The Barak[1][2] or Bosnian Broken-haired Hound[1] (Bosnian, Serbo-Croatian: Bosanski oštrodlaki gonič / Босански оштродлаки гонич),[1] is a hunting dog breed developed in Bosnia. The breed is a scenthound, originally used to hunt large game. Other names include Bosnian Rough-haired Hound[3] and Bosnian Rough-coated Hound.[4] These names refer to the texture of the shaggy coat, usually called broken-haired or hard in English dog fancier jargon.
History
Today's breed is descended from indigenous dog types, crossed with an Italian gun dog in the 1890s.[5] "Local hunters, wanting to produce an efficient scent hound, developed this breed in the nineteenth century, using the available stock of dogs."[6][unreliable source] The early type of today's smaller Istrian Shorthaired Hound may also have contributed to the Bosnian Coarse-haired Hound.
The Bosnian Coarse-haired Hound was first recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1965 under the name of "Illyrian Hound". The name was changed to more accurately describe its area of origin in Bosnia. The breed is in Group 6, Scenthounds, Section 1.1 Large-sized Hounds, and is breed number 155. It is also recognised by the United Kennel Club (US) as the "Barak", in the Scenthound Group.[2] The breed is not recognised by any other major kennel clubs in the English speaking world, although many minor kennel clubs, internet dog registry businesses, and rare breed registries promote and register it as a unique pet.
A genetic analysis found that modern Barak dogs have high genetic diversity and are most closely related to the Tornjak.[7]
Description
A Bosnian Coarse-haired Hound from 1915.
Appearance
The most striking feature of the Bosnian Coarse-haired Hound is its shaggy, hard coat of yellowish (wheaten or red) or greyish colours, often with a white blaze on its head along with other white marks. The standard calls for a body length ten percent greater than height; these proportions are given to differentiate the Bosnian Coarse-haired Hound from other hounds of the area which are "a bit low on leg". Height ranges from 43–55 cm (17–21.5 in) at the withers, and weight is between 16–27 kg (35–60 lb). The dog normally carries its tail curved slightly upward, and its face has a bushy moustache and beard.
Temperament
The breed standard describes its behaviour as lively, as well as courageous and persistent.
^Alderton, David (2000). Hounds of the world. Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press. p. 112. ISBN1-85310-912-6.
^Fogle, Bruce (2009). The encyclopedia of the dog. New York: DK Publishing. p. 186. ISBN978-0-7566-6004-8.
^"Mixing Dogs with Politics". Foreign Press Bureau Daily Bulletin. Croatian Information Centre. 16 March 1999. Archived from the original on 2002-08-25. Retrieved 1 August 2018 – via IstriaNet.org. The Bosnian Barak is for the time being the only Bosnian breed that has been recognised Translation of a piece first published as: Turkalj, T. (13 March 1999). "Kad psi udu u politiku". Obzor–Broj (in Bosnian). No. 205. pp. 3–4. Provides significant additional background material on the ancestry of the breed.
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