Also known as the Erdelyi Kopo, Transylvanian Bloodhound, Transylvanian Hound, Transylvanian Beagle, Transylvanian Foxhound, and the Hungarian Braque, the Hungarian Hound is an intelligent, friendly, and loyal breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The exact origin of the Hungarian Hound has not been well documented. Enthusiasts believe that this breed dates back hundreds and perhaps even thousands of years to ancient Hungary, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.
Throughout its history, the Hungarian Hound has been most commonly used for hunting, scenting, and tracking game such as fox, wild boar, and rabbit, and as a watch dog, proving its superior abilities to work endlessly and happily while providing warm and gentle companionship.
Today, while the Hungarian Hound has attained a regional popularity as a hunting and companion dog, the breed remains rather rare outside of its native Hungary.
Personality Traits
Best known for its outgoing and social nature, the Hungarian Hound is a genuinely happy breed that prefers to keep busy with work and play during the day time. These dogs thrive on strong and dependable relationships with humans, love to receive praise, and often look to their owner for leadership and assurance. This breed is very intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Hungarian Hound is obedient, loyal, loving, and very affectionate. The Hungarian Hound is not suited for full-time indoor or apartment living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors, taking long and leisurely walks, and having plenty of room to roam, run, and play.
Train-ability
Due to eagerness to please and impress its owner and willingness to learn, the Hungarian Hound generally responds well to basic training and commands. This intelligent breed has the ability to learn to perform most any task its trainer is willing to take the time to teach.
Establishing immediate trust and respect is key to successfully training the Hungarian Hound. These dogs can be somewhat sensitive to criticism and respond best to positive reinforcement and reward-based training.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Hungarian Hound, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This curious and adventurous breed is always on the go, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. These bright dogs are obedient by nature, easy to train, and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, the Hungarian Hound gets along well with children and other pets, known for its ability to make friends quickly with other animals due to its social nature. This breed is alert, territorial, and possesses an incredible sense of smell, thus making an effective watch dog by announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors, and serving as a deterrent to would-be intruders. The Hungarian Hound is obedient, loyal, loving, and very affectionate, making an excellent hunting and working dog, family pet, and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Hungarian Hound. These active and athletic dogs require large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors, especially when under the age of two years. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Hungarian Hound not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
The Hungarian Hound has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these dogs are quite quick and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Hungarian Hound must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
This breed’s powerful sense of smell may lead to trouble. It is not unusual for a Hungarian Hound to dart out of doors and tear open bags of garbage in order to track a scent. Proper training can reduce these behaviors in the Hungarian Hound.
As previously mentioned, the Hungarian Hound remains rather rare outside of its native Hungary and can prove quite difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, extremely high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Hungarian Hound is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, likeliness to develop cancer, hypothyroidism, entropian – folding inward of the eye lid, ectropian – folding outward of the eye lid, distichiasis – ingrown eye lashes, cherry eye, sensitivity to anesthesia and sedatives, digestive issues, and bloat.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Hungarian Hound? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://netpet.batw.net/dogs/trhound.module.html
http://en.wikipedia.orh/wiki/hungarian_hound
