Chart Polski
🧠 Temperament & character
The Chart Polski is self-confident, reserved and watchful, while being more independent and robust in nature than most sighthounds. To its family it is devoted, but towards strangers reserved and suspicious, which makes it an attentive guardian. It is intelligent and self-assured, but accepts only confident, consistent and fair leadership. Outdoors it shows a strong hunting drive and plenty of temperament.
📜 Origin & history
The Chart Polski is an old Polish breed that was used by the nobility for centuries for coursing hare, fox and even wolf. It had to be enduring, powerful and robust enough for difficult quarry in the wide, often cold plains of Poland. After the Second World War the breed had almost disappeared, but from the 1970s onwards it was rebuilt by Polish cynologists from the last purebred animals. Today the Chart Polski is still rare outside Poland and is kept as a companion and coursing dog.
✂️ Grooming, care & training
The short, somewhat harder coat of the Chart Polski is easy to care for and needs only occasional brushing. As a powerful, enduring sighthound it needs plenty of exercise and regular opportunity to gallop freely in a safe area. Because of its strong hunting drive and its independence, consistent, fair training from an early age is important, and the recall should be well established. It is intelligent and enjoys learning, but demands confident leadership and quickly distances itself from harsh methods.
🩺 Health
The Chart Polski is considered an overall robust, healthy breed with a life expectancy of about ten to thirteen years. As with all large dogs with a deep chest, there is a risk of the life-threatening gastric torsion, which is why calm feeding in several portions is recommended. As is usual with sighthounds, caution is also advised with anaesthesia. Responsible breeders pay attention to a broad genetic base and a balanced, healthy temperament in their breeding animals.
🏡 Who is this breed right for?
The Chart Polski suits experienced, sporty dog owners with space who can confidently lead an independent, watchful sighthound. It needs plenty of exercise, safe running opportunities and consistent, fair training; for first-time owners it is less suitable. Because of its watchfulness and hunting drive, early socialisation and good basic training are especially important. In Switzerland, the pronounced hunting drive, the cantonal leash regulations and the need for exercise of this large sighthound should be borne in mind.