All About The German Hovawart

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     The German Hovawart has been around for the last 100 years. You will find that they were actually established in the middle ages in the Black Forest and Hartz mountains of Germany. They are closely related to the Hungarian Kuvasz, German Shepherd, and Newfoundland. They have been used in the past as working dogs for tracking, and search and rescue.

You will find the German Hovawart is going to mirror the Golden Retriever in looks at the face. Their face is small, with droopy ears, and a thin medium length muzzle. The difference from a Golden Retriever is in the hind end. They have thick back legs and a very thick tail. The rest of the fur is short in length. Their body is on the thin side, but stocky in the hips and chest. You will find they are typically 23 to 28 inches, and 55 to 90 pounds. They have a life expectancy of ten to fourteen years. For color they can be gold, black, or black and tan. They do have specific markings depending on their color.

Since they have a rather thick coat you will find that they need daily grooming. For grooming you can use a comb and brush to remove the dead or loose hair. They can tend to get tangles in the tail and further back on their bodies where the hair is longer. Since they are working dogs you want to check their eyes, ears, teeth, and feet on a daily or twice weekly basis to make sure they have not injured themselves during the day. They are an average shedder, which makes grooming extremely important for a cleaner house. The typically don抰 need to be bathed, but if you do use a mild shampoo and do so infrequently.

You will find they can live in small homes, but apartments are not recommended. They need to have space and a yard to roam around in. You will also find they prefer the warmer climates. This breed does exceptionally well on farms. You will find they need to walk every day for at least an hour. They need the chance to run, to play, and to have fun. It is best to offer them as much exercise as you can and interaction with you. You will find that with the proper care you can avoid some of the health issues they are prone to. Health issues include thyroid disorders, hip dysplasia, and cancer.

The German Hovawart is a very energetic dog when he or she is let outside. You will find that they just love to play, be affectionate, and go for long walks. Inside they are usually mild mannered and respectful. They tend to display obedience, determination, and love for their masters. They are also very loyal so they can be aloof to strangers. Most often they also become devoted to one family member in particular. This means that they have one master overall that they try to please. You will find that they need to have socialization and obedience training. However their brave, protective nature makes the training rather easy. They are also highly intelligent creatures. They can be a watch dog, search and rescue dog, or just a working dog. They are also great hunters with their noses as they have good sensing abilities. When you train your German Hovawart you need to be consistent, firm, yet kind and gentle. You should never be harsh as they are very sensitive.