RUSSIAN PEAK

Brief description of the Russian Hound breed

Males of Russian hounds reach 58-68 cm at the withers, females - 55-65 cm. The weight of dogs ranges from 25-30 kg. The constitution of the animals is strong, muscular, with a developed skeleton. The skull of the dog is relatively small (due to the developed body), wedge-shaped, and the muzzle is elongated. The neck of Russian hounds is dry, of small length. The body is muscular, the back is straight, the stomach is tucked up. The tail is saber-shaped, tapering towards the bottom. The limbs are straight, bony. The characteristic features of the dog are triangular drooping ears, well-developed large teeth (scissor bite), almond-shaped brown eyes.

The color of Russian hounds is black, crimson, white with red and black markings or gray with light tan marks, the vast majority of the limbs and abdomen are white. The hair on the head, ears and paws is short, on the back, neck and thighs it is somewhat longer, the undercoat is soft and dense. Russian hounds are often compared with a wolf due to the manner of holding their heads low, and also because of the similarity in figure - the body is lowered to the croup, which makes the chest and front legs visually longer and higher. The life expectancy of dogs of this breed is 10-12 years.

The cost of a Russian hound puppy depends on whether it belongs to a certain class:

Sometimes hunters prefer to purchase from a breeder an adult, trained and familiar with all the intricacies of hunting game. In this case, the owner takes a minimum of time to educate the dog, but you have to establish contact with a dog that has its own habits. Since Russian hounds must obey a strong-willed and rather tough (not cruel) person, it should be understood that it will not be easy to get along with a dog that has actually been raised by an outsider.

The first mention of ancient Russian hounds dates back to the 11th century. The real flowering of hunting dogs, including Russian hounds, began after the 15th century, when the nobility everywhere in Rus' became interested in dog hunting. Wealthy kennel owners of that time called Russian hounds yappers due to the loud barking of the game during the persecution of game. There is an opinion that the ancestors of Russian hounds were medelyanki (now extinct ancient Russian breed large dogs, whose purpose was baiting and hunting for a bear) and Tatar hounds.

The popularity of Russian hounds led to unsystematic crossing, which significantly influenced the appearance and character of the puppies. The works of breed researchers dating back to the 18-19 centuries include such contradictory facts regarding the uniform appearance of dogs that there is every reason to believe that many were called Russian hounds until a certain time. hunting dogs with a similar character, but completely different in external characteristics. Only by the 19th century did the situation with appearance and habits begin to take on some stability. Russian hounds were good at chasing game alone and in pairs, as well as together with greyhounds. Always these dogs were distinguished by unprecedented endurance, refusal of food and rest, if it was required to track down and pursue the beast. The first breed standard was issued in 1895.

From the end of the 19th century, the popularity of Russian hounds was eclipsed by English foxhounds, many hunters considered these dogs to be more successful during the hunt, which gave inspiration to create a new breed - Anglo-Russian hound, which is also called Russian piebald hound. Often representatives of these breeds are confused, indeed, they are outwardly similar, the differences are only in color and sonority of voices, as well as some details that are not very noticeable to an ignorant person. However, for the climate and the characteristics of the territories of our country, it is the Russian hound that is more suitable, whose history of creation goes back to distant centuries. In European countries, the Russian hound does not have much popularity, while in our country avid hunters have the honor to take this dog as a companion.

Russian hounds do not require special care. All care procedures are reduced to regular combing of wool. During the shedding period, combing should be done daily to rid the dog of dead hairs. Bathing a dog should not be practiced too often. 2-3 times a year will suffice. These dogs they are quite clean and tidy, which, of course, only plays a plus for them.

Accommodation dogs in the apartment (especially a small area) is undesirable, since the Russian hound needs enough space for games and entertainment. Therefore, the ideal option would be to settle the animal in a fairly large aviary with a booth on the territory of a private or country house. An indispensable condition for keeping such a dog is daily long walks. A person who does not have enough time for walking, training and providing active time for a dog should hardly start a Russian hound.

Feeding Russian Hound dogs does not have any features. If the owner considers it possible to cook food for the dog on his own, then the basis of nutrition is meat, offal, cereals and vegetables, and sour-milk products. You should never feed a Russian hound with food from the table, since food prepared for people contains a large amount of harmful ingredients (seasonings, spices), it can be too fatty, sweet. Hard tubular bones, in order to avoid damage to the digestive organs, should also not be given to the dog. When feeding with natural food, care should be taken to introduce vitamins into the diet. dogsespecially in spring and autumn. A good alternative to food prepared by the owner's caring hands is ready-made industrial food. Such a choice will be good in the case when its quality is not lower than the premium class.

The main diseases characteristic of Russian hounds include: