Samoyed vs Dogue De Bordeaux - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Dogue de Bordeaux is an ancient French dog breed and his history goes so far back that it is difficult to have accurate records of his origin.

During the 1700s he was used as a guard dog, with theories suggesting that several Mastiff type breeds were the closest ancestors.

For centuries the Bordeaux Mastiff, also referred to as the Bordeaux Bulldog, came in two size varieties, with the larger version being the Dogue de Bordeaux. It is this large dog which made its appearance in the Hollywood movie ‘Turner & Hooch’, shooting him into more recognition and interest.

The Samoyed is a large breed of dog; a spitz-type dog, with a thick, double-layer coat. The dog was used to help with herding and to also haul sledges for the Siberian Samoyede people.

The Samoyed has been used in polar expeditions, including Sir Ernest Shackleton's journey to the Antarctic. They’ve put up with a lot of hardships on these journeys and some of them have lost their lives on these expeditions.

The first standard for the breed was adopted in England in 1909, and in 1923 the original Samoyed Club of America was established.

The Dogue de Bordeaux is a large molosser type dog with a large head, standing at 60 – 67cm and weighing anything between 54 and 65kg. His weight comes more from his muscular, powerful build rather than his height.

He is a powerful looking dog and his short coat is loose-fitting and is an attractive rich reddish brown color. There are wrinkles around the face with the nose being somewhat pinkish-orange as opposed to black.

The eyes are wide apart and are hazel. He has short to medium length floppy ears and where once the thick tail was docked, giving him a powerful, distinctive look, it is mostly left long today.

Temperament:

He is a confident, self-assured, territorial dog who will require training and socialization if he is to know his place in the home. He is a powerful mastiff-type dog, who without training can be stubborn, arrogant and somewhat aggressive towards strangers.

His looks and his territorial nature make him an excellent watchdog. He is no push-over and isn’t a good choice for the first time dog owner.

Without a strong, firm owner, he could prove difficult to handle. He is calm and laid back with children in the home and he can get along well with other pets if he has been brought up with them since puppy-hood.

The Samoyed is a large herding dog standing at between 48 to 60cm in height and weighing 16 – 30kg. He has a thick, double layer coat that is silvery white.

The top layer is fairly long and coarse. The dog sheds heavily once or twice a year, but the dog is described as being hypoallergenic.

The ears of the dog are typical spitz-like – erect. The eyes of the dog are almond in shape and while they are usually brown, they can sometimes be blue too. The tail is long and curls over the dog’s back. When these dogs sleep in the snow, you might notice the tail is folded so that it covers the dog’s nose.

Temperament:

The Samoyed is a friendly dog, to such an extent that you wouldn’t call him a good watchdog. They’re friendly dogs with happy expressions on their faces. They make great family pets and will get on well with children as well as other dogs in the home.

Like all dogs, the Samoyed will need early training and socialization to make him obedient and well rounded. He is intelligent and can easily learn a few basic commands.

The Dogue de Bordeaux isn’t a big, boisterous kind of dog but is rather calm and relaxed. As a watchdog however, he can surprise you and become quite active, showing agility for such a hulk.

He can adapt to life in the city or the country but even though he appears lazy, he will need moderate daily exercise.

He loves his human family and wants to be constantly with them. He is stubborn but will do well with training and socialization.

Calm and easy-going and with his easy-to-maintain short, soft coat, be prepared for some drooling and snoring from this loving, devoted large pet of yours.

The Samoyed is a gentle, easy going dog that gets on well with everyone, loving children and being prepared to be friendly towards other dogs too.

His friendliness makes it that he doesn’t make a good watchdog. He is intelligent and can be trained to obey basic commands.

He loves plenty of exercise, after all he has always been a working dog. Apart from the coat which will require quite a bit of upkeep, the Samoyed is prepared to come into your home and make you a splendid pet and companion.

The Dogue De Bordeaux doesn’t have as long a lifespan as many other dogs, but with good care, can go to 7 – 10 years of age.

Because he is a brachycephalic breed – a short-nosed dog such as the Boxer, Pug and Bulldog – he may well have the same number of teeth as other dogs, but the teeth are crowded, putting dogs like this at higher risk of getting dental disease.

His teeth will need to be brushed 2 or 3 times a week to prevent plaque and tartar getting trapped.

Brachycephalic Syndrome is also something to watch out for with your Dogue de Bordeaux. It’s an upper respiratory disorder which can bring on difficulty with breathing because of the crowding of tissue and narrower airways.

Some of the common canine diseases your Samoyed can succumb to -

Diabetes:

Dogs can get diabetes just like people can. Diabetes is becoming more common in dogs as people try and feed their dogs ‘treats’ such as chocolates, biscuits and ice-cream.

Fortunately diabetes is manageable. Certainly, if you discover signs of diabetes in your pet, get him to the vet. The typical symptoms of diabetes in dogs are increased urination, increased thirst and weight loss. Cataracts and blindness can also occur.

Glaucoma: 

Glaucoma is when there is increased pressure in the eye. It can be hereditary or secondary where there is decreased fluid in the eye because of other eye diseases. Symptoms include pain and even vision loss. It can be treated surgically or with eye drops.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is an inherited condition in dogs where the thighbone doesn't fit properly into the hip joint. Some dogs will even have lameness in both rear legs. The vet will want x-rays to diagnose hip dysplasia. Unfortunately arthritis can also develop.

Exercise:

He isn’t the most active dog and he is inclined to snooze quite a bit throughout the day. It will nonetheless be a good idea to include him in your daily walks and allow him to take part in a ball game now and again.

Diet:

The Dogue de Bordeaux needs to be fed a high-quality dog food in keeping with his large size and age.

Grooming:

This dog is known for drooling, and because of his wrinkled face, you’ll need to be watching the facial area that it is kept clean and dry to avoid skin infections. Check his ears at the same time to ensure they are free from dirt and wax.

The short coat does shed throughout the year, and you will need to be brushing him down twice a week to remove all those loose hairs.

Grooming:

The coat of the dog is super thick and in the Spring, the dog sheds a lot. Samoyed dog owners will need to be regular with their brushing routine with these dogs as the coat can easily tangle. Some people just prefer to get their Samoyed to a professional groomer.

Exercise:

This is a working dog, used to working hard in all kinds of conditions. He doesn’t take kindly to being bored with nothing to do and he howls and barks till you take him on a walk. He requires regular exercise such as hiking, ball games, running and swimming. It is why this dog isn’t suited to life on a small property in the city. He requires a large garden or farm and lots of exercise.

Diet:

If you want your Samoyed to be healthy so that you’re not constantly at the vet, provide him with top quality food. It is always useful and convenient having commercially manufactured food but you want to vary the diet just a bit by providing some homemade food too.

If you boil chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots in a pot you can chop it all up and freeze it and feed portions twice a week to your dog. Warmed up it can be added to his dry kibble and be a wonderful tasty treat for him. Every now and then you can also include some raw meat which can be beneficial for his skin. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water within his reach.