The Serbian Mountain Hound is one of the best hunting dogs in the Balkan Peninsula, being extremely popular in Serbia and Montenegro. Originally called the Yugoslavian Mountain Hound, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was renamed as the Serbian Mountain Hound. It is thought to be an endangered breed, due to its extensive use during the civil wars occurring in Balkans in the latter half of the 20th century.
A rare breed, the Serbian Mountain Hound is a dog with a legacy, as it is believed to be the ancestor of many modern breeds like the Alpine Shorthaired Hound, the Transylvanian Hound or the Black Forest Hound. Like many of its other breed brothers, the Serbian Mountain Hound is the descendent of the Balkan Hound and the Hellenic Hound.
Its conformation is not very different from other Serbian hunting dog breeds. Narrow-headed, strong-muzzled, with pronounced cheek muscles and large nasal cavities, the Serbian Mountain Hound impresses through elegance and athletic posture. Its rectangular body, with strong shoulders and withers, a powerful neck, a broad back and a deep chest, is usually covered with a short, smooth, thick and shiny coat, requiring constant grooming and colored in black and tan, hence its nickname ?Black and Tan Mountain Hound?.
What distinguishes it from other Serbian dog breeds is the absence of the white front - the Serbian Hound and the Tricolor Hound usually have it. Its shoulder height varies from 18 to 22 inches (46-56 cm), while its weight is somewhere between 44 and 55 pounds (20 to 25 kg).
Although its life expectancy is from 12 to 15 years and its health is better than that of other breeds, like many other hunting dogs, the Serbian Mountain Hound can suffer from hip dysplasia (from all the running around), chronic ear infections, hypothyroidism, obesity or cancer, so a visit to the veterinarian from time to time is recommended in order to maintain its good health status. Its personality recommends it as a lovely dog with a strong ?never give up? attitude.
Serbian Mountain Hounds are loyal, brave, bold and persistent. They can easily find their way on rough terrain (no wonder they are preferred by mountain hunters) thanks to their extremely well developed sense of smell and their great stamina makes them a good companion for hunting trips. They usually hunt small game (hare, fox, smaller forest animals), but they can also hunt wild boar or deer.
As it is built to roam free outside and explore all possible places of your courtyard, it is not recommended to keep this breed coffined inside a small apartment ? its personality would not take it and it would become quite noisy for the neighbors. Its strong character could also lead to stubbornness at times and to hot-tempered encounters with other dogs or smaller animals, that is why it is recommended to start their socialization and obedience training from the early stages of puppyhood.
However, when given the daily share of attention and exercise, the Serbian Mountain Hound is a calm and good-natured dog breed, making a fine companion for everybody, especially the lonely hearts.
The Serbian Tricolor Hound: beauty, devotion and agility in a middle-sized canine body
The Serbian Tricolor Hound is a medium-large scent hound, which can be found in the southern parts of Serbia and near the Greek border.
A very rare breed, difficult to obtain outside its native country, the Serbian Tricolor Hound is one of the most playful and energetic Serbian breeds, being purposely bred to run, in order to catch the game while on a hunting trip (hare, fox, wild boars or wild pigs).
The distinctive feature that sets this breed apart from the Serbian Hound and Serbian Mountain Hound is the white mark on its chest, which extends to the belly and then the legs and the tip of the head. Its short haired, gleaming and thick coat, colored in deep red, black and white gave the breed its name and added extra points to its beautiful athletic stature.
The slightly round head, with a large, black nose and medium, high set ears, hanging close to the cheeks, impresses with its dark almond-shaped eyes, which captivate you from the first moment you set eyes on this dog.
Its rectangular body, with a strong and arched neck and broad, well-muscled back, as well as solid and straight forequarters and strong thighs, oozes calm dignity and silent anticipation for the next chance to use its hunting talents.
The Serbian Tricolor Hound loves to bark and to run around freely - that is why it is not a dog breed recommended for city life, but rural environments, where it has plenty of space to move around and to explore the various scents it picks up.
Seeing that it is a player through definition, the Serbian Tricolor Hound is an excellent family dog and is usually good with children, provided that it gets proper and continuous training from an early age, as well as opportunities to interact with other dogs and animals.
It is also a very intelligent and it loves to be the center of attention, being a devoted friend to its human owner, willing to spend its entire life by the master?s side. However, it is reserved with strangers, which also makes him a good watchdog, alerting the household at the smallest sign of intrusion.
It is very important to ensure that this dog gets its fair share of animal-human bonding each day, as it is a breed that likes to be around people and offer its affection and loyalty to the adopting human family. Seeing that it is usually full of energy and playfulness, daily walks and exercise are recommended, in order to tire it out and avoid it spending its energy on chewing the furniture, chasing other domestic animals (although from time to time a chase like that is unavoidable), destroying your property and barking nonstop, at the smallest move.
Like its other national cousins, the Serbian Tricolor Hounds has an average lifespan of 12 years and even more, provided that it is given regular checkups and provided with a healthy and happy lifestyle.
