The Slovenský kopov (translated into English as ''Slovak Hound'') is a medium-sized breed of

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

of the

scenthound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

type. The breed originated in

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

, in Central Europe, and is bred for boar hunting. The name ''Black Forest Hound'' seems to have been created in North America for marketing purposes, since the breed has no connection with the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

. The German name for this breed is Schwarzwildbracke which translates to Wild Boar Hound and not Schwarzwaldbracke which would be Black Forest Hound.

Appearance

The Slovenský kopov or Slovakian Hound is a typical hunting hound in appearance, with a muscular body, long legs, a long tail, and long drop ears. The short coat is always black in colour, with tan markings (black and tan). Dogs should be around 16 kg (35 lbs) in weight and 46 cm (18 ins) at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

, with bitches somewhat smaller. Ideal size is described in the

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

to discourage the breeding of overly large or excessively small dogs. Other measurements for the ideal hound are given in the Standard, in order to preserve

breed type In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

. The breed is more heavily built than the similarly marked American

Black and Tan Coonhound The Black and Tan Coonhound is a breed of hunting dog. Developed in the United States from crosses between the Bloodhound and the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound, this scent hound runs its game entirely by scent and is used primarily for racc ...

, but is more lightly built than the otherwise similar

Ogar Polski The Polish Hound, commonly known as Ogar Polski, is a breed of hunting dog indigenous to Poland. The Polish Hound has a keen sense of smell. This heightened sense combined with the endurance needed to hunt in harsh environments led to its use in ...

, the more strongly built hound from Poland. The eyes are always dark, deep-set, and have a look of liveliness and courage.

Temperament

Though known to be independent, it is intelligent, and is easy to train. Also, it is blessed with a good sense of direction.

History and use

A well-known type of hunting dog since antiquity, today's breed was first recognised in the 1870s. The breeds of Brandlbracke ( Austrian Black and Tan Hound), Chart Polski ( Polish Greyhound), and Magyar agár (Hungarian Greyhound) are believed to have been used in the breed's background. The etymology of the name seems to refer to the dog's colour. The breed club was established in Bratislava in 1988. The Slovenský kopov was developed and is used as a

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 ...

, not a

pet A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...

showdog A show dog might refer to any dog entered into a dog show. More specifically, a ''show dog'' is a dog which has been specially bred, trained, and/or groomed to conform to the specifications of dog shows, so as to have a chance of winning. Often u ...

. It is bred for hunting large game, especially

wild 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 ...

. Although extremely common in its area of origin, it is rarely seen in other countries. The Slovenský kopov is similar to other East European scenthounds in appearance and hunting style.

Recognition

The breed is recognised in its country of origin with the name Slovenský kopov, and is listed for international dog sports competition with 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 ...

under that name as breed number 244, in Group 6, Scenthounds and Related Breeds, Section 1.2 Medium-sized Hounds. Exported to North America, the breed is recognised under the English translation of its name, the Slovakian Hound, by the

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

in the United States. The breed also may be registered under a variety of translations of the name, or created English names such as the ''Wild Boar Hound'' (from the German Schwarzwildbracke),DigitalDog, Slovakian Hound
/ref> with minor kennel clubs, hunting clubs, and internet dog registry businesses, and promoted as a

rare breed In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation statu ...

for those seeking an unusual hunting dog or a unique pet.

References

External links