The Transylvanian Hound, is an extremely rare Hungarian hunter newly imported to the United States. Until recently, these dogs were unknown outside of Hungary. These scenthounds were used by Hungarian royalty and nobility to hunt bear, stag, wolf, boar, and lynx. But sadly, after WWII, the Romanian government, perceiving these dogs to be a symbol of Hungarian occupation, sought to exterminate the breed through official orders.

                                          A few survived, and breeders have been carefully working to build up the breed while maintaining its high standards. When the Magyars invaded the Carpathian Mountains of eastern Hungary in the ninth century, they brought hounds with them. A Magyar dog cross-bred with a native dog, and later crossed with the Polish hound of east Europe, resulted in this hardy breed created for the extremes in temperature and terrain of the Carpathians. Heavy winter snows and sultry summers required hounds particularily adaptable to climate variations. These mountains were heavily forested, therefore the dogs of the area were bred for strength, endurance, and agility, allowing them to easily hunt game while leading mounted riders. Hungarian kings and princes used them extensively for hunting wolf and bear in these mountainous regions.

                                         The Transylvanian hound is known for its keen sense of direction and orientation to the environment, vital in mountainous and forested cover. Prized for his obedient, trainable, good-natured temperment, this dog has a tendency to form strong attachments to its primary caregivers and will remain a loyal, protective companian. Sleek in appearance, with stunning good looks, these dogs present a very elegant, proud appearance. Their erect posture and beautifully sculptured head portray great attentiveness and authority. Because they are so highly regarded by the Hungarians themselves, they have been jealously protected and carefully bred to insure the purity of the breed, while slowly trying to bring them back from the brink of extinction. Until very recently, this breed was virtually unknown outside of Hungary, and its numbers known to be extremely low.

Statistics: Weight: 66-77 lbs. Height: 22-26 inches

Coat: Short and sleek Color: Black and tan

Other names: Erdelyi Kopo, Tall Hungarian Hound