Schapendoes vs Magyar Agar - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The tall, slender Magyar Agar is a sighthound dog breed hailing from Hungary and which has been used for hunting and coursing, some dogs of which are still used for this purpose today.

Those who know the dog breed well will tell you that the dog isn’t the 'Hungarian greyhound', being a distinct breed with its own characteristics and breed designation.

They certainly go back centuries, and in fact, records tell us that they arrived in northeastern Hungary more than a thousand years ago.

Known also as the Dutch Sheepdog, the Schapendoes originates in the Netherlands.

It has always been known as a herding dog and farm dog. There were times during the 1940s when the dog’s numbers dropped considerably, but fortunately a breed club known as the Nederlandse Schapendoes was formed in 1947.

It wasn’t until 1971 that the dog earned recognition as a Dutch breed and the Federation Cynologique Internationale recognized this Dutch Sheepdog in 1989.

Described as a large dog resembling a Greyhound and being more longer in body than being tall they are more heavily boned than the fine-boned Greyhound.

The Magyar is a large dog standing at between 62 – 70cm in height and weighing between 22 and 31kg. If you want your Magyar to have puppies, these dogs can produce between 6 to 10. The dogs have a smooth dense coat and the coat can be any color, but not black and tan or tri-color.

The ears of the dog are short to medium and are semi-erect, semi-floppy and most times held back. The tail of the dog is long.

Temperament:

These are hardy dogs, and even with their short coats they are able to cope with lower temperatures. They are quiet and docile and are loving towards their human family. They also have a strong instinct to guard their owners.

They are amicable dogs, getting on well with children and pets in the home.As with most dogs, he can benefit from training and socialization. He is an adaptable dog too and will settle into life in the city or the countryside, but wherever he lives, he will need to be exercised well.

They love cozying up to their owners on the couch and thoroughly relaxing, but they also love being out and about too. A walk in the countryside or the park is a a chance to be let off the leash for some running.

The Schapendoes is a medium sized herding dog standing at between 40 and 50cm in height and weighing between 12 and 25kg.

When you look at him, you’re reminded of the Old English Sheepdog or the Bearded Collie. The thick, double coat of the dog can be a mix of colors and can be brown and white, black and white and gray and a mix of all these colors.

In spite of the thick coat, the dog sheds very little. He is an active dog and is known to be able to jump high. This makes him perfect for ball and frisbee games as he will leap into the air to try and catch the ball.

He has medium length floppy ears and the tail is long and feathered, carried high when busy, but when he is relaxed the tail hangs low.

Temperament:

Brave, cheerful,social and loyal, the Schapendoes is a shaggy Dutch dog who makes a splendid pet and companion for active people.

He is intelligent too, and in fact it is why he makes such a great farm dog too as he is able to work on his own and co-operates with his owner. He just loves being active, and will happily join you on all your hikes, runs on the beach, swimming, walks and other activities.

He thrives on being counted in as one of the active family members. This intelligence of his makes him easy to train and socialize, making him well mannered and obedient.

His amicable nature allows him to get on with all well disciplined children as well as with other pets in the home.

The Magyar Agar may well have been developed for hunting, but today he makes a splendid pet.

He is intelligent and quiet, as well as being loyal. While he loves being outside playing or going on walks, he is quite happy to curl up on the couch with you – the nearness to you is what he loves.

Beautiful and loving, this dog symbolizes the best qualities that man wants in a canine friend.

Because this dog has always been a working dog, he has learned to be independent.

They’re eager to please their owners and easy to train too. They’re not aggressive and are friendly and affectionate and want to protect their owners.

They’re cheerful and playful and are tolerant of children and pets in the home. However, they don’t want little children being allowed to climb over them.

You can expect these big cuddly dogs to make loyal, devoted pets when treated with love, care, kindness and respect.

The Magyar Agár is looked upon as a healthy dog breed, and with good care can live to be 12 to 14 years of age. With this dog you want to be on the lookout for some of the common dog illnesses he could succumb to -

Thyroid Disease:

This is a fairly common problem in dogs. The thyroid gland produces the hormone thyroxine with other thyroid hormones. Playing a role in the dog’s metabolism, when the thyroid is out of sync it can cause problems for your dog.

Hypothyroidism happens when your dog doesn’t secrete enough of the thyroid hormones, slowing the dog’s metabolism. Some of the symptoms include obesity, lethargy, coat thinning and cold intolerance.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy:

This is an inherited disease of the retina, occurring in both eyes together. Thankfully it isn't painful for the dog. There are different types of inherited retinal degenerative diseases in dogs and the first signs of this are seeing your dog with night-blindness and the pupils being dilated. There is no cure, but specific antioxidant supplementation does help support the retinal health of the dog and can actually help to prevent vision loss.

Skin Allergies:

Itching outbreaks from a skin allergy can make your pet miserable with constant licking and biting. Whether these allergies are inhaled, food related or from flea bites, they can cause your pet great discomfort. The fur or coat may even have started to fall out in patches. Allergies like this can occur when the dog's immune system is weakened. Feeding your dog some raw meat, getting him to the vet and providing excellent grooming can help with your pet’s skin problems.

Your Schapendoes is a generally healthy breed and with good food, a good amount of exercise and plenty of love and care, he can reach the ripe age of 15 or so.

Every dog however, has the potential to get one of the many canine diseases there are. Some of these canine diseases to look out for include hip dysplasia, dental problems, eye diseases, bloat, cancer and others.

Dental Disease:

Some people think that problems with teeth are mild – nothing to worry about and yet bad teeth can affect the quality of life for your pet.

Problems with the pet’s teeth usually start with a build- up of plaque that leads to tartar. This can lead to gingivitis and then periodontal disease can develop. Dogs can have bad teeth and this can affect organs in the body.

Problems with the teeth can be serious and your veterinarian will need to do an oral checkup and dental cleaning. If your dog has oral problems, you may notice bad breath, loose teeth, dribbling, tartar on the teeth and pawing at the mouth.

Make sure you take wonderful care of your Magyar Agar. It is a social, living creature who needs to be loved and cherished.

Provide him with the best food there is. If you invest in dry kibble, try and add in cooked chicken, brown rice and raw or cooked vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat. Keep the diet simple to avoid digestive upsets.

• Provide him with a warm, dry place to sleep.
• Never leave him outside without a shady spot to lie down in.
• He needs constant access to cool, fresh water.
• Check his eyes and inside his ears regularly for infections.
• Brush his short coat at least twice a week and check for fleas and ticks.
• Make sure to give him regular exercise like walks and ball games.

Grooming:

The Schapendoes has a dense double coat which can become quite long in places. The hair is slightly waved and there is quite a lot of hair around the face which includes a mustache and beard.

He will need to have his hair brushed twice a week, and some people choose to have him professionally clipped.

Trim his nails, check inside the ears for ear infection, check that the eyes are nice and clear without discharge, check inside the mouth for rotten teeth and check him over for any unusual lumps.

Diet:

Your Schapendoes is an active dog and you want to ensure that the food you buy him keeps him active and healthy.

It is important to choose the best dog food if you buy commercially manufactured dog food. Then you can be sure it will have the right formulation of vitamins and minerals.

Home-made food is also an excellent choice for your pet. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots can be very healthy and tasty. Keep it simple like this. Chop it all up and add it into the dry kibble a couple of times a week to give him a nutritious treat.

Some raw meat added in occasionally will do him the world of good and keep the skin and coat healthy. Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water.