Lottatore Brindisino vs Billy - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Billy (or Billie) Dog is a rare breed developed in France and mostly still only found in France. Created in the 19th century by Monsieur Gaston Hublot de Rivault and named after his home, Chateau de Billy, he is hunting dog of high quality. The Billy dog was developed by crossing the Poitevin’s original three lines – the Larrye, the Ceris and the Montemboeuf. In developing the Billy, Rivault favored the colors found in the Ceris and Montemboeuf strains as opposed to the tricolors of the Larrye strain. The Billy is a scent hound from all the lines leading back to the monks of the Saint Hubert Monastery in the middle ages, in Belgium, then refined in Gaul (France). The Billy line was considered the most elegant French breed and they were the last breed to come from that large scent hound type that the French nobility and royalty loved to breed.

In 1886 the Federation Cynoloquique Internationale established the standard for the Billy breed. The breed was a great hunter with resilience, speed, scenting and fortitude. The Billy hunted in large packs in pursuit of Wild Boar and Roe Deer. This was accomplished by the crossing of great hunters developed for their specific skills. The Ceris was amazing in its skill to hunt down wolves and hares. The Montemboeuf was a large, elegant dog that hunted wild boar and Larrye for his strong scent ability. Since these three breeds were true French breeds, the Billy was a true aristocratic scent hound in a pure scent hound line.

This gregarious, handsome dog became extremely popular in France in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the World Wars of the 20th century would take their toll on this rare breed and they were almost extinct by the late 1900’. There were only two hounds left by the end of the Second World War. Anthony Rivault, the son of Gaston, set about saving the breed by incorporating the lines of Harrier, the Poilevin and the Porcelaine with the two remaining hounds. From there the breed has been revived and is no longer on the verge of extinction. They are still rare and certainly not “popular”, but they are excellent hunters, especially hunting in packs. Today they are considered one of the breeds used to develop the Grand Anglo-Francais Blanc et Orange in France and there are several packs that hunt roe deer in France, while a couple packs are used to hunt wild boar.

The Lottatore Brindisino, whose native name is Cande da Marcellaio, is a large molosser type dog which hails from Brindisi, Italy.

He is a rare dog, courageous and effectively used as a herding dog too – to watch over cattle.

When you see him, all hulky and muscular, you realize that its because this is a breed of dog that has been used for fighting.

The dog was specially created by selectively breeding certain dogs such as the Rottweiler, Pit Bull and Cane Corso. The breed has never been standardized or recognized by any major kennel clubs, and is fairly unknown outside of Italy.

The Billy dog is powerful, beautiful and built extremely well. He is large but he should also be light weight and lean. He has an athletic look, powerful muscles, and strong bones. He has floppy ears, dark eyes with dark rims and a white coat. This breed has a medium size head with a domed forehead and square muzzle. The ears are high on the head, flat and floppy while the neck is long and strong. Shoulders are also long and the back broad, the thighs muscular and the feet round. He has a long fluffy tail. The coat is short and can be seen through to the skin. He has white skin with brown spots and the fur is white or off white. The females are smaller than the males. He is a great family companion as well as a hunter. They have high pitched voices and they can be howlers. They have a strong prey drive and are great hunters. They can be great companion dogs for any family, just watch them with small children and small animals. They are big enough to need a lot of space and a lot of exercise. Scent hounds can be stubborn, and that trait is not lost on the Billy dog.

The Lottatore Brindisino is a medium sized Molosser dog, robustly built, muscular and with large shoulders and chest.

He stands at 60-70cm in height and weighs approximately 40 – 55kg. The head is large, the nose mostly back, and traditionally the tail ad ears have been cropped to avoid injuries during dog fights. In more recent years, the ears and tail are left, so that the ears are medium length and floppy and the tail long.

The coat of the dog is short and dense and found in a number of different colors such as fawn, black or brindle.

Temperament:

The Cane Lottatore Brindisino is a strong looking dog and is also referred to as the Brindisi Wrestler Dog. Today it is a popular watchdog in Italy.

Strong-willed and somewhat aggressive, the Brindisi isn’t looked upon as a family companion. He is also a dog that is going to need plenty of exercise, and training and socialization will be a must for this dog who is loyal to his owner and other human family members but doesn’t extend a friendly paw to strangers. This actually makes him a good watchdog.

He is also aggressive towards other dogs and because of this aggressive side of him, he isn’t recommended as a dog to have around small children.

Even though the Billy Breed is very rare and faced potential extinction it is a terrific sporting dog who loves children, other dogs, and adults. He could be a good family dog if his exercise needs are met. He is social, gregarious, and gentle with people. They are happiest in a pack and do not do well in a one dog household. They form extremely strong bonds with their people and household. They are friendly and outgoing. This makes them a poor choice for guard dog. They have an exceptionally well-developed prey drive do they might be aggressive toward any animal smaller than them. This includes the family cat, other smaller dogs, hamsters etc.

Like many dogs who have a mix of breeds involved with their development, you can’t be 100% sure of the dogs character.

The Lottatore Brindisino is a mix of Rottweiler, Pit Bull and Cane Corso. He has been used as a fighting dog, and while he can be a loyal, devoted pet to his owner, he does have aggression issues and would not be regarded as a good pet choice for first time dog owners and those with small children.

Then again, a dog’s personality depends a lot on the way he is raised and the type of owners he has and the way he is socialized.

Despite their history of almost becoming extinct the Billy dog is a hearty and healthy group. They do tend to get Bronchitis and colds due to the short, thin coat. Keep them indoors during winter. Another area of concern is the ears. They are prone to ear infections so keep their ears clean. They should not be exposed to cold weather. The Billy life expectancy is 10-14 years which is very good for such a large dog.

The Lottatore Brindisino is a muscular, heavily set dog, and care must be taken that puppies, of which this breed can have 5 – 8, don’t grow too quickly. Strenuous exercise is never recommended for puppies below the age of 1, so as to avoid pressure on the soft, young bones.

Other health issues to watch for include panosteitis, an inflammatory condition of the bones as well as skin allergies and lymphoma.

Panosteitis:

Painful inflammation occurs in the leg bones and cause lameness which can occur suddenly. It’s a condition that affects young dogs that grow too quickly.

Speak to your vet about how to avoid this with your puppy. Affected dogs are usually between 2 and 18 months of age. A typical symptom of this illness is a sudden painful lameness of any of the legs. It’s time to get your pet to the vet because he will certainly require pain control meds.

Feeding

The Billy dog is large, muscular and lean. Do not overfeed him, but you can safely free feed. Watch to be sure he does not gain too much weight and if he does go to two feedings per day.

Health issues

As previously mentioned this is a healthy, long-lived dog. Watch for ear infections and keep him out of extreme cold.

Exercise/Games

This is a very athletic, active hunter, who needs a lot of exercise. Daily walks are good, but he needs 45 to 60 minutes of exercise every day. Remember he was bred to hunt and loves to do so. Find activities that let him use his athletic skills and strong sense of smell. He needs a big yard to romp in. He will excel at obedience, barn hunt and agility. A lure game might be good also, but he would be happier with a scent oriented “find it” game.

Grooming:

With his short coat, the Lottatore Brindisino is looked upon as fairly low maintenance and easy to groom. A good brush-down twice a week will remove loose hairs from this moderate-shedding dog. While you brush him, run your hands over his body to feel for any unusual lumps and to also check him over for fleas and ticks.

Other grooming chores for this Molosser type dog of yours is to check inside his ears for redness. The inside of his ears, particularly with floppy-eared dogs, don’t always get enough air to them, and they become damp. With wax and dirt, inside the ears is a breeding place for bacteria.

The inside of the ears need to be kept clean and dry. His teeth will also need to be cleaned 2 or 3 times a week and his nails clipped.

If you don’t have the time to keep up with your pet’s grooming needs, there are professional dog groomers who will do all of this very important grooming for you.

Diet:

The Lottatore Brindisino is a strong, muscular dog who will require a high protein diet to remain healthy. If you feed him a commercially manufactured dog food, make sure its a quality one, packed full of vitamins and minerals as opposed to preservatives, colorants and fillers found in the low quality brands.

These dog foods also don’t satisfy your pet and he wants to eat more and can then battle with obesity. This is not good news as obesity puts a dog at risk of developing hip dysplasia.

Follow the feeding instructions on the food packaging. If you’re in any doubt about what to feed your Lottatore Brindisino, speak to a dog expert or your vet. If you are feeding your dog a homemade diet, that is excellent news for your pet. Food such as cooked chicken, brown rice or pasta and raw and cooked vegetables mixed into his dry kibble will be excellent for him. Also add in some raw meat to his kibble from time to time.

Such a diet, simple, tasty and nutritious, is complete and balanced. Make sure that he always has a bowl of fresh, cool water at his disposal. Wash out the bowl and keep things clean for your pet.

General Care:

Provide your pet with a nice, comfortable, warm, dry bed.

When outdoors, make sure your pet has access to a shady spot out of the sun.

Make sure he has shelter away from rain.

Make sure you exercise your pet and that you interact with him. Dogs are social creatures.