Barak Hound - Bosnian Broke Haired Hound

Appearance
The Bosnian Coarse Haired Hound is a medium sized, rustic looking strong dog breed with average height between 18-22 inch, which is 46-56 cm and weight is typically between 35-60 pounds, which is 16-27 kgs. Females are naturally little bit smaller than males.​

The Barak Hound is known for its relatively long, shaggy and hard coat. These dogs also have soft and dense undercoat. The coat comes in different shades grey, yellow, blackish or reddish. They also have distinctive mustache and beard on the face.

This breed has very muscular legs, deep chest, thick and slightly curved tail, visible eyebrows, oval eyes in dark brown color and ears, that are broad, pretty long and set high. Overall, these dogs have serious expression, but it is very friendly and playful breed.
Temperament
The Barak Hound is a hunter, to be more specific a scenthound and they are great at this purpose. According to the official FCI breed standard, they are resistant and persistant scenthounds with high sounding voice, which is sometimes pretty deep. When hunting, these dogs mainly use their nose and endurance as their main weapons. These dogs are excellent trackers, who are always absolutely dedicated for the hunt.

Of course, these dogs are not only great hunters, they also make good companion dogs. They are generally pretty easygoing and bond closely to its family. They will want to be part of your daily activities and spend as much time with their owners as possible.

Bosnian Coarse Haired Hounds typically do not have problems with other dogs in the family, but other smaller household pets might be problematic, because of their higher prey drive. But of course, this is vastly influenced by early training and socialization. Typically, Barak Hounds are also good playful partners for kids, but the kid should be old enough how to treat dogs gently.

Even though, the Barak Hound is very intelligent breed, they are also pretty independent and some owners say stubborn, which makes the training little bit more challanging. They are also known to like barking. These dogs definitely need patient and consistent trainer, who will show them the boundaries and teach them all the necessary obedience commands.

Another reason, why this is not a dog for everyone is their high energy level. These dogs definitely need daily proper exercise, several outdoor walks, hikes or jogs, vigorous or task oriented playtime or fun training sessions. You just must occupy their mind and body everyday, to keep them healthy and happy. These dogs are best suited for living in a house with a fenced yard. Without enough exercise, they can develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking.
History
The Bosnian Coarse Haired hounds history is not very well documented, but its believed that they were developed from some local indigenous scent hounds crossed with Italian gun dogs in the 19th century. Istrian Shorthaired Hound also maybe played a role, in the breeds development.

The breed is pretty rare these days, especially outside Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the reasons is civil war in 1990s, which reduced Barak Hounds numbers a lot, but luckily, the breed survived.

First, the breed was officially recognized by the FCI in 1965 under the name Illyrian Hound, but their name was later changed to Bosnian Broken-Haired Hound - called Barak, which is better for describing their place of origin – Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Health and Grooming
There is not much information and scientific studies about the breeds health, but it should be pretty healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan between 12-15 years. Just like all dogs, they can suffer from some health issues, such as hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation or allergies.

Great fact is, that despite of their shaggy and relatively long coat, this is pretty easy to maintain dog breed. They do not shed much and ocassional brushing is enough to keep the coat in good condition. They normally keep themselves relatively clean, so bathing is not needed very often. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, teeth and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.