The content of the article
Kurzhaar is always in a good mood, ready to go on a long difficult trip with many obstacles, hunting for birds and animals. He will endure a long journey perfectly, tirelessly finding someone’s footprint, listening to every rustle, considering with interest everything that he meets, and exploring paths, thickets, and surroundings. And every movement will be accompanied by grace and grace.
Story
The most distant ancestors of this breed are considered pointers, which were known to the ancient Egyptians. But the Kurzhaars as a separate breed appeared only in the 19th century, when dogs were needed that were able to chase game for a long time and be universal hunters. It is for these purposes that long breeding work has begun.
In order to make a universal kurtshaar, representatives of many breeds tried at one time, but special emphasis was placed on Dalmatians and pointers - Spanish and English. Then, the list of founders of the breed included the famous German families - hounds and vyzhly, Weimar cops. What is important - dogs were chosen for breeding not according to the features of the exterior with pronounced signs. The decisive role was played by precisely certain working qualities of the animal. That is why such a unique kurtshaar appeared that would successfully cope with any service and even bring a floating object to the owner, because the dog floats well, and its wool is very similar to the composition of duck feathers. Representatives of the breed also owe these qualities to a long selection, because a real hunter must get the game from the cold river and swamp.
Over time, these dogs came to America, but they were not well accepted there as hunters and watchmen, claiming that the hounds do much better with such duties, and there were a lot of different breeds there, and they were all strictly separated according to certain qualities .
But, since American dog experts nevertheless recognized the breed, since then there are differences of opinion in the color of the kurtshaar:
- Germans recognize black or black with white;
- in America, highly saturated brown or brown combined with white are more valued.
Description of external standards
Based on modern standards, it is recognized that the Kurzhaar belongs to the varieties of German cops, of which there are three types. In principle, their exterior is very similar, and the differences are mainly in the coat. If compared with the kurtshaar, then:
- the drathaar has long hair on its face;
- in langhaar, the hair is much softer and more tender, and it is especially pronounced on the ears and tail.
At kurtshaar growth at the withers is:
- for males on average from 58 to 64 cm;
- for bitches - from 53 to 58 cm.
The weight of males can be from about 25 to 32 kg, bitches from 20 to 27 kg.
The muzzle is elongated. The head is small and proportional to the body. Muscle is well developed.
The color of this breed is different. It may turn out to be solid black or brown. There are also combinations - either with white spots, or with yellow tanning. By the way, this breed varies both in color and in ability. And if you want to know what kind of color the pet has, it’s enough to carefully examine the nose. It is he who will prompt the correct answer. For example, in dark brown, the nose is necessarily brown. Accordingly, black and nose are the same color.
The coat is short and fits snugly. Hard and rough to the touch. When breeding, the breed sought precisely such qualities so that dry branches and burdock could not cling to the wool.Coarse wool, which adjoins the body very tightly and easily repels moisture, allows you to hunt waterfowl.
The limbs are well developed, which allows the dog to not get tired during prolonged movements both in the open area and in the forest zone. The hind limbs are especially developed, it is they that allow him to jump high and run many kilometers without rest. Paws have fingers that are unique to dogs: their structure is such that no objects or clods of dirt and snow can get stuck between them. The webbed feet help swim easily and quickly.
There are also long claws, so that you can run without interference on a variety of surfaces, including mountains.
When the owner decides that the pet needs to take part in the exterior dog show, he must be sure that the bite is correct and that the animal meets all the accepted standard parameters.
The stand of this breed is remarkable for its amazing grace: the head is lowered low, but the gaze is inextricably focused on the victim. One paw is raised, and the tail becomes straight and tense, shaking slightly. Even very small puppies already know how to repeat such a pose, inherited from their ancestors. And they take this position, noticing a small piece of paper - this is how the hunter's instinct works. These dogs always have a noble posture, the contour lines are very smooth.
Fact! This breed is appreciated for its very finely developed flair, amazing scent, strength and endurance.
Also, the dog is required to run the ring correctly and not cause harm to specialists when examining the teeth. Kurzhaar must be able to accept his famous stance, which he needs during the hunt. This happens at the genetic level, but nevertheless it requires correction, because the owners must pay great attention to it during training. During the show, the dog is required to stand for such a long time. It is not permissible for a pet to behave aggressively towards other people and animals, but to show complete indifference to others.
Clockwork and energetic dog
For the Kurzhaar, it seems that the time of rest does not exist at all. It is constantly in motion, and if it is in a confined space, it can spoil furniture and wallpaper from boredom. But he constantly remembers his duties as a watchman, therefore, in case of danger, he begins to bark loudly and continuously, but he can not always pounce, and even more so bite.
The great energy of the dog makes the owners be more mobile, run with the Kurzhaar and come up with various outdoor games. But since this dog is constantly in search of adventure, it will be necessary to train her commands from a very early age, and this should be done by one of the family members whom the puppy recognized as the leader of the pack and is ready to obey.
Remember! Only if you provide the pet with decent workload and seriously engage in upbringing, it will be possible in the future to get a worthy well-brought up friend.
Sometimes disputes arise between dog handlers - whether it is possible to keep a Kurzhaar as a pet, or is it intended only for hunters, and a routine measured life will only spoil the animal. Indeed, for the sake of an attractive appearance, this breed is not worth it, a very large limitation in movement can destroy the dog.
When you want to choose a puppy for your home, you need to consider that if the dog belongs to the category of hunting, it has a very developed instinct to follow the trail, track down the game, and if the dog, excellent in its working qualities, is deprived of this, you can gradually lose this breed, depriving her of unique properties.
In the caring hands of the owners
Kurzhaar, appearing in the house, does not require special care. The main thing is to provide him with a separate place. A small litter will be enough, it will be comfortable for him in a small room, for example, in the pantry - in the corner.A problem may be walking time. Walking usually takes longer for this breed than for other breeds. In the fresh air, the Kurzhaar should be at least three times a day, and each walk usually takes time from 30 minutes to an hour. But during each walk, it’s not enough to dutifully walk along a given route, as this will not satisfy the moving Kurzhaar. We'll have to give loads, be sure to lower it from the leash, throw various objects, forcing the pet to run after them and bring back. But you should not load the dog too much, each owner should really evaluate the dog’s capabilities.
Bathing a pet is mandatory, but it is permissible to do this no more than twice a month. Typically, representatives of the breed very calmly tolerate water procedures. They molt three times a year, and it is during these periods that you need to comb out the wool with a special brush, which is purchased in specialized stores. The combing is usually done during a walk, since the deceptive short hair actually causes a lot of inconvenience in the house - it turns out so much, and it is almost impossible to clean it. Therefore, after such a “hygienic” walk, upon arriving home, many owners, putting on and soaking rubber gloves, several times pass along the dog’s coat to remove the fallen coat.
Fact! Kurzhaara can be kept in any climate, the main thing is that there is always room for decent physical activity.
Veterinarians do not recommend feeding fatty foods - this will adversely affect the digestive system and sniffing abilities. It is enough for an adult dog to eat twice a day, a puppy 3-5 times.
There must be meat in the diet, and if you mix it with nutritious porridge, the dog will gain sufficient weight, which is of great importance in determining the exterior. Be sure, with a properly planned diet and rational loads, the last three ribs are distinguished in a pet of this breed. This condition never plays out.
Both health and workability are largely dependent on nutrition as well as mode. Each age group requires its own special diet. After the puppy has only been taken away from the mother, dairy products will be required. This is his usual milk and kefir, necessarily low-fat cottage cheese. Raw yolk and cheese, finely chopped lean meat of chicken or beef will be useful to the puppy.
After three months, meat should be basic in nutrition, but dairy products will gradually leave the menu. At 6 months, they should already have a very minimal amount. Only kefir and cottage cheese are allowed. At this time, puppies are fed three times a day. From one year the dog is transferred to food two times a day.
Bakery products and all kinds of sweets are contraindicated for this dog. Potatoes should also be excluded. Based on the fact that this breed is hunting, you can spoil the scent of a pet with spicy, smoked food.
Be sure to eat foods rich in vitamins. When buying food, choose one that is necessary for energetic sports dogs.
There are some problems that are closely related to the breeding of this breed, as it does not have a clearly defined exterior rating or working diploma. Endless mixing of breeds, during which various parents were used, led to the fact that often puppies were born weak and painful, with pathologies.When they became adults, it turned out that they have an insufficient set of necessary hunting qualities, are difficult to train, do not have the right stance, do not withstand the required loads.
There is one more problem. The best representatives of the breed are such excellent hunters that during the pursuit during the hunt they very often die or get lost when they pursue large animals. So some of the best are lost, which in the future could give excellent offspring. Because the owners need to be very careful, and, most importantly, devote a lot of time to training.
Health
A positive fact for the owners: unlike other hunting brethren, this breed almost does not suffer from joint diseases and femoral dysplasia. These dogs live up to 16 years old, considered long-livers.
Video: Kurzhaar dog breed
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