Serbian Hound
🧠 Temperament & character
The Serbian Hound is lively, tough and good-natured, with a pronounced hunting drive and a resonant voice that she uses extensively on the trail. She is loyal and affectionate towards her family, shows herself balanced and is usually friendly with children. At work she is enduring, persistent and brave. Towards strangers she is attentive, but rarely aggressive.
📜 Origin & history
The Serbian Hound is one of the oldest scent hounds of the Balkans; similar red hounds with a black saddle have been known in the region for centuries. She used to be listed as the 'Balkan Hound' before she received her present name. The FCI lists the breed under no. 150. In Serbia and the neighbouring countries she is a widespread, versatile hunting dog, but outside the Balkans she is rare.
✂️ Grooming, care & training
The short, dense coat of the Serbian Hound is weatherproof and easy to care for; regular brushing suffices. As a versatile hunting dog she needs plenty of exercise in nature and extensive scent work to be physically and mentally satisfied. She is intelligent and willing to learn, but on the trail follows her strong hunting drive, which is why consistent recall training and secure terrain are important. Her loud hunting voice should be taken into account when keeping her.
🩺 Health
The Serbian Hound is a robust, naturally bred hunting breed with a life expectancy of about twelve to thirteen years and without strongly pronounced hereditary diseases. Her solid constitution is the result of centuries of selection for performance and weather-hardiness. As with all hounds, the drop ears must be checked regularly, and after the hunt attention should be paid to injuries and ticks. Responsible breeders rely on healthy, temperamentally sound and hunting-capable parent animals.
🏡 Who is this breed right for?
The Serbian Hound is above all a hunting dog and best suited to active, hunting-oriented people. Thanks to her good-natured character she can also be a loyal family dog in an active, rural home with plenty of exercise. For a pure city apartment without occupation she is unsuitable; ideal are space, exercise and scent work. In Switzerland she is rare and found almost exclusively in the hunting world.