Scoland Terrier vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison

The Labrador Retriever has its origin from Newfoundland which is an island.Dorset Eskimos are the people who settled down first in Newfoundland. Newfoundland was discovered in 1494 by the Bristol traders from England. The people in the Newfoundland used Lab to help them during fishing.They were recognized as a kennel club breed in England.

The Lab has its special talents in fishing, it nicely holds the fish in its mouth and swims well to bring it to the fisherman who was its master. They are also used to hunt game birds and waterfowl.

Not much is known about the Scoland Terrier. It is not a purebred but rather a crossbreed developed by crossing the Scottish Terrier with the Westland Terrier. To understand these mixed breeds, look to the original breeds for any combination of the characteristics of the breeds. The offspring of this crossing is not a 50-50 split of the original breeds looks or temperament.

Because the Scoland Terrier is a mix between the Scottie and the Westie he has all the characteristics of a typical terrier perhaps even twice as much. With both parents being terriers, you can expect your Scoland to act like a short legged terrier. These dogs are known for their courage and tenacity. Today these terriers are family companions. Most terriers today come from a pool of ancestral dog in the 19th century in Europe. This information was gleaned from a genetic analysis done in 2006.

The Scoland Terrier, being a hybrid, is not acknowledged by the American Kennel Club (AKC) or the United Kennel Club (UKC). It is acknowledged by the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR), American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), Dog Registry of America, Inc. (DRA), Designer Dogs Kennel Club (DDKC) and Designer Breed Registry (DBR).

Lab is a nice companion and also it helps in doing several works if it is trained. Lab is the America's most popular breed. They help the hunters, works with police and also serves physically challenged people. They are very friendly and it helps people so much by doing many works. They have very good sensitivity and are so affectionate with family members.

They have very high energy level in their young stage. The Lab is a muscular and athletic dog. They are sweet natured and well deserved. Lab needs physical and mental activities regularly as they are very intelligent and energetic. The pure bred Labs have black, chocolate and yellow colours. They are very interested in hunting and roaming. The young Lab should be given training to swim as a child, as they likes it very much. They takes more time to mature hence remaining as teenager for a long time when compared with other breeds.

Being a hybrid, the Scoland Terrier will not always look alike and could look like a Scottie, a Westie or a combination of the two. Most breeders of this designer dog say it usually has a body like the Scottie and a round head like the Westie. They are more often black with white markings, but they can often be wheaten as well. With round dark eyes, a scissors bite and black nose, her face is unique. The breed has erect and small, triangular ears and a medium fluffy tale. The coat is hard and wiry, with a dense soft undercoat.

Adaptability

The Lab has a very good adaptability, it will get adjusted with its environment.

Learning ability

Lab has a good learning ability and it can learn upto 300 human phrases. They are the 7th most intelligent dog breed.

Children friendliness

They are very much interested in playing with kids and are a very good companion for them.

1.Children friendliness - they can be very good with children and children can help them get their exercise.

2.Special talents – digging and going to ground after rodents.

3.Adaptability - yes but she is adept at digging and must have a safe enclosure.

4.Learning ability – is high but she can be very stubborn.

Malformation of hips, knees and elbow, Chances for Cancer.

This hybrid dog can inherit any of the issues faced by its two parent breeds. For the Scoland Terrier this can include:

• Seborrhea – Skin disease that can cause dogs to scratch until bleeding and/or infected.

• Von Willebrand’s Disease – hereditary blood clotting disorder.
• Keratoconjuncticitis Sicca – the is dry eye.

• Carniomandibular Osteopathy -called lion’s jaw this is a developmental disease that causes extensive changes in the bones of the mandible and skull.

• Deafness

• Pulmonic Stenosis – when the blood flowing from the heart’s right ventricul to the pulmonary artery is blocked.

• Cataracts – can lead to blindness.
• Legg-Calve Perthes Disease – can cause limping and lead to lameness.

• PPM or Persistent Pupillary Membranes - causes visual impairment when the membranes do not dissolve after birth.

• Chronic Hepatitis – disease of the liver that can eventually cause major damage.

Feeding the puppy

The 2 month old puppy should be given 200 to 250gms of food. 3 month old puppy should be given 250 to 300gms of food and 6 months older should be given 350 to 450gms. The varieties of food which are popular is kibbles, Barf, wet food and Home cooked puppy food.

Feeding the adult

Lab can be fed by dry kibbles and also by raw meat or bones. Now-a-days most of the Lab are being fed with kibbles. Kibbles are the dried pellets of dog food that can be bought in pet shop or even online. Raw meat and bones are very much popular food among dog owners in UK.

Points for Good Health

For good health, Lab should be fed by a diet controlled food. Because overfeeding will lead to overweight of the dog as it causes weakness of bones.

Games and Exercises

Lab is a very energetic dog, so it should be given some time to play daily. It will be very happy if it is given a fenced ground to play and burn off his natural energy. Also it will be very good for lab if it is given chance to swim weekly once.

1.Feeding the puppy - Give a high quality puppy dog food designed for terriers or active medium sized dogs. Give ¾ of a cup over 3 meals a day.

2.Feeding the adult – Give a high quality adult dog food designed for terriers or active medium sized dogs. Give one cup over two meals a day.

3.Points for Good Health - Stamina

4. Games and Exercises – The Scoland Terrier is a very active dog and needs daily exercise, He need time to play, run, and be stimulated by games. She would be very good at flyball, Frisbee, fetch, agility, barn hunt, and obedience. He needs at least 2 hours of play and exercise everyday.