The origin of the Broholmer dog breed is rather ancient, it is thought in fact that the Vikings brought to their homeland, that is to say to Denmark, large dogs of the English Mastiff type (descendants of the Roman Molossians) which, crossed with local dogs, produced a breed with a very robust build. It was initially used for hunting, especially deer, but over time it was also discovered its ability as a guardian and was one of the dogs chosen by the Danish aristocracy to guard their estates and castles.
The greatest breeder of these dogs was an eighteenth-century nobleman, Count Sehested of Broholm, after whom they were named. And with him, the number of these specimens grew considerably until World War II, when it risked extinction. In 1975 a group of enthusiasts founded an association for the preservation of these specimens, which were known in the twentieth century as Danish dogs.
Currently this breed is no longer at risk of extinction, the specimens reach a good number, but outside of his native country, the Broholmer dog is almost unknown.
Character of the Broholmer dog breed
The Broholmer is a balanced, calm dog. Faithful and very protective towards his family, due to his nature of guard dog, he is always vigilant and attentive to everything that happens around, very suitable to stay in the family if he is correctly accustomed from birth.
It is very easy to train this dog, because it is inclined to please its master, but it must be accustomed from an early age, because even if it is intelligent and calm, it is a dog of a considerable size, which can give problems if not trained and socialized as a child, and when grown up it would be difficult to keep it. It is friendly with the people it knows, but towards strangers it is wary although it remains absolutely docile and never aggressive.
It is an excellent companion dog and suitable also for children as it likes to play and develops towards them a great instinct of protection. It can also be an apartment dog, although its size (we talk about 70 kilograms for an adult male) needs a lot of space. It is also suitable for elderly people as it is very calm and patient, but it needs at least one long daily outing to do some exercise and exploration.
He likes in fact also to travel and move around, always curious about new places and is a dog that gets along well with other dogs, cats and pets in general. It is not very suitable to stay alone for a long time, loneliness could make it become destructive in the house and in the garden.
Broholmer dog breed appearance
The Broholmer is a large dog, the average male reaches 70/75 centimeters at the withers for a weight of about 70 kilograms, the female a little less usually. The trunk is well developed, with a long back and a wide and muscular thorax. It has a strong constitution, mastiff type: it has a regular and energetic gait. Its appearance is dominated by powerful forequarters.
The paws are proportionate and robust, the hind ones are well angulated and with a very developed musculature. The tail has an average hairline kept low when at rest but taut when active and never close to the back. Also the head at rest is kept low, while when the dog is alert or excited it is carried higher.
The head is relatively large and wide. The muzzle is not particularly long but rather large, the stop is not marked and the truffle appears voluminous and always black. The eyes are usually amber or darker in color, round but not too large compared to the rest of the head, with a confident, alert and intelligent look. The ears are of medium size with high hairline and falling on the cheeks.
The coat has a short hair and is formed by a very consistent undercoat and a very thick, smooth and adherent to the body. The colors of the coat are generally fawn with a black mask, total black and golden red. White patches on the chest, feet and at the end of the tail may sometimes be present.
Health and Care of the Broholmer Dog Breed
The Broholmer is definitely a robust and resistant dog but also because of this it is prone to gaining weight. For this reason it is necessary to constantly check, in collaboration with the veterinarian, its state of health. It is among the dogs prone to suffer from hip dysplasia. Finally, like many large dogs, Broholmer dogs can also suffer from gastric torsion, generated by an excess of food or water consumed in a hurry or caused by too energetic physical activity after eating.
As far as food is concerned, it is necessary to ensure that it is well cared for and well balanced from puppyhood, as this breed tends to suffer from overweight and obesity. It is important that at least once a day the Broholmer goes out for a long walk. This breed has a life expectancy of about 11 years.
As for grooming, regular cleaning is enough to maintain the beauty and good health of the coat, which is rustic and should remain so. It does not lose much hair, not even in the moulting period. His droopy ears are to be checked from time to time.
