Petzlover
Abruzzenhund is originated from Italy but Catahoula Leopard is originated from United States. Both Abruzzenhund and Catahoula Leopard are having almost same height. Both Abruzzenhund and Catahoula Leopard are having almost same weight. Both Abruzzenhund and Catahoula Leopard has almost same life span. Abruzzenhund may have less litter size than Catahoula Leopard. Abruzzenhund requires Moderate Maintenance. But Catahoula Leopard requires Low Maintenance
Abruzzenhund was established as an individual breed in the middle of the 20th century. They are descendant of the big, white Eastern sheepdogs which came to Europe 2000 years ago. Abruzzenhund is a mix of Turkish sheepdogs Akbash and Karabash, the Kuvac, Slovakian breed Hungarian breed, Komondor, and a French sheepdog Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Those dogs were much bigger than today’s breed. Abruzzenhund is still not very popular breed, but it is very common in Great Britain and Italy. They have been used as guard dogs, hunting dogs, and working dogs because they are very brave and strong.
This working dog breed originates from America’s Deep South. In fact it was originally named after a small village in the state of Louisiana and was made the state’s official dog in 1979. The dog is believed to have come from the Mastiff and Greyhound.
Known as war dogs they were left with local tribes who crossed them with wolves, and French Beauceron blood was also included.
A number of Catahoula dog Associations were started and the Louisiana Catahoula Cur Association was formed in 1976, followed by others. These Associations work to promote the breed. In 1995 the United Kennel Club was the first national dog registry to recognize the Catahoula.
A height of Abruzzenhund variates between 60-73 cm, males are slightly bigger than females. While the weight is 30-45kg, again, males are heavier than females.
Abruzzenhund lifespan is between 11-13 years, but since these dogs don’t have any weaknesses and don’t tend to get sick, they can live longer with a proper care and adequate food and training.
Litter size of Abruzzenhund depends, but as any large breed, they usually have 6-9 puppies. And that is a very good considering size of the breed.
Abruzzenhund is not the only name of this breed. There are more names that you might hear. You can hear names like Maremma, Pastore, Abruzzese, Cane da Pastore, Maremmano- Abruzzese, Italian Sheepdog, and many similar names. Basically, they sound similar but there are differences.
Abruzzenhund is a friendly dog, but it is very powerful. Very strong jaw with a scissors bite makes them very strong. They have small but intelligent eyes, usually dark colored. The undercoat is dense, while the coat is white with segments of ivory to white yellow. Their long undercoat and coat make them winter resistant.
Known as the Leopard dog because of the distinctive spotted patches on his short to medium length coat, this interesting looking spotted dog can have a coat of many colors such as solid colors, brindle and a blend of several colors including blue merle and red merle, black and tan.
He is a muscular and athletic dog of medium to large size with sturdy legs and deep chest. He stands at 56 – 68cm and weighs 20 – 50kg. Many of these dogs have webbing between the toes which gives them an advantage when running through marshy areas or when swimming.
With his floppy ears, the tail is long or bobtailed. An unusual aspect with the dog is his eyes – having what is known as marbled glass eyes which are blue or blueish-white in color.
The Catahoula Leopard Dog can be stubborn and he is also energetic, fearless and highly intelligent. You’ll want to have him trained and socialized early as then he becomes a more relaxed, obedient dog. He is an assertive dog but not aggressive by nature.
Catahoulas in general are even tempered and they are willing to share their space with children in the home as well as other pets. They are protective of children and of their entire human family, making good watchdogs.
Abruzzenhund is a very well-balanced breed who loves spending time with other animals and people. They have a very good temper. They love being around families, and they are very gentle with children. It is important to train Abruzzenhund properly because the dog of that size should be a leader. A human with a strong character should train this breed. Training is important because they tend to make their own decisions which can be bad sometimes.
The Catahoula makes a fine family pet but he is a dog which shouldn’t be left outside day after day. He is a companion dog and won’t thrive without the companionship of his human family.
He is highly intelligent and also energetic, and if you want him to be relaxed and amicable around other humans and pets in the home he will require training and socialization. For training and ownership, the Catahoula Leopard will require a strong, firm, confident personality and he’ll be an obedient, loving and loyal companion.
A great thing about Abruzzenhund is that they are very healthy dogs. They don’t have any chronical health problems, so if you are feeding your dog properly, with a lot of exercises they will not have any health problems. It is also important to check genetics of the dog.
Your Catahoula Leopard is a healthy dog breed and with good care he can live to be 10 to 14 years of age. However, there are a number of reasons why some of the healthiest dogs can become ill.
Knowing about these illnesses means you can take action and minimize the pain and suffering your pet might have to otherwise endure.
You’ll notice your pet shaking his head and maybe even scratching his ears. Ear infections are more evident in dogs with floppy ears and there can be an ear discharge. When left untreated, the ears can become painful and then it is time to get him to the vet.
This is a common illness in dogs and can be terribly uncomfortable and debilitating for your pet as he tries to urinate all the time with no success. Signs of UTI can include this excessive urination with little urine coming out, lethargy and discomfort. Take your pet immediately to the vet to be checked over.
They learn very quickly, but it requires strong will and constant training to keep them happy. They are great working dogs, and with the positive training, they are amazing. It is very important that they follow rules and to keep them in balance with training.
They can eat a lot of food, depend on their activity. High-Quality dog food twice a day for a grown dog is a must. While puppies should eat 3-5 times, smaller portions of food. The food is important especially for working dogs, they need up to 2000-3000Kcal per day. Abruzzenhund will enjoy eating meat with a lot of vegetables and oil.
They are not recommended for small house or apartment. They need big yard because they require a lot of space. During the winter they can be outside because of their coat, but during the summer they need to be in the shade with a lot of fresh water available anytime.
The coat should be brushed and groomed very often because they have a thick coat. There is a lot of dead and loose hair in it. During shedding, period takes even more time to groom your dog properly. They love and they need exercise. Mental exercise is important as physical. Every day walking, running, playing with other animals is an important part of dog's activity. When they get enough quality exercise, they will sleep in the house.
A dog makes such a splendid pet, willing to give loyal and loving friendship to humans, even those who don’t treat him properly. When you think of the unconditional love your Catahoula Leopard dog will give you, surely you want to provide him with good food and shelter.
It can be devastating if your dog goes missing, and if he has no identification, to find him might only mean telling people what he looks like. Rather put a collar on him and an ID tag so that your chances of getting him back are just that much better.
You can also have him micro-chipped by your veterinarian and these chips have a unique code which can provide useful information on your pet.
Make sure that your pet is vaccinated as a puppy against diseases which could be deadly such as rabies.
If you have no intention of allowing your Catahoula Leopard to have puppies, rather have him neutered or spayed if its a female. It is better for them and they can live longer and be free of some ailments that at un-spayed or un-neutered dog may get.