Tibetan Kyi Apso vs Hellenic Hound - Breed Comparison

Developed in Southern Greece, the Hellenic Hound was bred to hunt hare and is an ancient breed. It is a medium sized breed with strong scent and tracking skills. It is believed to have been in existence for thousands of years. The ancestry of the breed included the Lagonikoi or laconikoi, native to southern Greece in ancient times. The breed was spread by sailors on Greece trading ships and colonization.

Todays Hellenic Hound is found throughout Europe. Kept somewhat isolated by the mountains, the breed was protected from outside breeding and they remained pure for centuries. It is a fearless, smart and hyped up purebred. The Hellenic Hound needs to have a job and if you don’t give him one, he will find one. He is smart and independent which sometimes makes him stubborn. It also takes this dog longer to mature than others, sometime between two and three years. It is not good for first time owners. Today’s hound is still a popular hunting dog and companion animal as well. They are rarely seen outside of the Greek country.

In 1996 the Hellenic Hound was recognized as the first Greek dog breed into the FCI. They are not recognized by the AKC. Its numbers continue to decline.

The Tibetan Kyi Apso is an ancient rare breed. In fact, it is one of the rarest breeds on earth. Coming from Tibet, the Kyi Apso guarded livestock and homes for the nomads of the “rooftop of the world”. Apso means bearded and Kyi meand dog thus the Kyi Apso is a bearded dog.

This breed is very intelligent with a great personality and charm. In Western countries the breed is called Apso Do-Kyi or the Tibetan Collie. The first time these dogs are mentioned in any kind of documents was the late 19th and early 20th centuries in writings about Central Asian dogs. The Kyi Apso is related to the Tibetan Mastiff.

The breed is known to have been imported by Captain George Augustus Graham as a Tibetan wolf dog. The dog was also known to be owned by the 13th Dali Lama. There have not been many exported to Europe or North America, with the first coming to North America in the 1970’s.

There have been no registered litters since 2000 and the Tibetan Kyi Apso Club closed in 1999.

Today’s Hellenic Hound is not a big dog but rather very average or medium. It is an athletic dog and looks like it. It has a balanced body with a deep chest and thick neck. It has medium height legs that are strong and muscular with paws that are prepared for the terrain it always works on. Its coat is short and tight. The colors of the Hellenic Hound are black with tan or white on the chest. Their heads are noble and rounded with a rectangle shaped muzzle. They have v shaped, long ears and round eyes. Their toe nails are black and so is their nose. It has excellent scent glands, very quick responses, speed and stamina. Their tail is thick and tapers off.

Description

The Tibetan Kyi Apso is a large dog with a bearded face, full coat and curled tail. They have longer hair than the Mastiff and of course the shaggy, bearded muzzle. It is not as hefty as the Mastiff of course, and he is more athletic. Like many primitive dogs before them, the Kyi Apso comes into heat only one time a year, contributing to the rareness of the breed.

With their bearded face, the breed’s head appears bigger than it is. The ears are shaped as a V and skull is flat with the eyes on the outside of it. Their muzzle looks larger than it is due to the beard. Nose and lips are black, eyes are amber and almond shaped.

The coat is double, sheds odors and molts once a year. The coat can be black and tan, shades of red, blue-gray with white and solid black.

Children friendliness

yes, they are very fond of children as long as they are carefully socialized.

Special talents

Great hunter, stamina ,scent, voice

Adaptable

He needs to have a yard or land. He doesn’t do well in apartments.

Learning

The breed is very intelligent and can be very trainable. However, they can also be stubborn and that makes training harder.

1Children friendliness - under the right circumstances never sneak up on them

2.Special talents - exceptional agility and fast starts

3.Adaptability – large dog not good for apartment life. Need large yard

4.Learning ability – intelligent and trainable but stubborn.

The Hellenic Hound is a fairly healthy breed having been isolated on the Island of Greece for the most part. They are susceptible to:

Joint dysplasia

Could be hips, elbows or knees. If untreated can lead to lameness or inability to walk.

Arthritis

Causes joint pain and can cause lameness or inability to walk.

Bloat

Can be fatal if not treated immediately. To avoid it don’t feed a large meal before or after exercise.

Hunting injuries

Can be a variety of things that occur during the hunt.

Ear infections

Need to keep the ears clean and dry in order to avoid infections.

Hip dysplasia: Can cause lameness and arthritis.

Bloat: Fatal unless treated immediately by a vet. Common to this size dog and can be controlled by eating habits.

Elbow dysplasia: Just like hip dysplasia can cause lameness and arthritis.

Other than these the Tibetan Kyi Apso is an ancient dog and very healthy as they were mostly isolated and did not interbreed. No genetic predetermined health problems.

Feeding the puppy

Feed the puppy 2-3 times a day a total of 2 cups

Feeding the adult

Feed the adult twice a day a total of 2-3 cups

Points for Good Health

The Hellenic Hound has excellent stamina, speed and scenting ability.

Games and Exercises

This is a very active, athletic dog that needs to work and needs exercise. He is powerful, quick and has great endurance. It thrives on hunting but will need other activities on the days it doesn’t hunt. It needs a yard or land to play in. Agility, Field Trials, tracking, hunting and fly ball are all activities the Hellenic Hound will enjoy.

1Feeding the puppy – grow quickly don’t overfeed. High quality large breed puppy food and feed 4 small meals a day.

2.Feeding the adult – don’t over feed and don’t feed right before or after exercise due to the possibility of bloat. Feed high quality adult large breed dog food 2 x day in smaller meals.

3.Points for Good Health – ancient breed generally healthy

4. Games and Exercises - enjoys running, luer chasing,