Rosa Maria
Dogs are synonymous with ‘faithfulness’ – they will wait eagerly for you to return back from college or office, come scuttling towards you on a single call and play with you cheerfully whenever you want to.
Dog and lions have no genetic connection but If you groom and train them well, they can take a bullet in their chest for you like a lion.
Not that they already don’t have the heart of a lion, but you need to polish this attribute of them.
Lions are strong, brave and have a specific pride. You can instill all these traits in your own pet dog.
This article will first discuss the top lion dog breeds and then, how to make your dog look like a lion. So here we go.
1. Get a lion dog breed
Getting species of a lion looking dog is the first and easiest way of achieving the said purpose. You would be surprised to see how closely these dogs resemble a lion.
One notice in advance for all the readers, they are expensive breeds and might not be afforded by a majority of dog lovers. Here are six of the dog breeds that look like lions:
i. Chow Chow
Chow Chow is the top lion-looking dog without a doubt. Characterized by a large mane around its neck, it also has a large nose and small eyes similar to the lion.
In fact, they are called Songshi Quan in Northern China where they are originated from which means “Puffy-lion dog”.
They can live up to a life span of 12 years and remain aloof but friendly with their owners but can get aggressive with strangers, therefore, must be trained well.
Another attribute that associates him closely with a lion is the special swagger it walks with.
ii. Tibetan Mastiff
Tibetan Mastiff hails from the cold and dry land of Tibet and looks like a lion with regards to its sharp teeth and eyes in addition to a graceful mane that has that lion-y golden, brown color.
That’s for the appearance but what about the psychological characteristics?
Just like lions, they are fearless, brave, and tempered and were traditionally groomed to protect the livestock while herding.
Although Tibetan Mastiffs are not friendly towards strangers just like Chow Chow, their dominance and stubbornness can be used by experienced dog owners to turn them into great guards for homes.
This typical dog breed can live up to 12 years and weigh anywhere between 45-73 kilograms.
iii. Löwchen
Löwchen is called a “little lion dog” in German, probably because of the cute mane that is created out of his fur. The rest of the hair is traditionally clipped in the shape of a lion’s coat as well (rear legs without the feet and half of the tail are trimmed)
They barely reach a foot high but have got the heart of a lion. It is a brave breed, quite friendly with humans, pleasantly active but sadly one of the rarest in the world. Löwchen originates from Europe and can live up to 14-18 years.
iv. Nepali Mountain Dog
The Nepali Mountain Dog’s specific style of gazing around while resting matches the lions. It has long hairs that can be groomed in the shape of the mane as naturally, they tend to grow downwards from the face.
Has the nose been a little inside the face, the face would have resembled quite closely to the lion but that’s not the case.
They are friendlier than the previous three breeds and dominant. India, Nepal, and Pakistan are the most popular regions where they are found.
Alike the previous species, they age up to 12 years and can weigh from 32-60 kilograms.
v. Newfoundland
Originated from Germany, this long-haired Newfoundland breed has the ability to match the size of an actual lion. It can get up to 150 pounds and if the hair is combed and cut effectively, it can exactly be a dog that looks like a lion.
One thing to be particularly careful about this breed is excessive shedding. If you or any of your family member is allergic to dander or pet hair, you should discard the idea of getting this breed.
Newfoundlands are difficult to deal with because they tend to be mischievous all the time.
That is the reason why they are mostly used in show-rings because only the show trainers have that level of tolerance to train them. The life span is 10-12 years.
vi. Leonberger
A Leonberger may not “look” like a lion as much as a Chow Chow but have certainly got his strength and graceful pose. Again, you have to style hair around his head in the shape of the mane which may take months.
They are well-disciplined, have a deep bark and can pass for a very good pet. They are available in colors of brown, black, and white but make sure you buy a brown one if you want him to look like a lion.
2. Dog with mane
What is the most prominent feature of a lion? Yes, it’s the mane – those long, silky strands of golden hair that spread outwards from the face to make him look royal and truly the King of the jungle.
As it would take time and effort to inculcate traits of a lion in your dog, getting an artificial lion mane wig would at least ‘make’ him look one.
These either come in sizes according to the head of a dog or as a universal wig which can be loosened or tightened will the pull of a string.
They imitate the exact appearance of a lion’s mane and if your dog is brown in color, he would really resemble the ‘Big Cat’.
Get ready to instigate serious fun among friends and family by dressing up your dog with this on holidays, vacations or general gatherings.
He would become the apple of everyone’s eyes and receive loads of love from people. You can also take accurate and focused selfies through the pet selfie stick.
Only if we could change his bark to roar – Ah!, nature!
3. Cutting the fur in the shape of a mane
This is applicable if you have dense-haired dog breeds like Rough Collie, Black German Shephard, Cairn Terrier, Tibetan Mastiff or Great Pyrenees.
Employ the services of an experienced dog hairstylist and make your dog shaved like a lion by cutting the hair present on the entire body, leaving the part surrounding the face.
Follow this practice for months until you get a heavy portion of dense hair near his face. Now, have it styled precisely like a mane, comb it with a dog hair vacuum and get ready to walk beside a real lion dog.
You might have to wash his fur with a special shampoo and blow dry it each time he gets a bath so that it extends outwards and not downwards exactly like a mane.
It would take different time periods to shape the mane depending on the hair growth of your pet but when it does, it will be so satisfying.
4. Grooming him like a lion
That’s by making him strong and grow muscles. Feed him a nutritious diet that contains at least 50 grams of protein every day and other required nutrients.
Involve them in interactive activities using one of the pet supplies or exercises that require some resistance, like jumping through hoops or towing a weight. This will tear his muscles, and when they grow back, they will be bigger and stronger.
Take particular care of the balance between warming and cooling him up. Strain him by staying within natural limits and after the workout, provide him the rest he wants.
5. Conclusion
So that’s it. Here you are with a guide of making your dog look like a lion. It would need effort but you wouldn’t regret it once you start seeing results.