Breed Name: Transylvanian Hound

• Original Purpose: These medium sized hounds were favored by the Hungarian kings and princes for hunting bears and wolves in the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania. The breed's great adaptability to the region's extreme climates of sweltering summers and frigid winters made it an excellent all season hunting dog. In modern times, the tall hound was used to hunt stag, lynx and boar. The short variety was used to hunt smaller game, including foxes and hares.
  
• Breed History:
  • Country of Origin: Hungary/Romania
  • Date of Origin: Middle Ages

    Over 1000 years ago, the Magyars arrived in the region. They brought with them several types of dog, including the hound. These dogs probably bred with native dogs to give the present version of the hound In post World War II Europe, the Romanian government issued orders to exterminate the hounds, as they were perceived to be symbols of the Hungarian occupation of Romania. Limited numbers of the hounds were smuggled out of Romania into Hungary, where breeders have been trying to bring the dog back from the brink of extinction.

This dog has a sleek appearance and stunning good looks. They are lean, appear very elegant and proud. Their erect posture and beautifully sculpted head portray great attentiveness and authority.

The Transylvanian has a keen sense of direction and orientation within its environment. It also has a good judgment regarding the limits its territory and is very protective of it (ex: home and/or yard). They have a tendency to guard it from a central location keeping a keen eye on the perimeter of the property. They run to the periphery when an intruder arrives and guard it with ferocious and very intimidating barking. If the outsider is allowed in by the owner, however, the dog automatically returns to its calm demeanor.

When not in a specifically designated territory (a park, for example), they are quite calm, friendly and rather curious of strangers. Its size and appearance can be intimidating to people, so I would caution to keep it on a lead so as not to scare them by a dog who likes to explore novel stimuli. It should be remembered that this is still a hunting dog with well developed pursuit instincts. As a result, it may give chase to a person who is running away, even if it is only play, and possibly scare that person. They are not attack dogs, and will only fight if threatened. Proper obedience training should minimize such situations.

The hounds are highly adaptable to various living quarters. They are able to live in cities as long as exercise is provided. They are happiest if given space to roam and play. They can be very affectionate, but tend to remain slightly aloof, content to just be around family members.

Case in Point: We own a Tall Transylvanian Hound named Duna. She is 7 months old at this point and we've had her for 2 months. She already weighs 50 lb. and is 22 inches tall at the shoulder. She became attached to us within a week, was house broken within two. Within a week she learned to sit and give her paw. At this point she also responds to "no", lays down on command, fetches a Frisbee and tennis ball. She has also jumped our 4 foot fence to be with us in the front yard. She barks at everyone who comes near her territory, but has not made any attempts to jump over at anyone, not even this one woman stops and stares at Duna from the corner of the property. Duna growls and barks in response to the challenge, but has done nothing more.

Editorial comment  by Bonnie Dalzell: As with other rare breeds, they can be difficult to locate and breeders will be very reluctant to give up quality animals to merely be spayed or castrated pets. Anyone who is interested in a rare breed must be prepared to work closely with breeders and clubs in the effort to preserve the breed in a healthy and vigorous state.