The Estonian Hound is a scent hound

Scent hound

Scent hounds are a type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. The Scenthound breeds are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among canines....

-like breed

Dog breed

Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

 which is the only dog breed developed in Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

. It was bred in 1947 when the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

's national economy ministry decided that every country in the Union must have its own dog breed.

Estonian Hound's height is 17–21 in (43.2–53.3 cm) and it weighs 33–44 lb (15–20 kg). It is medium-sized and well-muscled with strong bone-structure. They have shiny rough short-haired coat. The dog's coat colour can be blackish-brown, red or saddle-like patch on the dog's back.

The Estonian Kennel Union is presently working on the recognition of the breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale

Fédération Cynologique Internationale

Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...

.