Istrian Shorthaired Hound

Istarski Kratkodlaki Gonic

This excellent hunting dog, mainly specialized in fox and hare, has also superb attributes as a life companion. His pleasant temperament makes him an outstanding dog for everyone. The Istrian Shorthaired Hound is a delight to all who come close to him.

Height 18 to 56 cm
Weight 18 to 20 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 13 years
Home country Croatia

Index

Personality Appearance Tips Health History

Quick Overview of the Istrian Shorthaired Hound

Temperament

  • Passionate and active hunter
  • Rather obedient
  • Gentle and calm
  • Very devoted to his own

Appearance

  • Very noble look
  • Soft and flexible appearance
  • Brilliant, dense, fine and very short hair
  • Fine medium length ears

Health

  • Hardy and very robust
  • No particular disease
  • Generally healthy

Temperament of the Istrian Shorthaired Hound

Passionate and active hunter, the Istrian Shorthaired Hound is rather obedient, gentle and calm with family. Very attached to them, he is tender and affectionate with everybody around him.

Naturally docile and sociable, he does not have any adaptation problem even if he still needs to be properly educated.

Sporty and very active, it is preferable to raise him in large spaces where he can run and spend his energy as he pleases. The city dweller can offer him a large garden that will also make him very happy, but daily exercise is essential.

He is also endowed with a very powerful bark that can sometimes disturb neighbours.

The Istrian Shorthaired Hound is an excellent hunting dog with a great sense of smell and exceptional voice. He is very well suited to open terrain and wide spaces. His constitution is built for such spaces.

In the family, he is extraordinary. His sociability and patience are innate and he is a very pleasant life companion.

chien courant d'istrie à poil ras personnalité

Breed Appearance

Istrian short-haired hound

The Istrian Shorthaired Hound has a very noble appearance with a soft and flexible physique, giving him a pleasant appearance, unlike his wire-haired counterparts, whose shaggy gait often repels enthusiasts.

Height

Between 44 and 56 cm (17.32 to 22.05 inches) for the male
Between 18 and 20 cm (7.09 to 7.87 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 18 and 20 kg (39.68 to 44.09 pounds) for the male
Between 18 and 20 kg (39.68 to 44.09 pounds) for the female

Color

The Istrian Shorthaired Hound has a white coat and orange ears that can even extend to his cheeks and around his eyes.

Hair

His shiny coat is dense, fine and very short.

Morphology

His oval eyes are as dark as possible. His thin ears are semi-long and usually reach the eyebrow arches. His nose is brown or black. His tail is medium length and generally does not exceed the level of the hock.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 6, section 1 and is #151

Tips About this breed

As his socialization and obedience do not cause any problem, his education is all the easier even if it must still be adequate.

Despite his thunderous bark and excellent hunting flair, the Istrian Shorthaired Hound is not really adapted for guarding or protecting, he is a companion that loves everyone without exception.

Health of the Istrian Shorthaired Hound

Hardy and very robust, the Istrian Shorthaired Hound is solid and rarely sick. He enjoys good health and life expectancy. He is not officially affected by any particular disease or pathology.

GROOMING

It is preferable to check and clean his ears regularly, especially after hunting, and a good regular brushing will be beneficial. No other maintenance is necessary for his pretty shiny short hair coat.

History of this breed

As early as the 16th century, traces of some specimens of the breed can be found. He is very appreciated and his beautiful qualities promoted his exportation to neighbouring regions of Istria.

He is more popular than his wire-haired counterpart and very widespread even outside his region. As his origins are uncertain, it is very difficult to list information about the breed.

However, there are chronicles, paintings and murals dating back to 1474 and 1719.

Registered in the Book of Origins in 1924, the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) only recognized the breed in 1949 and his first standard was published in 1973.

This hound is highly appreciated for hunting foxes and hares like in the past, but he is also very popular as a companion dog nowadays.

His excellent qualities have earned him a good reputation in Istria and also in the surrounding areas.

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chien_Courant_D%27Istrie_A_Poil_Ras.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IstrianHound.jpg?uselang=fr

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Last Updated: 21/09/2020

One Comment

  1. Our Istrian hound passed away recently. We would like another one. Does anyone know where we might get another one?

    Reply

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