Transylvanian Hound
Copoi ardelenesc, Erdélyi kopó, Hungarian Hound, Transylvanian Bloodhound, Transylvanian Scenthound, Transylvanischer Laufhund, Ungarische Bracke
The Transylvanian Hound is a scenthound that originally had two varieties, Tall and Short, each used to hunt specific game. The Tall was used with hunters on horseback to peruse bear and wolf, and in later times boar and deer. Hunters on foot preferred the Short variety to find small game such as hare and fox.
Transylvanian Hound Standards
- 22-26"
- 66-77 lbs
- medium-sized scenthound
- hanging ears with rounded tips
- medium-length tail
- double coat is short, straight, and dense
- black and tan
- may have white markings
History of the Transylvanian Hound
It is believed the ancestors of the Transylvanian Hound arrived in Hungary with the Magyars sometime in the 9th century. Their hounds were crossed with local dogs to create both varieties of the breed. After WWII both varieties became rare, even in Hungary, although a stable number survived in the Transylvanian forest within Romania. Unfortunately, in 1947 the Romanian government ordered an extermination of all Hungarian dogs, including the Tall, Short and Hungarian Greyhound, because it reminded them of a past occupation. The Short did not appear to survive this blow, and most sources state it as being extinct. The Tall went on to survive, revitalized by other breeds, mostly the Swiss Laufhunds.