Himalayan Sheepdog vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison

Abruzzenhund was established as an individual breed in the middle of the 20th century. They are descendant of the big, white Eastern sheepdogs which came to Europe 2000 years ago. Abruzzenhund is a mix of Turkish sheepdogs Akbash and Karabash, the Kuvac, Slovakian breed Hungarian breed, Komondor, and a French sheepdog Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Those dogs were much bigger than today’s breed. Abruzzenhund is still not very popular breed, but it is very common in Great Britain and Italy. They have been used as guard dogs, hunting dogs, and working dogs because they are very brave and strong.

The Himalayan Sheepdog comes from Nepal originally and was bred as a guardian for livestock. The exact location where the breed comes from is not documented well but it is thought that they come from North India and Nepal and they are rare outside of that area. They are a mountain dog – close in ancestry to the Himalayan Mastiff, and the Kinnaur Sheepdog of Tibet (Himalaya). All these Himalayan mountain dogs were all called “Gaddi dogs”. The term was used for all the large dogs no matter what their breeds actually were.

The Himalayan Sheepdog is called by various names depending on where they were from. They are called Gaddi Leopardhund in Himachai Pradesh, In Nepal they are known as Bhote Kukkur or Bhotiya. Then there are Chamba Gaddi dogs. They are an ancient breed that existed before documentation on breeds was kept.

They acted as both guardians and herders. They guarded the mountain men’s encampments as well as the livestock. They were also used at times to hunt large animals. Today they are found only within Nepal and India. These Himalayan Sheepdogs are on the verge of extinction in India. There are no breeding programs and their isolation has caused the dilution of the gene pool. It is not recognized by any clubs including the UKC and the AKC.

A height of Abruzzenhund variates between 60-73 cm, males are slightly bigger than females. While the weight is 30-45kg, again, males are heavier than females.

Lifespan of Abruzzenhund

Abruzzenhund lifespan is between 11-13 years, but since these dogs don’t have any weaknesses and don’t tend to get sick, they can live longer with a proper care and adequate food and training.

Litter size of Abruzzenhund

Litter size of Abruzzenhund depends, but as any large breed, they usually have 6-9 puppies. And that is a very good considering size of the breed.

Abruzzenhund is not the only name of this breed. There are more names that you might hear. You can hear names like Maremma, Pastore, Abruzzese, Cane da Pastore, Maremmano- Abruzzese, Italian Sheepdog, and many similar names. Basically, they sound similar but there are differences.

Abruzzenhund is a friendly dog, but it is very powerful. Very strong jaw with a scissors bite makes them very strong. They have small but intelligent eyes, usually dark colored. The undercoat is dense, while the coat is white with segments of ivory to white yellow. Their long undercoat and coat make them winter resistant.

The breed is a large dog, very athletic and strong. The Himalayan Sheepdog is muscular with a deep chest, strong neck and strong shoulders. It has a medium tail that is thick and busy, curled high over its back. It is a daunting dog that can be very intimidating. They have well padded and large paws. With a broad head and wide forehead, they have a strong, wide muzzle. Their ears are high on the head and hang from the sides. They have almond shaped medium eyes that are deep set with a black nose.

They are a very active and swift dogs. By their nature they are constantly in motion, patrolling their territory and guarding their flock and people. Their devotion to their people and their courage is the stuff of legends. Their coat is double with a large ruff around their necks that resembles a mane. The inner coat is dense and short while the outer coat is longer but dense as well.

Abruzzenhund is a very well-balanced breed who loves spending time with other animals and people. They have a very good temper. They love being around families, and they are very gentle with children. It is important to train Abruzzenhund properly because the dog of that size should be a leader. A human with a strong character should train this breed. Training is important because they tend to make their own decisions which can be bad sometimes.

Children friendliness

Yes with enough proper socialization

Special talents

Protection and loyalty

Adaptability

They are not especially adaptable and need a large yard. They are not good in an apartment.

Learning ability

Intelligent but stubborn and independent making them able to learn if they want to.

A great thing about Abruzzenhund is that they are very healthy dogs. They don’t have any chronical health problems, so if you are feeding your dog properly, with a lot of exercises they will not have any health problems. It is also important to check genetics of the dog.

This is a pretty healthy breed with very few health issues. They have the usual large dog issues.

• Hip Dysplasia – can cause lameness and/or arthritis
• Elbow Dysplasia – can cause lameness and/or arthritis
• Arthritis – can cause extreme pain and lameness
• Patellar luxation – kneecap issues that are painful and can cause lameness
• Obesity – they have a tendency to overeat and are not that active
• Glaucoma – can cause blindness

They learn very quickly, but it requires strong will and constant training to keep them happy. They are great working dogs, and with the positive training, they are amazing. It is very important that they follow rules and to keep them in balance with training.

Feeding Abruzzenhund

They can eat a lot of food, depend on their activity. High-Quality dog food twice a day for a grown dog is a must. While puppies should eat 3-5 times, smaller portions of food. The food is important especially for working dogs, they need up to 2000-3000Kcal per day. Abruzzenhund will enjoy eating meat with a lot of vegetables and oil.

They are not recommended for small house or apartment. They need big yard because they require a lot of space. During the winter they can be outside because of their coat, but during the summer they need to be in the shade with a lot of fresh water available anytime.

Grooming the Abruzzenhund

The coat should be brushed and groomed very often because they have a thick coat. There is a lot of dead and loose hair in it. During shedding, period takes even more time to groom your dog properly. They love and they need exercise. Mental exercise is important as physical. Every day walking, running, playing with other animals is an important part of dog's activity. When they get enough quality exercise, they will sleep in the house.

Feeding the puppy

Feed the puppy 2-3 times a day with a total of two cups of a quality dog food for large breed dogs.

Feeding the adult

Feed the adult dog twice a day with 3 to 4 cups of a high quality dry dog food for large breed dogs.

Points for Good Health

They are very strong and athletic.

Games and Exercises

The Himalayan Sheepdog needs exercise but not to be overworked. They should be taken on long walks at least once a day. They might play fetch or run in a yard, but they don’t like too much exercise.