The Istrian Shorthaired Hound (FCI No. 151, original name is Istarski Kratkodlaki Gonič) is a 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....

 of dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 from Istria

Istria

Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...

 in Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

, descended from a very old type

Dog type

Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....

 of scenthound. The Istrian Shorthaired Hound is the slightly smaller counterpart to the longer coated Istrian Coarse-haired Hound from the same region.

Appearance

The Istrian Shorthaired Hound has a short, smooth, glossy hard coat, primarily white with sparse patches of orange. The breed has a typical well muscled hound body, with long legs and a long tail. The head is fairly broad and flat (not domed on top) with short (for a hound) triangular drop ears that hang close to the head, a type called typically east European.

The ideal height for an adult dog is 50 cm (19.5 ins) at the withers

Withers

The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...

 and weight is about 18 kg (40 lbs), female slightly smaller.

The cry or baying while hunting (important for a scenthound) is described as persistent and sharp.

History

There is no actual proof of great antiquity for today's breed (such as written lineages going back to antiquity), although there is much fanciful conjecture. The type is very old, and the modern breed resembles images seen in frescoes as early as 1497. Writers cited as having mentioned the type include Bishop Bakič of Đakovo in 1719 and the veterinarian Franjo Bertič, also of Đakovo, in 1859. The old type is seen in the Posavaz Hound

Posavaz Hound

The Posavac Hound is a breed of dog, originating as a hunting dog of the scenthound type. Croatia is the home country for the breed...

 and the Istrian Coarsehaired Hound as well. The smooth and coarse-haired hounds were used for hunting in Istria

Istria

Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...

 (see the article on Motovun

Motovun

Motovun is a village in central Istria, Croatia. The population of the village itself is 531, with a total of 983 residents in the municipality ; 442 of the residents have Italian as their mother language...

 for photographs of the sort of mountainous terrain they were bred to hunt) while the Posavaz Hound is from the Sava Valley. The Istrian hounds are thought to be the oldest of the hound breeds in the Balkan region.

A stud book was established in 1924 to document which hounds were considered of this breed. The FCI accepted the breed in 1949, but it was not until 1973 that the first breed standard was published (the FCI does not write the breed standard, it is written in the breed's country of origin and published by the FCI to be used internationally, so that other countries will also describe the breed in the same manner as the breed's home country, and not change it to suit themselves.) It is recognised in the scenthound group 6. It is also recognised in the scenthound group in North America by the United Kennel Club. It also is recognised under its original name, the standard English translations, other translations or combinations of the translation and Croatian name by minor kennel clubs and other organisations. It also may be promoted as a rare breed

Rare breed (dog)

Rare breed is any breed of dog that is small in number. Since dogs have greater genetic variability than other domesticated animals the number of possible breeds is vast...

 for those seeking an unusual pet.

The Istrian Shorthaired Hound is still kept in its homeland and in nearby areas for hunting, not as a pet, and is especially valued for hunting fox and rabbit.

Health and temperament

No specific health problems or claims of extraordinary health have been documented for this breed. The ideal temperament according to the standard

Breed standard (dogs)

A breed standard in the dog fancy is a set of guidelines covering specific externally observable qualities such as appearance, movement, and temperament for that dog breed...

is docile and calm, and lively and enthusiastic when hunting.