Rafeiro do Alentejo vs Lucas Terrier - Breed Comparison

The Lucas Terrier is a rare breed which hails from England, originating there in the late 1940s. Today it is considered a purebred. It was originally a hybrid dog, bred by crossing a Norfolk Terrier with a Sealyham Terrier.

Sir Lucas felt that the Sealyham Terrier was a bit too big for his purpose so he crossed the Sealyham with Norfolk Terriers to bring about the Lucas Terrier. The Lucas Terrier is a dog which is essentially bred for temperament and companionship and is therefore not aggressive.

The Lucas Terrier has been in the United States of America since the late 1960s and is considered a rare breed.The Lucas Terrier Club is a private, informally run organisation developed to both preserve and promote this dog breed.

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.

The sweet Lucas Terrier is a small dog breed that stands at between 25 – 30cm in height and weighs anything between 5 – 9 kg.

The chest of the dog is deep and low, the nose black, the eyes dark and almond shaped, the ears medium sized and floppy. The tail is traditionally docked, giving the dog an attractive, solid, compact look to it.

If you want your Lucas Terrier to become a parent, you can expect between 3 to 5 of the cutest little puppies. Spaying and neutering are an excellent idea health-wise if you don’t want your terrier dog to have puppies.

The weather-resistant coat of the Lucas Terrier is fairly harsh and is of medium length. While most Lucas Terriers are fawnish, cream, grey or black and tan, you also get a white one.

He does great with training and socialization and is an adaptable dog too, being happy to settle into life in the city or the countryside.

Temperament:

This is such a sweet, amicable, jaunty little dog, good with kids and always ready for a game. With socialization and training he is ready to get on well with everyone, as well as with other dogs in the house. It is no wonder that he is becoming so popular – he just gets on with everyone, and is eager to please.

The Lucas Terrier is generally well behaved as well and being quiet, gentle and calm indoors. Because he is a Terrier, he likes to bark quite a bit, but training and socialization can help with that. Training won’t be difficult as he is intelligent.

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.

Lively, playful, social and animated – the Lucas Terrier is such a pleasure to have around and will bring joy into your home. He is full of enthusiasm and will always be ready for a game or for a walk.

They are dogs who just love being around their human family, forming close bonds with them. They’re adaptable too and slot into different situations with ease.

Gentle, calm and obedient, once you let one of these sweet dogs into your home and heart, you’ll never want to be without such a loving friend again.

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.

Your Lucas Terrier is such a robust, jaunty, feisty little dog and with excellent care from you he may be able to push two decades. With a healthy diet and exercise, you shouldn’t have to be at the vet often with this dog.

There are however, always common dog illnesses that even the most healthy dog can succumb to – ear infections, eye infections, bloat, cancer, hip dysplasia and others.

Skin Allergies:

Skin problems may seem mild, but they can bring a whole lot of frustration and pain to your pet. You’ve got to be careful because sometimes skin problems may be indicative of other health issues. Probably the most common cause of skin problems in dogs are allergies from parasites like fleas.

Bacterial skin infections are caused when your pet is bitten by a flea for instance and then he scratches and licks, breaking the skin and bacteria gets in, infecting the wound.

Yeast infections for instance could be found in the ear canal and around the anus. Infections like this occur in damp areas and also when other conditions are right. Yeast infections cause itchy skin with hair loss.

Skin infections are not to be taken lightly. They can bring a whole lot of discomfort to your pet and you will most certainly need to get him to the vet.

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.

Exercise:

This little dog isn’t a high energy dog but he will need to have a daily walk over and above the games you provide him with. Giving him a walk will be stimulating for him too as it gives him the chance to see different things and sniff around a bit.

Grooming:

The Lucas Terrier is looked upon as a low maintenance breed and a low shedder. You will need to brush him twice a week to keep the coat lustrous and to remove loose hair. Hand stripping is a method used for grooming his double coat but some people prefer to have him professionally clipped.

Diet:

Feeding a dog should be a simple affair. All dog breeds appreciate a simple but nutritious diet as this avoids digestive problems.

The Lucas Terrier relies on quality food full of vitamins and minerals to ensure his health and longevity. True, commercially manufactured foods aren’t a wonderful choice, but there are some good ones and they do offer a tremendous amount of convenience.

However, you don’t just want to put a bowl of dry kibble in front of your pet night after night, so to add some tasty variety, boil chicken and brown rice or pasta along with some cooked or raw vegetables and add this to his dry kibble from time to time. It makes like a delicious kind of stew to add to the dry kibble.

You’ll see, your Lucas Terrier will have bright eyes, a wet nose and a wagging tail. He’ll thank you for sticking to a simple style of feeding that doesn’t come with unpleasant surprises to upset his stomach. Make sure he always has a bowl of fresh cool water constantly available.

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.