Broholmer Dog Breed: The Danish Guard Dog

The Broholmer Dog is a huge Danish mastiff. Broholmers, often known as Danish Mastiffs, have served as family guard dogs for ages.

Their formidable appearance, which belies their calm and gentle demeanour, is due to their enormous, squared heads and big proportions.

• Broholmers are excellent family pets and have been dubbed “the butcher’s dog” due to their frequent appearance outside butcher businesses and their use as security dogs.
• When properly taught, they are loyal and faithful creatures who will defend their family from strangers and show love and respect to their owners.
  

History of Broholmer Dog

Broholmer’s roots go back to medieval times to hunt stag. The dog has been a gift to emperors and monarchs for years. Many aristocratic houses and royal families used Broholmers as guard dogs.

Although the breed’s exact origins are unknown, it originated in Denmark, thus the name Danish Mastiff.

The Broholmer is a hybrid between an English Mastiff and numerous native German breeds, and it was named after Sehested of Broholm, a gamekeeper in the 18th century. 

We usually see the breed in family pictures of King Frederick VII, and it was quite popular in the houses of wealthy Danish households during the nineteenth century. 

During WWII, the Broholmer breed was on the verge of extinction, but in the 1970s, many Danish enthusiasts discovered isolated individuals of the breed and restored it.

Appearance

In appearance, the Broholmer is similar to other Mastiff-type dogs. It is, however, smaller and has a more proportional head size. The breed is not a brachycephalic Mastiff-type dog since the skull and muzzle should be the same length. 

Their ears are medium in size and pushed close to their skulls, and their noses are huge and always black. They have a broad and deep chest. 

They have a strong and sturdy physique with loose skin that occasionally wrinkles. Their tails are large and broad, and they wear them low most of the time.

Broholmers are about 27 to 30 inches tall and weigh 90 to 150 pounds as adults. They’re huge, and male canines tend to be bigger than females.

Temperament

Broholmers are alert, even-tempered creatures that thrive in their family’s presence. They tend to misjudge their own stature and attempt to climb on top of their masters occasionally.

Because of their size and weight, this might cause problems when they are around extremely little children. Broholmers make excellent family dogs, but you should wait until your children are old enough to care for them on their own before obtaining one.

When it comes to family members, they are compassionate and peaceful, yet they are wary of strangers. This feature of their disposition makes them excellent security dogs, but it can cause some social challenges. 

Broholmers are famous for their defiance, and they require a firm and constant approach.

Family

Do Broholmer dog Make Good Family Pets?

Broholmers make lovely family pets since they have so much love and devotion to give! They might be apprehensive of strangers, but they are always pleasant and lively when it comes to those they know. 

In fact, because of their high activity levels and desire for human connection, these dogs thrive in households where someone is constantly around to offer them love and attention.

Broholmer Dog are great with kids, but they aren’t advised for families with little kids for two reasons. For starters, they are enormous dogs who are often unaware of their power, therefore, a little child might face injury during the fun.

Second, rowdy kids may inadvertently harm them because these are quiet dogs. They will never be aggressive towards children, but it is better to introduce them to older children who will know how to interact with your dog safely.

Health

Surprisingly, Broholmer does not have many of the normal life-threatening health conditions. Of course, there are specific issues to watch out for.

And, of course, you should still take your dog to the doctor at least once a year to ensure they stay in the best form possible.

Possible health conditions might be:

1. Retinal atrophy
2. Entropion
3. Ectropion
4. Cataracts
5. Hip dysplasia
6. Elbow dysplasia 
7. Nutritional requirements

Broholmer diets are for big breeds with a reasonable quantity of energy. Because of their size, they are prone to gaining weight if overfed, so keep a feeding routine.

Broholmer’s nutritional requirements will evolve from puppyhood through adulthood and continue to grow into their senior years, as they do in all dogs.

Training of Broholmer Dog

The Broholmer Dog is a breed with a high level of intelligence that usually responds well to training. Over time the breed has developed a strong feeling of independence. So the training has to be firm and constant. 

Positive reinforcement-based training techniques work well with this breed. You should begin socializing and training with pups as soon as possible, as is the case with all breeds.

Exercise

The Broholmer Dog is a moderately active dog, and you should give him around 45 minutes of exercise every day and fun in your house or yard. 

Best to go for a brief walk on soft surfaces, as these puppies are prone to joint diseases exacerbated by exercise on asphalt or cement.

Avoid exercising on hard surfaces, especially when you’re a puppy, when possible.

Grooming of Broholmer Dog

Broholmer’s short, straight coat is easy to care for. Once every few months, give them a bath to keep them clean and avoid stinking up the place. 

Bathing your dog more frequently is not recommended since it may cause the skin to dry out. Brush them with a frequency that varied according to the season. 

Because their coat is short and straight, they don’t need much grooming or upkeep.