Bulgarian Hound Breed Profile and Guide

The Bulgarian Hound is a versatile and energetic breed that originated in Bulgaria. They have a medium-length coat that requires regular grooming.

With their strong hunting instinct, Bulgarian Hounds are often used for hunting small game. Their athletic build and endurance allow them to keep up with long hunting days.

Bulgarian Hounds are generally good with children, making them a great family pet. However, early socialization and training are essential to ensure they grow into well-behaved adult dogs.

The Bulgarian Hound is a medium to large-sized dog, with a rectangular outline and a strong, balanced body.

They have a coarse coat that comes in various shades of yellow-rufous, and can also be halm yellow or dark rufous. The coat can be in one color or combined with grey or black-grey in the middle part of the body.

Some white spots are acceptable in definite places.

The Bulgarian Hound's coat can grow up to 6-7 cm long, and is coarse and slightly wavy.

Their range of colors includes black, white, brown, grey, red, and rust, and they are often bi- or tri-colored with a darker color on the saddle region.

Here's a summary of the Bulgarian Hound's colors:

The Bulgarian Hound is Bulgaria's most famous hunting breed, also known as the Bulgarian Barak.

This breed has a long history, thought to have descended from dogs that came from Asia thousands of years ago.

It's believed that after the Fourth Crusade, returning French knights brought the dogs back from the Balkans, starting the famous line of Griffin hunting dogs used ever since for impressive scent tracking abilities.

One notable story about the breed emerged at the end of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-1878 during the Siege of Plevna.

Osman Pasha, a field marshal who commanded Ottoman forces during the siege, held the city for five months against superior Russo-Romanian forces but was captured after the siege.

His primary concern when he was presented to the Russian officials was to ask that his Bulgarian Hounds be well fed and looked after.

Bulgarian Hounds often hunt alone and can track prey far ahead of their hunter, then bark to signal that they are on to something.

They can be independent-minded and freethinking, which can make them challenging for first-time owners.

One dog is quite capable of bringing down some fearsome types of wildlife, such as wild boars that once roamed the Balkan region.

The Bulgarian Hound's temperament is its greatest asset. It's an intelligent dog that thrives on having a good bond with its owner.

This breed is highly trainable, making it a great companion for active owners. With its eagerness to please, it's no surprise that reward-based training methods are ideal for the Bulgarian Hound.

The Gonche, as it's also known, loves mental stimulation and will work hard to earn a treat. This makes one-to-one attention from the handler a great way to build a strong bond with your Bulgarian Hound.

The Bulgarian Hound requires regular use of effective anti-parasite products to protect him from external parasites like fleas and ticks, as well as internal worms like roundworms and tapeworms.

Daily tick checks are essential, even when using an acaricide product, to remove ticks before they start to feed.