Polish Hound

Last updated
Polish Hound
PolishHound-MlChPl-OKSANA-ZOstregoBoru-wl.JoannaZembrzuska 3.JPG
Other namesOgar Polski
Origin Poland
Kennel club standards
FCI standard
Dog ( domestic dog )

The Polish Hound, commonly known as Ogar Polski, is a breed of hunting dog indigenous to Poland. [1] [2] The Polish Hound has a keen sense of smell. This heightened sense combined with the endurance needed to hunt in harsh environments led to its use in hunting, while its stature made it popular with Polish nobility.

Contents

History

The first description of the Polish (Ogar) Hound is found in the book The beginnings of the natural history and farming of the national domestic and wild animals by Krzysztof Kluk (1779). [3] According to historians, the Polish Hounds developed through crossbreeding of Bloodhounds (the St Hubert Hound), imported to Poland in the Middle Ages, with local hounds. Jan Szytier (1819) wrote about the "Polish Hound" and the "Polish Scent Hound" in his "Hunting Guide" (Poradnik Myśliwych). [4] World War II resulted in the decline of the Polish Hounds' population. The attempts to revive the breed led to the emergence of two types: light-boned (bred by Colonel Józef Pawłusiewicz) and heavier-boned (bred by Colonel Piotr Kartawik). The latter one was recognized by the FCI as the "Ogar Polski" in 1966. [4]

Description

PolishHound-MlChPl-OKSANA-zOstregoBoru-wl.JoannaZembrzuska.jpg

Polish Hounds reach 55–65 cm (22-23.5 inches) in height. Males weigh around 25 to 32 kg. (55-70.5 lb) while females weigh 20 to 26 kg (44-57.5 lb).

Characteristics and Temperament

Polish hounds in Russia with a wild boar carcass. Ogary i kabany 2a.jpg
Polish hounds in Russia with a wild boar carcass.

The Polish Hound has an average life span of 13 to 14 years. [5] [ better source needed ] A medium-sized breed, Ogar Polski is often described as strong and sleek, with a powerful bone structure. [6] The coloration of these animals is often a combination of a brown underside and black on top running from the neck to the tail. The breed has thick double coat, which ensures water resistance on outer and underlying skin layers. The Polish Hound's voice is often described as resonant and pure [7] which makes it an ideal hunting dog. The Polish Hound matures slowly. Intelligent and easily trained, Polish Hounds are known to be calm, affectionate animals and great pets. Friendly with other breeds and very loyal, these dogs are also very protective of their land. It is unclear as to whether this breed makes a good guard dog. Many argue that its territorial nature makes it defensive against intruders, while other state that its passive nature renders it harmless to new people. Resilient to environment due to their origin of use, the Polish Hound acclimates quickly to new settings.

See also

Related Research Articles

Dachshund Dog breed

The dachshund, also known as the wiener dog, badger dog, sausage dog, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. They may be smooth, wire, or long-haired.

Basset Hound Dog breed

The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ground-scent is second only to the Bloodhound.

Great Dane Dog breed

The Great Dane, also known as the German Mastiff or Deutsche Dogge, is a breed of dog from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs known from the Middle Ages and is one of the largest breeds in the world.

Terrier Dog type

Terrier is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just 1 kg (2 lb) to over 32 kg and are usually categorized by size or function. There are five different groups of Terrier, with each group having different shapes and sizes.

Scent hound

Scent hounds are a type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. These breeds are hunting dogs and are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among dogs. Scent hounds specialize in following scent or smells. Most of them tend to have long, drooping earls and large nasal cavities to enhance smell sensitivity. They relatively need to have high endurance to be able to keep track of scent over long distances and rough terrain. It is believed that they were originally bred by the Celts.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Dog breed

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large-sized dog breed bred in the Southern Africa region. Its forebears can be traced to the ridged hunting and guarding dogs of the Khoikhoi, which were crossed with European dogs by the early colonists of the Cape Colony of southern Africa. The original breed standard was drafted by F. R. Barnes, in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, in 1922, who named the breed the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The standard was approved by the South African Kennel Union in 1927.

Black and Tan Coonhound Dog breed

The Black and Tan Coonhound is a breed of hunting dog. Developed in the United States from crosses between the Bloodhound and the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound, this scent hound runs its game entirely by scent and is used primarily for raccoon hunting.

Alpine Dachsbracke Dog breed

The Alpine Dachsbracke is a small breed of dog of the scent hound type originating in Austria. The Alpine Dachsbracke was bred to track wounded deer as well as boar, hare, and fox. It is highly efficient at following a trail even after it has gone cold. The Alpine Dachsbracke is very sturdy, and Austria is said to be the country of origin.

Fila Brasileiro Dog breed

The Fila Brasileiro, or Brazilian Mastiff, is a large working breed of dog developed in Brazil. It is known for its superb tracking ability, aggressiveness and an unforgiving, impetuous temperament. Rather than attacking its prey, the Fila traps it and waits for the hunter to arrive. Owing to these qualities, the Fila Brasileiro is used as a guard dog, as a cattle dog for livestock and as a hunting dog for tracking and controlling large game. When slavery was legal in Brazil in the 18th century, the Fila Brasileiro was used to return fugitive slaves unharmed to their masters.

American Foxhound American dog breed used for hunting by scent

The American Foxhound is a breed of dog that is a cousin of the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.

Tatra Shepherd Dog Polish breed of dog

The Tatra Shepherd Dog, Polish: Polski Owczarek Podhalański, is a Polish breed of large flock guardian dog originating in the Tatra Mountains of the Podhale region of southern Poland. It was fully recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1963. It is one of five dog breeds originating in Poland, the others being the Polish Greyhound, the Polish Hound, the Polish Hunting Dog and the Polish Lowland Sheepdog.

Styrian Coarse-haired Hound Dog breed

The Styrian Coarse-haired Hound is a breed of medium-sized hound dog originated in the Austrian province of Styria. It is bred as a scenthound, for hunting boar in mountainous terrain. The breed is one of the large Austrian Bracke.

Transylvanian Hound Dog breed

The Transylvanian Hound is a dog breed originating from Hungary and Romania and was historically primarily used for hunting. It is a strong, medium-sized scent hound, characterized by a black body, with tan and sometimes white markings on the muzzle, chest and extremities, and distinctive tan eyebrow spots. It has a high-pitched bark for a dog of its size. The breed was rescued from extinction by focused breeding efforts in the late 20th century. There were formerly two varieties, the tall and the short, developed for different kinds of hunting in the Middle Ages. Only the tall variety survives today.

Estonian Hound Dog breed

The Estonian Hound is a scent hound-like breed which is the only dog breed developed in Estonia. It was bred in 1947 when the Soviet Union's national economy ministry decided that every country in the Union must have its own dog breed. In September 2019, the FCI officially recognized the breed.

Welsh Hound Dog breed

The Welsh Hound is a breed of hunting dog of the foxhound type, indigenous to Wales.

Basset Artésien Normand Dog breed

The Basset Artésien Normand is a short legged hound type dog developed in France. The word basset refers to short-legged hounds.

Slovenský kopov Dog breed

The Slovenský kopov is a medium-sized breed of hunting dog of the scenthound type. The breed originated in Slovakia, in Central Europe, and is bred for boar hunting. The name Black Forest Hound seems to have been created in North America for marketing purposes, since the breed has no connection with the Black Forest.

Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Noir Dog breed

The Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Noir translated into English as the Great Anglo-French White and Black Hound, is a breed of dog used in hunting as a scenthound, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were created by crossing French scenthounds with English (Anglo) Foxhounds.

Istrian Shorthaired Hound Dog breed

The Istrian Short-haired Hound is a breed of dog from Istria in Croatia, descended from a very old type of scenthound. This hound is the slightly smaller counterpart to the longer-coated Istrian Coarse-haired Hound from the same region.

Greek Harehound Dog breed

The Greek Harehound is a rare breed of dog that only comes in a black and tan color, originally bred as a scenthound for tracking and chasing hare in Southern Greece.

References

  1. Gino Pugnetti, Elizabeth Meriwether Schuler. Simon & Schuster's guide to dogs. Simon & Schuster. 1980. p. 145.
  2. Bonnie Wilcox, Chris Walkowicz. Atlas of dog breeds of the world. TFH Publications. 1995. p. 681
  3. FCI Polish hound
  4. 1 2 Ria Hörter. "New Dog Breeds – Recognized by The FCI. Gończy Polski (Polish Hunting Dog)". The Canine Chronicle. October 2013. pp. 196-199.
  5. "Polish Hound". The Sarah's Dogs Website. 12 Apr 2012. Retrieved 5 Feb 2013.
  6. "Polish Hound (Ogar Polski)".
  7. "Polish Hounds".

Bibliography

See also