The Lithuanian Hound ( lt, Lietuvių skalikas) is a rare, medium-size
hunting dog
A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...
from
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. It is the only dog breed originating from Lithuania and dates back to the medieval
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
.
[ However, the breed is not recognized by the ]Fédération Cynologique Internationale
The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium.
History
The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...
(FCI).[
]
History
The Lithuanian Hound has been traditionally used to hunt hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
, fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, and boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is no ...
. It is believed that it comes from the mixing of bloodhound
The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar and, since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is called, ''l ...
s with several other hound breeds.[ Russian zoologist ]Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneyev
Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneyev (Леонид Павлович Сабанеев; 18441898) was a Russian zoologist who made extensive contributions to the study of hunting in Russia.
The scion of a noble family from Yaroslavl, Sabaneyev was educated a ...
claimed that the hounds were most closely related to St. Hubert Hounds and were brought from France in the 15th century.[ In the 19th century, authors described up to five different local breeds or types of hounds used for hunting in Lithuania.][ They differed in size and were used to hunt different animals (for example, smaller type was used to hunt hares, while large dogs known as ogars were used to hunt deer), but they all had black with tan fur.][
The breed was first mentioned in written sources in 1541 when a forester from ]Hrodna
Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
sued over a stolen hound. The breed was also mentioned in the Statutes of Lithuania
The Statutes of Lithuania, originally known as the Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, were a 16th-century codification of all the legislation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its successor, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Stat ...
(1588).[ Once a popular breed in Lithuania, the population decreased to 78 individuals after World War II.][ Thanks to several enthusiasts, the hound was revived and standardized. The provisional standard was established in 1966 and revised in 1983.][ There were not enough individual dogs left to revive the sub-breeds or types of the hound, therefore breeders settled on a more universal type.][ The first Lithuanian Hound exhibition was organized in 1981; it had 62 dogs participating.][ The number of registered and documented dogs reached around 350 in 1987.][ After the ]dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, the breed decreased to around 150 individuals by 1998.[ The decrease in popularity is explained by changing hunting habits: the Lithuanian Hound is best suited for hunting large animals in large open areas, but modern hunting plots are decreasing in size.][ Due to the small population, ]inbreeding
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
is a major concern of the breeders. A study in 2008 calculated the coefficient of inbreeding
The coefficient of inbreeding of an individual is the probability that two alleles at any locus in an individual are identical by descent from the common ancestor(s) of the two parents.
The coefficient of inbreeding is: The probability that two ...
at 2.09% and relatedness at 6.74%.[
]
Characteristics
It is sturdy and heavy-boned, but at the same time sleek and muscular. It has a short black coat with some brown on snout, chest, ears, forehead. The official standard allows for a small white spot on the chest, but not on toes.[ Fur is thick and short, up to in length.][ The dog's long tail is sword-shaped and naturally low. The head is large, chest is broad, deep and low. Ears are long with rounded tips, and hang close to the cheeks.][ Neck is quite long and strong with no ]dewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. More loosely, it can be various similar structures in the neck area, such as those caused by a double chin or the submandibul ...
. The feet are straight, strong and round, with compact toes, helping it be a fast, very agile, and determined pursuer.[ The dogs are energetic and need rigorous exercise. They are responsive to training.][
]
Commemoration
In June 2011, during a city festival, a sculpture of the Lithuanian Hound was unveiled in Telšiai
Telšiai (; Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis.
Telšiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithua ...
. Zigmas Goštautas, who was instrumental in reviving the breed in 1950s, was a resident of Telšiai.[ In May 2015, a sculpture of three hounds by Rimantas Keturka and Feliksas Volčakas was unveiled near the ]Vilnius Castle Complex
The Vilnius Castle Complex ( lt, Vilniaus pilių kompleksas or ) is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings, which evolved ...
.[ In 2017, Bank of Lithuania issued a commemorative coin (in 10 and 1.5 euros denominations) that depict two Lithuanian Hounds and a ]Žemaitukas
The Žemaitukas (plural: Žemaitukai, literally: ''little Samogitian'') is a historic horse breed from Lithuania. It may be classified as a pony, due to its relatively short stature (between 131–141 centimeters at the withers). Known from t ...
(a Lithuanian horse breed).[
]
See also
* Dogs portal
* List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on genomics, dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines m ...
References
External links
TV documentary on the breed by Lithuanian National Television
{{Hounds
Scent hounds
Dog breeds originating in Lithuania