Transylvanian Hound

The Transylvanian Hound is an ancient Hungarian breed of medium size primarily used in the past as hunting dogs.  Characterized by a long black and tan body, athletic stature, longish hound-like head, hanging ears, almond shaped eyes and a slightly curved tail, they make for a great family pet because of its gentle, brave and enduring nature.

Transylvanian Hound Pictures

History

These scent hounds are said to originate at a time when the Asian Hounds accompanying the Hungarian Magyar tribes who came to Transylvania during the 9^th century were crossed with the local varieties as well as the Celtic hounds. The resultant dog attained immense popularity during the Middle Ages, mainly used for hunting along the forest regions abounding the Carpathian Mountains. There were two varieties of this breed, namely the long-legged and short-legged, with the former being used for hunting big games such as the boar, lynx, bear, and the European bison, while the latter’s catch include the chamois, hare, and fox.

Mostly owned by the nobility class, their use pertained to sports hunting. Their numbers rapidly declined with agriculture becoming prominent and were almost on the verge of extinction at the start of the 12^th century. Though it is an ancient breed, it attained recognition by the FCI only in 1963, with efforts for saving it commenced from 1968 onwards. Of both the varieties, only the long-legged ones remain in Hungary and Romania.

The Hungarian Kennel Club recognizes this breed naturally, whereas the UKC (United Kennel Club) gave it recognition in the year 2006. Though the American Kennel Club has not determined any standard for the Transylvanian Hound, it accepted it into its Foundation Stock Service Program in 2015, with the initiative of developing it in the United States.

Temperament

Though developed as a hunting breed, they are great as house pets owing to their friendly, loyal and brave nature. They enjoy outdoor lives and would be ideal for people having a farm or living in the countryside rather than dwelling in an apartment.

These hounds have a high endurance level capable of surviving in adverse weather conditions, also treading along rugged terrain.

Being great companions, they love to be with their family, also mingling well with children, though the older ones. Parental supervision is necessary when little kids interact with them.

Because of their hunting instincts, the Transylvanian dogs tend to be highly protective of their territory and people they are close to going to any extent to safeguard them. They are wary of strangers, letting out a fierce growl and bark when they spot anyone intruding their domain, hence making for an efficient guard dog. However, once that unknown person becomes a known face, he accepts him joyfully.

They are popular for their strong direction sense as well as a keen smelling instinct that make them curious to follow a scent if they come across it.

Training

These intelligent dogs have an eagerness to please their owners, which would make training easy, though a tactful trainer is essential to curb its strong-willed and stubborn nature.

• Leash training is needed since these scent hounds may have a high prey drive when taken out.
• It is important to acquaint Transylvanian puppies with commands, “Come” in particular so that they may be obedient enough and listen to you instead of wandering off to tracks scents. You can place a long cord of about 15 feet as a demarcation to make the dog understand that where it would need to go when called. Instead of just come you can say “come here”, to make it more precise. Once your pet goes to the spot, reward it with its favorite treat. Doing this on a regular basis would instill a sense of obedience to it.
• To channelize its smelling instinct in a positive way, you can play a variety of games with it like a treasure hunt, where you need to hide his food bowl in the corner of the house, encouraging it to search for it. Once your dog gets hold of the food, reward it appropriately.
• Since it has wariness towards strangers, socialize it since its puppy days, making it know how to distinguish a threat from a pleasant experience.

Feeding

Feed these hunting dogs with good quality of dry dog food. You can consult your vet for a detailed diet chart.

Interesting Facts

• This breed is also called Erdelyi kopo, which in Hungarian stands for Transylvanian Hound.