Estonian Hound

History of the Estonian Hound breed

Systematically, hound dogs in Estonia began to be bred in the middle of the XVIII century. Initially, Russian and Polish hounds were used for breeding, at the end of the century before last, hunting dogs from England were imported to the Baltic States. Russian Russian-Polish or Russian-English hounds By the 20s of the last century, local hunting dogs became known as Russian-Polish or Russian-English hounds.

In 1934, new hunting rules were adopted in Estonia, since the number of animals in hunting grounds, the territory of which was very small, catastrophically decreased, and the population of roe deer was on the verge of extinction altogether. According to the new rules, hunting with dogs was allowed only for small and medium-sized animals, and the growth of hounds was limited to 45 cm at the withers. Since that time, work began on the creation of an undersized hound, which was supposed to retain all the working qualities inherent in a hunting dog. The work on breeding a new breed lasted for more than 20 years, and was headed and coordinated by the Estonian cynologist Sergey Smelkov, who rightfully occupied the pedestal of the creator of the Estonian Hound breed.

Initially, the smallest of the local hounds were selected for breeding and crossed with the undersized English hare hound – beagle . The methodology was comprehensively thought out, because not only such a sign of the future breed as small stature was fixed. The English Beagle was also selected due to its sturdy legs, dense and strong paws. These qualities are ideal for low-snow Estonian winters, when hunting trails here often become hard as a stone, and completely unsuitable for hunting with light-footed dogs. However, such disadvantages of beagles as a harsh and muffled voice, the late formation of hunting instincts, insufficient paratedness (the speed with which the dog pursues the beast), prompted Smelkov to involve the Swiss hound in the creation of a new breed. Not having a strong enough paw, she, nevertheless, interested breeders with small stature, excellent viscosity, a musical ringing voice and the ability to take up active activity already in the first year of life.

It is worth saying that Finnish hounds, English fox hounds, and Russian hounds were also involved in breeding work. With the help of their crossing with standard local hounds, Smelkov intended to breed quite large hunting dogs (52-60 cm) separately. Actually, back in the 40s, the future breed of the Estonian hound was very diverse, and the manifestations of this feature of it to some extent are sometimes recorded in the exterior of the animal to this day.

In 1947, the Ministry of National Economy of the USSR took the initiative to oblige each of the fifteen republics to be represented by their own breed of dogs. By this time, there were 800-900 hounds in Estonia belonging to the Estonian-Anglo-Swiss breeding line that came out on top. In 1954, 48 individuals typical of this line, tested in hunting hare and fox, passed a specialized commission and were recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR as a separate breed, called the Estonian hound. In 1959, the commission of the USSR Cynological Council approved the breed standard. By the early eighties, there were 1,750 pure-bred Estonian hounds in the Soviet Union.

Today, representatives of the original Estonian breed are found mainly in the Baltic countries, Finland, Russia. Despite the efforts of local dog handlers, the International Dog Federation (FCI) still does not want to recognize the breed. Its standard, approved in 1959, is still valid at the moment, but in 2007 minor changes were made to it regarding the color of the dog.

Video: Estonian Hound

The appearance of the Estonian hound

The Estonian Hound is a muscular dog of small size, lean type of constitution, possessing a solid, strong backbone. Her physique is proportional, the length of the trunk noticeably exceeds the height at the withers. Unlike the squat and frankly stocky beagle, with whom the Estonian hound is often confused, the latter demonstrates elegant and graceful features.

Housing

The back line is straight, with a slope from the withers to the sacrum. Both the back and the croup are broad, muscular. The voluminous elongated breast has the shape of an oval, it is lowered to the elbows and extends to a moderately taut abdominal wall.

Head

The skull with curved shapes is moderately wide, the transition line to the muzzle looks quite smooth, without a sharp fracture. The muzzle itself is elongated, straight, proportional to the skull. The brow ridges stand out clearly, but not excessively. The nose is wide, fleshy, black in color, its intensity varies with different colors. Lips are dry, not sagging, totally pigmented.

Teeth and jaws

Teeth are white, large, there should be 42 of them. The bite is scissor-like, the upper incisors confidently cover the lower ones. As the dog ages, when the incisors are erased, the bite can transform into a straight one. The strong jaws of the Estonian hound are well developed. Cheekbones are lean, without bulges.

Eyes

The eyes of the Estonian hound are set slightly askew. Their color is dark brown.

Ears

The ears are quite thin, hanging close to the cheeks. Covered with short fur. Their base is located on the eye line. If you pull the ears towards the nose lobe, they will reach approximately to the middle of the muzzle. The tips of the ears are noticeably rounded.

Neck

The rounded muscular neck of the hound has an average length. There are no folds on the skin in the neck area.

Limbs

The forelimbs are lean, with well-developed muscles. The full-face look straight, parallel. Their length is approximately half the height of the animal at the withers.

Elbows are strong, close to the body, not protruding either inwards or outwards. Large, absolutely straight forearms proportional to the body have an average length. Pasterns are solid, strong, placed almost vertically.

The hind limbs of the Estonian hound are powerful, bony, muscular. From behind, they look straight and parallel to each other. The angles of the joints are clearly visible. The thighs and shins are almost identical in length. Knee joints are strong, with moderate angles. When the dog is in motion, they should not turn inside or out. Strong metatarsals of medium length, located vertically.

The paws are arched, ellipsoid in shape, the fingers are pressed closely together. Pads and claws aimed at the ground, large, dense.

Movement

The Estonian hound moves freely, smoothly, plastically, rectilinearly, elastically. The push of the hind limbs is very powerful, confident.

Tail

Thick at the base, covered with thick hair, the tail gradually tapers to the tip, it has a saber-shaped shape, reaches the hock joint. During the movement of the Estonian hound, the tail should not rise above the back line.

Wool

Short, straight, stiff, even rough, shiny. The undercoat is very poorly developed.

Color

The color characteristic of the breed is black–piebald on a white background with so-called blush marks, the color of which is close to the red tan. Let's also assume a brown-piebald color in blush, purple-piebald, cheprachny, looking like a blanket thrown over the back and sides of a dog. The size and shape of the markings may be different, and it is desirable for the colors to have maximum intensity. White color should be present on the head, lower parts of the neck, chest, abdomen. The legs and the tip of the tail of the Estonian hound should be completely white.

Disadvantages of the breed

• Lightness or, on the contrary, heaviness of the dog's constitution.
• High-back, excessively shortened or elongated torso.
• The chest is too narrow or flat, the barrel shape of the chest.
• Weak, sagging or hunchbacked back, excessively sloping croup.
• Expressively convex or flattened skull, sharp or not at all noticeable transition from forehead to muzzle. Upturned or lowered muzzle, hooked nose.
• Nose lobe, lip edges, eyelids are insufficiently pigmented.
• Non-contact bite of incisors.
• Excessively small, or bulging eyes, their light color.
• Shortened or excessively fleshy ears, elongated hair on them.
• Sheer neck fit, sagging skin on it.
• The tail is lowered below the hock by more than 3 cm. Shortened tail, curvature at its tip. Excessive length of hair on the tail, or, on the contrary, a scanty coat.
• Elbows turned outwards, hock joints. Excessively sloping pasterns, flat or elongated (mermaid) paws.
• Wool undulation. Excessively long or very short fur on the body, the absolute absence of undercoat.
• Cowardice, excessive excitability, aggressiveness.

Photo of an Estonian hound

Character of the Estonian Hound

Professional hunter, uncompromising and merciless in the process of baiting the beast, the Estonian hound shows incredible friendliness to its owners. She leaves viciousness and assertiveness outside the threshold of the house, and within its walls demonstrates an affectionate disposition, complaisance, devotion, patience, obedience. The good-natured nature of this dog allows you to keep it in a family where children grow up, as it shows amazing tolerance towards their pranks. Actually, the Estonian hound perceives the family as a pack, where the leader is the owner – she obeys him implicitly.

With other pets, the Estonian hound will live in friendship and harmony if it grew up with them. If you have taken an adult dog into the house, you will have to make a lot of efforts to negate the conflicts that will inevitably arise between the four-legged household, especially if the hound has to get acquainted with a representative of the cat tribe. It is desirable that the establishment of friendly relations between the four-legged ones should be handled directly by the owner.

A country house is the best place to keep an Estonian hound, but she will also be able to feel quite comfortable in a city apartment if she is given the opportunity to spend her exuberant energy. Otherwise, this dog is unpretentious, besides it is surprisingly clean.

As for hunting, the Estonian hound is quite capable of starting to "work in the specialty" already at the age of six months, and some particularly talented individuals already at 7-8 months become holders of diplomas obtained based on the results shown during field tests. When hunting, they pick up the trail very quickly and are able not to miss it for three whole days, or even more. The excitement and aggressiveness shown during work allow these dogs to get enviable trophies. Agility, sneakiness, as well as small stature – these are their advantages in the forest, they quickly and confidently climb through the bushes or into the deadwood where the game is hiding, not giving it a chance to escape.

Despite the fact that the Estonian hound was bred as a hunting dog, it, thanks to its courage, alertness and intelligence, performs excellent and watchdog functions.

Education and training

It is quite easy to train a contact and quick–witted Estonian hound - she grasps all the commands on the fly. In addition to standard commands like "Sit!", "Lie down", "Give me a paw!", she must certainly respond to the words "You can't!", "Nearby!". This dog should not be pampered – it will certainly strive to occupy an independent position, and it will be difficult to wean it from such habits, for example, as lying in the master's bed and begging. A dog should know its place in the house, but brutal methods in its upbringing are unacceptable.

A future hunter from puppy age needs to be taught specific skills. Before feeding your pet, signal with a hunting horn. As soon as he appears, feed him – so he will develop a reaction to this summoning sound.

If you prepare an Estonian hound puppy for hunting from a tender age, then from seven months he will be able to get to work. But experienced owners of dogs of this breed take into account that those have a short childhood, and they always approach with caution to catch–up - preparing the pet to go to the polaz correctly, detect the beast, drive it without losing track. If a two-month-old puppy can simply be taken with you to the forest for an introductory purpose, then a five-month-old dog can already be taught to navigate the terrain, keep in touch with the owner, who may be far away from her. The whipping should be carried out systematically, the commands should be worked out sequentially – from simple to complex, lessons should be repeated regularly, fixing the desired skills in the animal. During training, it is necessary to monitor the dog: if he is tired, classes should be stopped. In no case do not use rude shouts if the dog is afraid to go into the forest. It is better to start with a black drop – this is the name of the autumn land, which has not yet had time to be covered with snow.

Attentive, responsible owners do not allow a dog whose age does not exceed a year to work at full strength, as this can negatively affect its health, especially the work of the heart. The Estonian hound can experience full-fledged loads when it turns 1.5-2 years old.

Care and maintenance

The Estonian hound does not take up much space in the house, and despite its mobility, it is not prone to destructive actions. Since this breed is characterized by an almost complete absence of undercoat, and the coat itself is short, the owners are spared the need to scrupulously take care of the animal's coat. However, it is desirable to comb out the dog more often, you can even daily. The procedure is carried out using a special comb for dogs with short, stiff hair. Estonian hounds do not need frequent bathing, unless, of course, the hunting season is taken into account. They can be washed once a month, and in the summer, swimming in the river may well be an alternative to bathing in a bathtub or basin, which these frisky dogs will be very happy about.

An Estonian hound living in a city apartment needs long walks. She will be happy to go for a walk with the owner, become his companion on a bike track or a morning jog. By the way, despite the fact that these dogs are very mobile, they are not inclined to tirelessly run, jump, not giving rest to others.

You should walk your pet at least twice a day, and ideally it should be done four times: early in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening and before going to bed. In total, it is desirable for the dog to overcome 4-5 km per day, while it is necessary to give her the opportunity to move at different speeds. A dog living in the city needs to run without a leash at least once a day so that he can throw out excess energy. However, it is dangerous to let Estonian hounds off the leash near roads and carriageways: if they are interested in the trail of an animal, they, guided by instinct, can stop paying attention to what is happening around, risking getting under the wheels of a car.

The Estonian hound is not too picky in food, but its owners should not use this quality. It should be borne in mind that her food should be more nutritious and high-calorie than the food familiar to dogs that do not belong to hunting breeds. Both natural food and dry food are suitable for the pet. An adult dog should be fed twice a day – in the morning and in the evening. It is desirable that the food was slightly warmed up. It is better not to offer chicken and large beef, pork bones to the dog at all, but raw lean meat is necessary for him. Treat your pet to raw fish, a good option is flounder. Do not forget about vegetables, these vitamin products are simply necessary in the diet of the animal. Carrots are especially useful for a pet, which can be grated and combined with minced meat. Once a week, you can add some raw or boiled potatoes to the menu. Barley, pearl barley, oatmeal are preferred from cereals. Millet can be given only occasionally.

Low- or medium-fat dairy products are also useful for animals. Make sure that there is always water in the dog bowl, especially in the hot season.

Health and diseases of Estonian hounds

The Estonian hound belongs to the category of dogs that have a strong immune system and are rarely susceptible to diseases. They live up to 10-14 years. Among the most common diseases that are characteristic of this breed are arthritis, dislocations, ligament tears resulting from physical exertion experienced during hunting, as well as otitis – inflammatory processes in the ears, often developing in dogs with hanging ears.

A serious danger for the Estonian hound working in the forest is represented by ticks that carry pyroplasmosis. After hunting, the owner needs to examine and feel the animal, and at the first signs of the dog's malaise (despondency, refusal to eat, thirst, paleness of the mucous membrane), immediately contact a veterinary clinic.

How to choose a puppy

The Estonian Hound is not a very popular breed in the Russian Federation. These dogs are not very recognizable, so unscrupulous sellers often sell puppies of unknown breeds, under the name of the Estonian hound. Quite often, dogs bought "by hand" at the bird market do not even remotely resemble this breed with their exterior.

The puppy should be sent to the kennel, where you need to carefully familiarize yourself with his pedigree. If you are going to raise a real hunter from a kid, make sure that his parents were not peaceful inhabitants of apartments, but experienced hunters – holders of diplomas obtained after passing field tests. A puppy whose parents have not driven a single hare is unlikely to have well-developed hunting instincts.

When choosing a baby, examine him, paying attention to the fact that he should not have an undershot or a bulldog, manifested in the fact that the lower jaw is longer than the upper one. The eyes of your chosen one should be as dark as possible. The dog should be active, look like a real sturdy – powerful, bony, thick-legged.

Find out about the age of the mother of the alleged pet. If she is less than one and a half years old or more than nine, there is a high probability that the puppy may grow up with developmental disabilities.

There is also an option to buy an Estonian hound puppy from a professional hunter who has expertly knitted his own dog and is ready to share its offspring. Keep in mind, however, that he will probably keep the best heir of his bitch for himself.

How much does an Estonian hound cost

If you are buying an Estonian hound as a pet and are not going to fully use its hunting qualities, you can respond to ads on the Internet and buy a dog for $50. However, ask the seller to give you the opportunity to find out what the puppy's mother looks like. Please also note that in this case you will most likely have to vaccinate the animal yourself.

A puppy of an Estonian hound from a kennel, whose parents were famous hunters, will cost up to $300.