Magyar Agar vs Finnish Hound - Breed Comparison | PetzLover

As one of Finland’s most popular dogs, the Finnish Hound isn’t particularly well known outside of Finnish borders. Known also as the Finsk Stovare, the Finnish Hound, known for its hunting skills, came about because of a breeding effort which started way back in the 1800s, mixing dogs such as different French, Swedish, and German hounds.

These hounds were used with the idea being to develop a dog that could do well in Finland’s terrain. The Finnish Hound is a great hunting dog but isn’t looked upon as an particularly awesome pet, although some pet owners would beg to differ.

The tall, slender Magyar Agar is a sighthound dog breed hailing from Hungary and which has been used for hunting and coursing, some dogs of which are still used for this purpose today.

Those who know the dog breed well will tell you that the dog isn’t the 'Hungarian greyhound', being a distinct breed with its own characteristics and breed designation.

They certainly go back centuries, and in fact, records tell us that they arrived in northeastern Hungary more than a thousand years ago.

This is a medium sized dog who stands between 52 – 62cm in height and weighs in at 20 to 25kg. The Finnish Hound can have between 4 – 8 puppies.As a scent-hound, the Finnish Hound has a short, smooth double coat which is usually in a tri-color pattern of black, tan, and white.

The attractive dog has an athletic, lean, muscular body full of energy and stamina. The eyes are brown and the dog has a peaceful expression. The medium length ears are floppy and the tail is long and carried low.

Temperament:

The Finnish Hound is friendly, calm and never aggressive. He is an intelligent dog nd will respond to the training and socialization he will require to turn him into an obedient, amicable pet, especially since he tends to be stubbon, independent and strong-willed. He isn’t recommended for small places in the city but will do better in the country with a fairy large piece of ground. The Finnish Hound is not recommended for apartment life. It is moderately active indoors and does best with at least an average-sized yard.

Described as a large dog resembling a Greyhound and being more longer in body than being tall they are more heavily boned than the fine-boned Greyhound.

The Magyar is a large dog standing at between 62 – 70cm in height and weighing between 22 and 31kg. If you want your Magyar to have puppies, these dogs can produce between 6 to 10. The dogs have a smooth dense coat and the coat can be any color, but not black and tan or tri-color.

The ears of the dog are short to medium and are semi-erect, semi-floppy and most times held back. The tail of the dog is long.

Temperament:

These are hardy dogs, and even with their short coats they are able to cope with lower temperatures. They are quiet and docile and are loving towards their human family. They also have a strong instinct to guard their owners.

They are amicable dogs, getting on well with children and pets in the home.As with most dogs, he can benefit from training and socialization. He is an adaptable dog too and will settle into life in the city or the countryside, but wherever he lives, he will need to be exercised well.

They love cozying up to their owners on the couch and thoroughly relaxing, but they also love being out and about too. A walk in the countryside or the park is a a chance to be let off the leash for some running.

The Finnish Hound has always been a working dog and so he will require being well exercised.

He makes a good pet with homes where there are other dogs as well as children. As a hunting or working dog, these days the Finnish Hound is also regarded as a companion animal, fitting into family life well, and turning out to be a loving, loyal pet.

The Magyar Agar may well have been developed for hunting, but today he makes a splendid pet.

He is intelligent and quiet, as well as being loyal. While he loves being outside playing or going on walks, he is quite happy to curl up on the couch with you – the nearness to you is what he loves.

Beautiful and loving, this dog symbolizes the best qualities that man wants in a canine friend.

The Finnish Hound is looked upon as a generally healthy breed who can get to 12 years of age if looked after well. Good nutrition plays a huge role towards excellent health.

Check out common health ailments that can affect most dogs such as dental disease, obesity, hip dysplasia and a serious condition for which these dogs are particularly known – cerebellar ataxia. Lesions in the brain affect the dog’s coordination and sight. Get him to the vet as soon as you detect anything unusual with your pet.

The Magyar Agár is looked upon as a healthy dog breed, and with good care can live to be 12 to 14 years of age. With this dog you want to be on the lookout for some of the common dog illnesses he could succumb to -

Thyroid Disease:

This is a fairly common problem in dogs. The thyroid gland produces the hormone thyroxine with other thyroid hormones. Playing a role in the dog’s metabolism, when the thyroid is out of sync it can cause problems for your dog.

Hypothyroidism happens when your dog doesn’t secrete enough of the thyroid hormones, slowing the dog’s metabolism. Some of the symptoms include obesity, lethargy, coat thinning and cold intolerance.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy:

This is an inherited disease of the retina, occurring in both eyes together. Thankfully it isn't painful for the dog. There are different types of inherited retinal degenerative diseases in dogs and the first signs of this are seeing your dog with night-blindness and the pupils being dilated. There is no cure, but specific antioxidant supplementation does help support the retinal health of the dog and can actually help to prevent vision loss.

Skin Allergies:

Itching outbreaks from a skin allergy can make your pet miserable with constant licking and biting. Whether these allergies are inhaled, food related or from flea bites, they can cause your pet great discomfort. The fur or coat may even have started to fall out in patches. Allergies like this can occur when the dog's immune system is weakened. Feeding your dog some raw meat, getting him to the vet and providing excellent grooming can help with your pet’s skin problems.

Diet:

As a medium-sized dog breed, you want to make sure to feed your dog a high-quality commercial dog food – one that has been formulated with the right amount of vitamins and minerals for the type of dog he is.

He is a high-energy hunting breed, so you wan to find a food that is appropriate to his needs. Home cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken can be added into his kibble as a change and a treat from time to time as well as some raw meat occasionally. Make sure he always has access to fresh, cool water.

Exercise:

Physically active and mentally balanced and intelligent, the Finnish Hound will require both physical and mental stimulation to prevent him from becoming bored and frustrated.

Grooming:

As an average shedder, your pet's smooth, short-haired coat is easy to keep in tip top condition. All that is really required is to brush the coat down twice a week to keep it in peak condition.

Don’t neglect to check the inside of the dogs ears, as too much dirt and wax can cause nasty ear infections. Also, the teeth need to be brushed at least 2 or 3 times a week with special canine toothpaste and toothbrush. This will ward off tooth decay and lots of other problems within the body brought about by bad teeth.

Make sure you take wonderful care of your Magyar Agar. It is a social, living creature who needs to be loved and cherished.

Provide him with the best food there is. If you invest in dry kibble, try and add in cooked chicken, brown rice and raw or cooked vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat. Keep the diet simple to avoid digestive upsets.

• Provide him with a warm, dry place to sleep.
• Never leave him outside without a shady spot to lie down in.
• He needs constant access to cool, fresh water.
• Check his eyes and inside his ears regularly for infections.
• Brush his short coat at least twice a week and check for fleas and ticks.
• Make sure to give him regular exercise like walks and ball games.