Norrbottenspets vs Hovawart - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Norrbottenspets vs Hovawart - Breed ComparisonHovawart is originated from Germany but Norrbottenspets is originated from Sweden. Hovawart may grow 24 cm / 10 inches higher than Norrbottenspets. Hovawart may weigh 36 kg / 80 pounds more than Norrbottenspets. Both Hovawart and Norrbottenspets has almost same life span. Hovawart may have more litter size than Norrbottenspets. Both Hovawart and Norrbottenspets requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Working dog
Hound dog
undefined
Germany
Sweden
Height Male:
58 - 70 cm
22 - 28 inches
42 - 46 cm
16 - 19 inches
Height Female:
51 - 68 cm
20 - 27 inches
42 - 46 cm
16 - 19 inches
Weight Male:
25 - 51 kg
55 - 113 pounds
8 - 15 kg
17 - 34 pounds
Weight Female:
22 - 49 kg
48 - 109 pounds
8 - 15 kg
17 - 34 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 14 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
6 - 8
3 - 5
Size:
Large
Medium
Other Names:
Hovie
Norrbottenspitz, Nordic Spitz
Colors Available:
gold and black, gold, blonde
Yellowish, White, Reddish
Coat:
long dense
Short to medium length
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Courageous, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Territorial
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Territorial
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

History

hovawartThe 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.

norrbottenspetsThe Norrbottenspets is an ancient dog breed whose purpose has been to hunt, although these days he is a companion dog.

Hailing from Noorbotten, Sweden, it was after the second world war that the breed almost became extinct. This was because hunting dogs were no longer needed.

Luckily a breeding program was started, and in 1967 the Swedish Kennel Club registered the dog and a new standard was written. His friendly, amicable nature makes him a sought after companion today.

Description

hovawart puppy - descriptionThe 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.

norrbottenspets puppy - descriptionThe Norrbottenspets is a small to medium sized spitz- type dog but he is muscular and compact. He stands at between 42 – 46cm in height and weighs in at between 8 and 15kg.

With good care he can live to be up to 15 years of age. The coat of the dog is straight and dense and you find quite a few colors such as white, yellow and reddish and sometimes there is a bit of ticking. He has a short to medium length waterproof coat which is dense.The outer coat is coarse with straight hair and the undercoat is soft and thick and the dog is a moderate shedder.

The head is wedge-shaped with erect ears, black nose and brown almond-shaped eyes. The muzzle is pointed and slim and the dog's tail is long and curls up over his back

Temperament:

Confident, alert and active, the Norbottenspets is an active, happy-go-lucky kind of dog, always looking for a game. It is why he gets on well with children in the home – he can sense that there is perhaps a better chance of a game with them.

He isn’t a prey-driven dog and gets on well with other pets in the home. He makes an excellent family pet and his very presence brings joy into a room as he is always cheerful.

He is stubborn and independent and will therefore require training and socialization to become obedient to your basic commands such as sit, lie-down and come.

Characteristics

1.Children friendliness yes, they are good with children.

Special talents

hovawart dog - characteristicsThey have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.

Adaptability

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.

Learning ability

They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.

norrbottenspets dog - characteristicsThe Norrbottenspets is such an amicable, easy going pet and he is going to make you a loyal and loving canine companion. He bonds closely with his human family and will be bored and frustrated if left alone day after day in the back yard.

He is social and friendly and wants to be involved with the activities of his family. Feed him well, give him plenty of exercise and give him the love and care he deserves and he will make you an awesome canine companion.

Health Problems

hovawart puppies - health problemsThough 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:

  • Underactive thyroid
  • Hip Dysplasia – can cause arthritis or lameness
  • Osteochondritis – causes joint pain in shoulders mostly
  • Liver Shunts

norrbottenspets puppies - health problemsThe Norrbottenspets life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years. These dogs are fairly healthy but there are always health concerns with any dog breed.

There are small numbers of the breed which are prone to a genetic condition affecting the brain and the result is poor coordination. It is sad to see because there is no known treatment and some dogs reach the stage where they can’t eat and they can’t control their toilet habits.

Hip Dysplasia:

Dogs with hip dysplasia have an abnormal formation of the hip socket which can lead to arthritis, pain and the inability to get around. It is a genetic trait and you will need to get your pet to the vet for treatment and pain management.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

hovawart dogs - caringFeed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day

Feeding the adult

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

Points for Good Health – Stamina

Games and Exercises

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.

Diet:

norrbottenspets dogs - caringYour Norrbottenspet will be requiring a high-quality dog food if you want him to stand the best chances of being healthy. Home made food is always a good choice, but there are also some good commercially manufactured dog foods which are convenient.

You want the food to have the necessary vitamins and minerals to ensure good health. Every dog will love a little bit of raw meat added to his kibble from time to time. Dogs love their meals to be consistent – no exotic, spiced foods to upset the stomach.

Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and cooked vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach can be chopped up and added to his kibble occasionally and this makes a splendid tasty treat for your pet.

You want to avoid your dog becoming overweight as this brings on a host of problems. Make sure he always has access to cool, fresh water.

Grooming:

The Norrbottenspets short to medium length coat will need brushing twice a week. They are clean looking dogs and you’ll find that they don’t have an unpleasant dog-smell around them.

Always check his eyes and ears for infections. Also check his teeth. A bad tooth may not be evident but it can negatively impact the immune system and cause illness with your dog.

The nails should also be cut to avoid them hooking on things.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Hovawart vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  2. Hovawart vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  3. Hovawart vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  4. Hovawart vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  5. Hovawart vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Hovawart vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  7. Hovawart vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  8. Hovawart vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Hovawart vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Hovawart vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. Hovawart vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  12. Hovawart vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  13. Hovawart vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  14. Hovawart vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  15. Hovawart vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  16. Hovawart vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  17. Hovawart vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  18. Hovawart vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  19. Hovawart vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  20. Hovawart vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  21. Hovawart vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  22. Hovawart vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  23. Hovawart vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  24. Hovawart vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  25. Hovawart vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Norrbottenspets vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Norrbottenspets vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Norrbottenspets vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Norrbottenspets vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Norrbottenspets vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Norrbottenspets vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Norrbottenspets vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Norrbottenspets vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Norrbottenspets vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Norrbottenspets vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Norrbottenspets vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Norrbottenspets vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Norrbottenspets vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Norrbottenspets vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Norrbottenspets vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Norrbottenspets vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Norrbottenspets vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Norrbottenspets vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Norrbottenspets vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Norrbottenspets vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Norrbottenspets vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Norrbottenspets vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Norrbottenspets vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Norrbottenspets vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Norrbottenspets vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison