Not very well known in Poland Balkan Mountain Dog breed are lively and very intelligent hunting dogs. With proper training and a large dose of daily activity, they can be perfect companions for a man or even the whole family! Do you want to learn more? Read more!
Balkan Gentian – breed description
The Balkan Gentleman is a medium-sized dog with a strong body structure. Males usually reach a height at the withers from 46 to 56 cm, while bitches – from 44 to 54 cm. The weight of dogs (regardless of gender) fluctuates around 20 kg. The body is elongated, the back is long and wide. The tail is strong at the base, carried low, takes the shape of a sabre. The jaw of the dog is strong and solid. The legs are well muscled and end in feet with hard black claws. The skull is slightly rounded and the eyes are placed under distinct eyebrow arches. You can find much more infroation about this dog at PetsTime.com
The coat of the Balkan Gentian is short but very rich and dense. Underneath the top coat there is a dense undercoat that protects the dog from moisture and cold. According to the FCI classification, the coat should be red (shades of red or tan) with a black saddle or coat.
Character and temperament of dogs from the hunting group
The Balkan Gentian is a very intelligent, sociable, energetic and extremely active dog. It learns new commands quickly and willingly and loves spending time with its owner and the whole family. This dog quickly gets along with children and is gentle and friendly towards them.
However, the Balkan Goon requires a lot of exercise, and long daily walks are an obligation from which there are no exceptions! It is also worth remembering that, like most hunting dogs, this one also likes to dominate. In order that this feature doesn’t influence his contact with people, it’s best to start training him as soon as possible. It’s also good to socialize the dog from the very beginning. It should also be taken into account that the strong hunting instinct of the dog may affect its relationship with other animals. However, if the Balkan Gentleman will be brought up with other animals from the beginning, he will certainly find a common language with them.
The Balkan Gentleman – origins and brief historical background
It is commonly believed that the Balkan Gentleman came to Europe from Egypt with the Phoenicians. However, the first historical description of this breed comes from the 11th century. Already at that time dogs were used mainly as human companions during hunting. The most important thing was the dog’s ability to track game – it was used during the hunting of hares, rabbits, but also larger animals such as wild boars. The Balkan Mountain Dog has always hunted in packs.
Despite such a long history of the breed, its standard was developed in 1924, but for recognition and registration in the FCI dogs had to wait until 1940.
Currently, the popularity of the breed has strongly decreased. There are very few Balkan Hunting Dogs in the world.
Nutrition and health of hunting dogs
The Balkan Gentian is a very healthy breed. The average lifespan of dogs is as long as 14 years! No specific diseases have been described that the breed would suffer from unusually often.
Like almost all of the other hounds and posokhs, the Balkan Hound also has a large appetite. They will happily eat fresh food prepared according to the recommendations of the BARF diet, but they will not disdain ready-made food (wet or dry) either.
How to take care of your pet’s coat?
The Balkan Gentian is not a dog that needs special grooming. Even during the moulting period, its coat doesn’t come out in particularly large amounts. Therefore, it is enough to brush it once a week with a brush properly chosen for the dog.
The Balkan Gentian enjoys little popularity in our country. Nevertheless, it is worth getting to know this breed better. Are you active, do you have a lot of time for playing and training with your dog? Do you like very intelligent animals? If so, you can adopt this dog to your family. Just remember not to leave him alone for too long and to give him plenty of exercise every day. Then you will raise a happy dog, which will understand your every command. You will certainly not be disappointed!
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