Lithuanian Hound

The Lithuanian Hound is a rare, medium-sized hunting dog and the only breed that originated in Lithuania. It goes back to the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania and has traditionally hunted hare, fox and boar. The FCI does not recognise it.

History

The breed is believed to come from bloodhounds mixed with several other hounds. The Russian zoologist Leonid Sabaneyev held that its closest relatives were St. Hubert Hounds brought from France in the 15th century. It first appears in writing in 1541, when a forester from Hrodna went to court over a stolen hound, and it is mentioned again in the Statutes of Lithuania of 1588. Nineteenth-century writers described as many as five local types, differing in size and quarry but all black and tan.

Once common, the hound was down to 78 dogs after World War II. Enthusiasts revived it, and a provisional standard was drawn up in 1966 and revised in 1983. Too few dogs were left to restore the separate types, so breeders settled on a single all-round hound. The first breed show, in 1981, drew 62 dogs, and about 350 were registered by 1987. After the Soviet Union broke up, numbers fell again to around 150 by 1998. The hound is best suited to hunting large animals over wide open country, and modern hunting grounds are shrinking. With so few dogs, inbreeding is a major concern for breeders.

Appearance

Males stand 52 to 60 cm and females 48 to 55 cm, and the dogs weigh 24 to 30 kg. The Lithuanian Hound is sturdy and heavy-boned yet sleek and muscular. Its short, thick coat is black with tan on the muzzle, chest, ears and forehead; the standard allows a small white spot on the chest but none on the toes. The head is large and the chest broad, deep and low. The ears are long with rounded tips and hang close to the cheeks, and the neck is long and strong without a dewlap. The long, sword-shaped tail is carried low. Strong, round feet with compact toes help make it a fast, agile and determined pursuer.

Temperament

Lithuanian Hounds are energetic dogs that need hard exercise. They respond well to training.

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