Istrian Coarse-Haired Hound

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Istrian Coarse-haired Hound (Croatian: istarski o'trodlaki goni', Slovene: istrski ostrodlaki goni') is a dog breed from Croatia, developed in the mid-19th century for hunting fox and rabbit. It is a rough-coated scent hound still kept primarily as a hunting dog rather than as a pet.

Croatian and Slovene breeders created the Istrian Coarse-haired Hound in the mid-19th century by crossing the French Griffon Vende�n with the Istrian Shorthaired Hound, a smooth-haired hound developed from both sight hounds and scent hounds. The breed first took part in a conformation show in Vienna in 1866.

The dog is still used for hunting fox, rabbits, hare, and wild boar.

Color

This breed has a snow white coat. Orange colored markings make the dog standout from other white coated breeds. A star shaped orange marking is usually found on the forehead of this breed.Ears are always covered by orange colored hair although an orange speckled ear is an indication that the dog is a pure breed. Orange spots or flecks are present all over the body. The root of the tail is usually covered by orange markings. These spots should be brightly colored not pale nor dark in color as it indicates cross breeding. Some dogs have completely white coats.

Coat

This breed has double coat. The 5 to 10 cm long top coat is dull and coarse to the touch. The hair is somewhat straight never wavy or curly. The bristly hair does not lie close to the body. Underneath the longish top coat is the short undercoat that grows thicker in winter.

Personality

Again, because the Istrian Coarse-haired Hound has been bred primarily for hunting rather than as a companion, it tends to be willful and hence more challenging to train than many other breeds.

Care

The longish coat of this breed would require daily brushing. The Istrian Coarse Haired Hound is a working breed, one that is valued for their hunting capabilities and not for their appearance. Nevertheless, the dog would still need minimal amount of grooming. Ears and eyes must be checked especially if the dog has been on a hunting trip. Frequent bathing will not be necessary as it will remove the weatherproofing of the coat.

Training

Socialization and obedience training that is best started while the dog is still young is imperative.

Activity

Being working dog, this breed is accustomed to vigorous exercise. These dogs are relatively inactive indoors and would require to be let out, to be taken on long walks to fill their exercise needs. This breed would require large space and for that reason city or apartment living is not suitable for this breed.