Polish Hunting Dog
Polish Hunting Dog
|Other names||Polish Scenthound (formerly)
Gończy Polski (Polish)
|Notes||Breed provisionally accepted, not eligible for the CACIB|
|Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)|
A lithe dog of compact construction, whose bone structure is strong but not heavy. The build implies a great aptitude for mobility and an obvious disposition to resist difficult working conditions in mountainous regions. It has a medium build, with both sexes weighing 22–26 kg (48-57 lbs). Females stand at 50–55 cm (20-22 inches) tall, whilst males stand at 55 – 59 cm (22-23 inches).
Stable and gentle, this dog is courageous and has demonstrated proof of bravery. The breed is intelligent and easy to educate. Whilst being unaggressive, the dog is wary towards strangers.
They are generally a healthy breed with no reported major health issues related to breeding. They have an average lifespan of 10–13 years, although some individual dogs do live much longer.
Hunting with scent hounds was referred to in Polish literature as early as the 13th century. Poland has always been a country covered by deep forests, full of big game where the scent hound was the precious auxiliary of the hunter. Hunting with scent hounds was highly esteemed by Polish nobility as attested by 14th century chronicles. In the 17th century, at least two different types of Polish scent hounds were already well distinguished. Detailed descriptions are found in 19th century hunting literature: in 1819 Jan Szytier (Poradnik Mysliwych) describes the Polish "brach" and the Polish scent hound; in 1821, in the magazine "Sylwan", W.Kozlowski gives a description and provides illustrations of both types, the Polish "brach" (heavier) and the Polish scent hound (lighter); the very detailed description of Ignacy Bogatynski (1823–1825, Nauka Lowiectwa) could be used as the first breed standard.
After the first World War, the Polish scent hound was still used for hunting in Poland in the eastern regions, but especially in the mountains on particularly difficult terrains. In the Podkarpacle region, the famous Polish cynologist, Jozef Pawuslewicz (1903–1979) hunted with Polish scent hounds and was engaged in the development of breeding this dog. He wrote the first Breed Standard and on account of his efforts the breed was officially registered by the Polish Cynological Association.
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