nasty skin ailments. Make sure that your Schnorkie has a constant supply of cool fresh water.

Grooming:

Schnauzers and Yorkies both have high maintenance coats and your Schnorkie will also require regular brushing, though he doesn’t shed much. Some people prefer to hand their dogs in and have them professionally groomed.

Exercise:

Just because a Schnorkie is a little dog, doesn’t mean he doesn’t need exercise. You don’t want a small dog like this getting obese and unfit. Take him for walks and give him some ball games.