Gonczy Polski - TOP 10 Interesting Facts - Polish Hunting Dog

1) Origin
The Gonczy Polski is pretty old breed with its history dating back to 13th century. Poland is a country full of deep forrests and big game, which is why dog like Polish Hunting Dog was always needed and it was a constant companion of Polish hunters over the centuries up until today. It is believed that they share its ancestry with Bloodhound, but the origin and ancestry is not very well documented.
2) Sense of smell
The breed is just amazing hunter and they have many qualities for this purpose, whether it is tireless and energetic body, independent mind combined with high intelligence, natural high prey drive, determination and passion for the hunt or loyalty to the hunter, to its owner. But the biggest weapon of this breed is definitely its incredible sense of smell, which is highly valued by any hunter. It is believed, that the Gonczy Polski has one of the best noses in the dog world.
3) Polish nobility
Thanks to its amazing hunting abilities, the Gonczy Polski was very popular among the Polish nobility since at least the 14th century. Hunting was popular sport among the nobility and they very often used services of the amazing Polish Hunting Dog and by the 17th century they created at least two different types of Polish Hunting Dog. One lighter and one heavier, commonly named as Polish brach.
4) Breed standard
The two world wars caused a big decline in the breeds numbers, but luckily the breed survived, especially in the mountanious regions of Poland where it was still used for hunting. To preserve the breed, it was necessary to standardize the breed for further breeding. This was done by famous Polish cynologist Josef Pawuslewicz, who in 1950s started an extensive development of this wonderful breed and finally in 1983, the first Polish Hunting Dog breed standard was created.
5) Companion
Of course, the Polish Hunting Dog is not only a hunter, but also a loyal and loving companion pet. Of course, they are not best suited for households with other smaller pets, because of their higher prey drive, but they can happily live with other dogs in the family and they are excellent playful partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Overall, the Gonczy Polski is well behaved and balanced companion, which shows big affection and eagerness to please towards its whole family.
6) Exercise
Even though pretty calm and relaxed when it is inside around its family, this is still quite energetic dog breed with higher exercise needs. Especially if they are not used for hunting, they definitely need several daily longer walks or hikes where they can sniff around, combined with some fun training sessions or vigorous playtime. These dogs will be always ready for any outdoor adventure and it is important to provide them with enough exercise, otherwise they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction.
7) Guards
The Gonczy Polski truly love its family and is absolutely devoted to it. On the other hand, they are known to be quite alert and reserved with strangers. Thanks to this alert and watchful temperament, combined with their somehow intimidating appearance and deep booming barking, they do create good guard dogs as well. But of course, every part of the dogs personality is vastly influenced by early socialization.
8) Size
This is medium to large sized dog breed with athletic and muscular body, deep chest, straight back, muscular limbs, long floppy ears and dark brown eyes with gentle expression. The average height of this dog is between 50-59 cm, which is 19-24 inch and weight is usually between 22-26 kg, which is 48-57 lbs. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males.
9) Coat and color
The Gonczy Polski has functional doublecoat, which is relatively short, but pretty dense and that grows thicker during winter months. You can find this breed in great looking black and tan or red and brown and tan colors. Tan markings are usually on the muzzle, around the eyes, front of the neck, forechest and limbs.
10) Maintenance
Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the maintenance and grooming as well and luckily its very easy with the Gonczy Polski. Even without any grooming at all, they will keep their coat in excellent condition. Of course, brushing them from time to time is only beneficial, but it is not much needed. Just like with any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. You should take proper care about the long hanging ears and clean them properly, so they dont develop any infections.