Hovawart is originated from Germany but Newfoundland Dog is originated from Canada. Both Hovawart and Newfoundland Dog are having almost same height. Hovawart may weigh 29 kg / 63 pounds lesser than Newfoundland Dog. Hovawart may live 4 years more than Newfoundland Dog. Hovawart may have less litter size than Newfoundland Dog. Hovawart requires Low Maintenance. But Newfoundland Dog requires Moderate Maintenance
The Hovawart, is a German Black Forest breed developed as a guard dog for large estates in the medieval era. They first appeared in history in the early 13th century as heroes who saved the German son of a castle lord, despite being injured themselves. The boy they saved grew up to be a German legend. He wrote the oldest German code of law that remained from medieval times. In it he names the Hovawarts as a dog that if you are responsible for hurting, stealing or killing it, you must pay for it or replace it. No other dog had this protection.
In the late fifteenth century Hovawarts were featured in Heinrich Mynsinger’s “The Five Noble Breeds”. This guard dog breed was esteemed on a level with the hunting dogs – their health a question of life or death for their owner. In the 1500’s the popularity of the breed began to fade. The GSD or German Shepard Dog began to replace the Hovawarts as the preferred guard dog.
By the early 20th century the breed had almost disappeared but were saved by breed enthusiasts in the early 1900’s. Zoologist Kurt Konig was prominent in this effort and went looking in the Black Forest area for dogs working on farms. Using the dogs, he found on these farms, Konig began a breeding program crossing the them with Newfoundland’s, Kuvazoks, Leonbergers, GSD, an African hunting dogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs.
By 1922 the first litter of these pups was entered officially into the German Breeding Registry. In 1937 the Hovawart was recognized by the German Kennel Club. However, many members of the breed died in World War II as they were used widely by the military and not many were left by 1945. Once again breed enthusiasts came to the rescue forming a Coburg Hovawart club. This club still exists and in 1964, for the second time, the breed was recognized by the German Kennel Club. Other countries also began to take notice of this working breed.
The Hovawart has many skills in addition hunting and guarding. The Hovawart does not work for people, he works with them as he is a very independent thinker. He is also good at search and rescue and tracking. An owner of this breed must be stronger, smarter, more alert, intentional and consistent than his Hovawart. These are not dogs for the faint of heart or first-timers.
The Newfoundland dog is a large working dog. They were bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in the Dominion of Newfoundland, an eastern province of Canada. With their web feet they were also used for water rescue.
The history of the Newfoundland Dog is unsure, but the breed as we know it today originated from dogs which were brought from Newfoundland to England in the early 1800's.
The Newfoundland Club was founded in 1886 so as to promote the breed.
The Hovawart is a proud and majestic dog and his looks match his character. He looks a bit like the Golden Retriever with a powerful and broad forehead. His skull and muzzle are the same length and his nose is black. His oval eyes are a medium to dark brown and his ears are high set and triangular.
Their chests are strong, broad and deep. The breed has strong legs straight in front with round, strong and compact feet. They are heavy boned with dense, long coats that lie flat and have a slight wave to them. The coat can be black and gold, blond or black.
The Newfoundland is a large dog standing at between 63cm to 74cm, both male and female. Weight can vary from 45kg to 80kg.
He has a double coat of medium-length straight hair and the hair can be black, brown or gray. Although it is common for the Newfoundland to have a solid-colored coats, you will sometimes find small patches of white on their chest, toes, or at the tip of the tail. Then again you get the less common Newfoundlands where the coat is white with some black markings and these are known as Landseers.
The outer coat is coarse, oily and water-resistant quality, suited to a dog that loves to spend time in the water. The head is broad and large with small ears that he keeps lying close to his head. The tail is long and plumed and the feet are wide with webbing between the toes which aids him with swimming.
As with many large dogs, the Newfoundland is docile and his sheer size makes it that he is best suited to life in the countryside as opposed to living in the city. This is also because this particular dog wants to be close to water where he can swim.
He is a trustworthy, loyal dog and will get on well with children and pets in the home. Training and socialization is always recommended for any dog, but a big dog can often ‘get in the way’ indoors and you want him to lie down or sit when you tell him to. He is an intelligent dog so will respond well to training.
They have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.
They are not indoor dogs and should have a yard to run in. They do not tolerate hot weather well. They do great out in the country.
They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.
Your beautiful, cuddly puppy will soon become a giant dog with a big appetite. Don’t just buy a cute puppy if you can’t afford to feed him properly and you can’t give him lots of attention.
Your dog will also be shedding, so be aware of these aspects before you bring a large Newfoundland into your home. He is a gentle dog, but his size could be worrisome if he isn’t trained, socialized and supervised.
Newfoundlands are amicable dogs, and while he may like to spend times indoors with you relaxing, he is a working dog and will require exercise and activities for mind and body.
Give this giant of a dog a loving home, and you will have a special, devoted friend like no other.
Though their isolation protected them from genetic health issues for centuries, once they were being rejuvenated and mixed with other breeds some common issues began to show up. These include:
The Newfoundland can be prone to serious health conditions such as hip dysplasia and gastric torsion. Deep chested dog breeds like the New Foundland are susceptible to bloat, a life threatening condition where the stomach swells, it can twist and the dog can die if help isn’t available. He will be salivating, restless and whining while also trying to vomit.
Giant breeds are also prone to elbow and hip dysplasia, a genetic problem which can ultimately affect your dog’s mobility.
When in any doubt about your pet’s health, get him to the vet.
Feed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day
Again Feed breed specific high quality dry food for adults. Feed 2-3 cups per day in 1-2 meals per day.
Points for Good Health – Stamina
The Hovawart needs plenty of exercise. Remember this is a mountain farm dog used to working all the time. Walk or jog with them daily. They can excel at field trials, obedience, search and rescue, agility, flyball, therapy dog, and service dog.
Your dog’s coat will need to be brushed at least twice a week as he is a heavy shedder.
Do the nails of your dog as soon as they start getting long. Long nails can hook on things and cause injury to the dog’s paw area.
This is a dog with floppy ears so check inside the ears to prevent ear infections, more so because this is a water-loving dog. The dampness inside the ears can cause bacteria.
This is a giant breed and sadly, they have the shortest lifespans. You want to make sure that you keep your giant breed as healthy as possible to ensure he reaches the 10 or so years allotted to him and to also prevent health problems.
Make sure your giant breed puppy and adult has the very highest quality commercially manufactured food to ensure he gets the right balance of nutrients in. This food also makes sure that your puppy rather grows at a slower rate and stronger as opposed to growing too quickly. Rapid growth comes with joint problems.
All dogs, large and small, don’t want exotic, strange food that upsets their stomachs. They want consistency and simplicity and they want tasty food. Give him some homemade food such as cooked chicken, brown rice or pasta and some vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots and spinach. You can add this occasionally to his dry kibble.
Add in some raw meat from time to time too. Your pet will be strong, healthy, happy and content.