The Barak Hound is a dog of medium size with a distinctive shaggy coat. These scent hounds were bred for the purposes of hunting wild boar, fox and hares. They have an excellent drive to work, especially in the region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they hail from. In fact, this dog is the only recognised breed from this area.
Key facts about the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak
Physical characteristics of the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak
Adult size
Female dog
Between 18 and 22 in
Male dog
Between 18 and 22 in
Weight
Female dog
Between 35 and 53 lb
Male dog
Between 35 and 53 lb
Coat colour
Wheaten yellow, reddish yellow, earthy grey, or black.
Type of coat
The Barak Hound has a long and shaggy coat, with a dense undercoat.
Eye colour
Brown.
Description
This medium sized scent hound’s most distinctive feature is his very shaggy coat. The head’s size is in proportion to the body and has a round skull shape. The Barak Hound has exaggerated eyebrows, a moustache and a hairy beard. A medium length neck tops a square-shaped body and well-muscled legs. This breed has a long tail that is slightly curved and covered in hair.
Temperament
Affectionate
In the home, the Barak Hound is quite happy to follow his family around and is generally easy going and often affectionate.
Playful
As a lively, active dog, the Bosnian Hound makes an ideal playmate for older children. Generally quite tolerant and gentle around children.
Calm
The ideal temperament for the Barak Hound, according to the breed standard description, is calm and docile.
Intelligent
Although this dog is intelligent, he can sometimes be rather stubborn too.
Hunter
An amazingly good tracker and hunter. Bred initially to hunt wild boar, foxes and hares.
Fearful / wary of strangers
As this breed has a pack-hunting background, it is usually good around children and other dogs, yet will often be wary of strangers.
Independent
As a tracking dog, he is bred to think and work alone in the field. This is therefore quite an independant breed.
Behaviour of the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak
Tolerates solitude
Barak Hounds are very loyal dogs who attach themselves to their master. Because of this, they don’t tolerate being left alone for long periods of time.
Easy to train / obedience
Training the Barak Hound can often be quite challenging because of his high intelligence and stubbornness. He needs a trainer with a firm hand and consistent routines, to achieve the best behaviour.
Barking
When hunting, the Barak’s first instinct is to bark to alert his master to any prey. Compared to other hounds, he has a bark with a moderate to high frequency of sound level.
Tendency to run away
As a scent and hunting hound, if he notices any prey he will certainly chase after it, even if you don’t ask him to.
Destructive
If the Barak Hound becomes bored or is left alone for long periods of time, problem behaviours might arise, such as destructiveness or barking.
Greedy / Gluttony
The Bosnian Hound is not recognised as a greedy dog, providing he is fed sufficient quantities of nutritious foods to meet his dietary needs.
Guard dog
The Barak Hound is a reliable and efficient watchdog.
First dog
This energetic hunting dog needs to be provided with sufficient daily exercise to meet his requirements, otherwise he will turn into a bored, destructive dog. A first time owner must be prepared to keep this hound busy, take him jogging or for agility lessons.
Lifestyle
Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak in a flat
Not the ideal choice for a dog to live in a flat because of his high exercise needs, and the fact that he can be quite vocal. He does much better in a rural environment with plenty of outside space.
Need for exercise / Sporty
A Barack Hound is a dog with high energy. This means that he needs a considerable amount of daily exercise or he can become destructive and frustrated. A minimum of 60 minutes daily to include walking, and running supplemented with playtime, is needed.
Travelling / easy to transport
This dog will be fine travelling in the rear of a vehicle, however not recommended for journeys on public transport.
Compatibility
Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak and cats
The Bosnian Hound has a strong hunting instinct and at times won’t be able to tell the difference between a wild rabbit and a small pet. It is best to avoid this confrontation and not allow him to be around cats or other small pets.
Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak and dogs
This breed certainly does fine around other dogs, especially when living in the same household.
Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak and children
The Barak Hound shows great loyalty to his family and has a friendly nature too, making him a lovely choice for a family pet. He is patient around children and enjoys their company.
Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak and the elderly
As this dog requires a large amount of daily exercise, he isn’t the best choice for an elderly owner.
Price
Your initial purchase price to buy a Bosnian Hound puppy will be between £1200 to £1500. In addition, a monthly budget of between £100 to £120 is necessary to cover food, vet bills, and pet insurance.
Grooming
Even though he has a long coat, the Bosnian Hound requires brushing only a couple of times a week. Even after grooming, his coat will still look slightly unkempt.
Shedding
Moderate shedder.
Nutrition of the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak
As a working dog breed, the Bosnian Hound requires a high-quality dry food, manufactured for adult working dogs.
Health of the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound - Called Barak
Life expectancy
In terms of his health, there is not a lot documented as he is generally a healthy breed. Its life expectancy is between 11 and 13 years.
Strong / robust
The Bosnian Hound is a spirited, bold and tough dog.
Withstand heat
Because of his thick, dense hair, the Barak Hound needs to be kept cool and in the shade during periods of hot weather.
Withstand cold
This dog’s rough and wiry coat offers protection and insulation against cooler weather situations. The Barak will work over many difficult terrains and in all weathers without issues.
Tendency to put on weight
Moderate to average tendency to gain weight. Care must be taken not to overfeed.
The Bosnian Hound is not generally kept as a companion dog. He can be a loving, sociable and friendly dog but he also has a huge prey drive. He needs extensive exercise routines and stimulation or he will become easily frustrated and bored. If you are drawn towards this dog as your choice of pet, make sure that you can commit to his training and socialisation routines, and likewise, give him lots of exercise and activities.
Origins and history
There is not much documented history for the Bosnian Hound. It is understood to have developed from cross breeding a native and a local scent hound in Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with an Italian gun-dog, to produce a Barak. The name “Barak” actually translates from the Turkish language to mean, coarse-haired or rough-haired dog.