In Russia, they always loved hunting. The vast expanses of the country and the myriad of diverse game contributed to the increase in the army of hunters. Dogs were used for successful fishing. Russian breeders sought to breed adapted to local conditions. The result of their work was the Russian pinto. Today, dogs of this breed are one of the most popular and in demand in the former Soviet republics.
Origin
The first mention of Russian hounds can be found in the annals of the eleventh century. Dog hunting has always been a popular occupation of the Russian nobility. In the 18-19 centuries, wealthy owners could afford to keep up to several hundred animals. Naturally, everyone tried to improve their livestock. For these purposes, they used English Foxhounds imported from Europe, considered one of the best hunting breeds. Later, French selection dogs were used.
Haphazard crossbreeding led to the appearance of diverse animals. Russian hounds were called dogs, similar in working qualities, but completely different in appearance. They stood out for their excellent stamina and a peculiar sonorous bark. By the efforts of breeders-breeders by the end of the 19th century, the population was stabilized, and in 1895 the breed standard was adopted.
Dogs were bred in several breeding plants. The work was interrupted during the civil war in Russia. After its completion, breeding was resumed. During this time, most of the livestock was lost, but the breeders managed to restore it. In 1925, at the First All-Union Cynological Congress, the breed standard for the Anglo-Russian hound was adopted. Subsequent dilution was carried out "in itself", impurity of extraneous blood was not allowed. The selection was carried out not only by working qualities, but also by the ability of animals to adapt to local conditions.
Russian pinto (the photo is presented in this material) got its official name in 1951, by this time the breed standard had changed a bit. The breed is distinguished by a pronounced appearance, a certain character and excellent working qualities. Despite the large number of livestock and the fruitful use of dogs for hunting, FCI still has not recognized the breed.
Description of Russian pinto hound
- Appearance. Strong, beautiful, proportionately folded dog. The muscles are well developed, the backbone is massive. Outwardly resembles foxhound.
- Worker qualities. The dog is distinguished by a thin scent. It helps the animal to easily navigate and confidently follow the trail. A strong sonorous voice is heard far in the forest, through it the hunter confidently goes into the game. Fearlessness of dogs helps them to follow the trail of large animals of a wolf or bear.
- Character. Friendly, good-natured, smart. Russian pinto hounds work well both alone and in pairs. Loving in the pack. Obedient, easy to train, devoted to the owner.
- Suit. The vast majority of the breed has a white color with red and black marks. There is black, crimson with marks color or gray with tan.
Standard
The Presidium of the Russian Federation of hunting dog breeding in 1994 approved the breed standard of the Russian pinto hound. Description of the standard:
- Head. Not heavy, has a clear outline, well covered with skin. The forehead is narrow and flat; the occipital protuberance is moderately developed. The neck is muscular, round, equal in length to the head.
- Eyes. They are oval, large, widely set, expressive, smart. The standard allows a slight slanting. Color is brown, saturated dark tones are welcome. The eyelids are dark.
- Muzzle. Wedge-shaped, lower jaw rounded. Lips fit tight, not saggy. The bottom is slightly thicker than the top. Cheeks and cheekbones are flat. The nose is black, large.
- Teeth. White, covered with snow-white strong enamel. Scissor bite, correct, without gaps.
- The ears. Medium in size, thin, triangular in shape, rounded tips. High-set, hanging, fit snugly to the head, descend to the cheeks. Permissible folds.
- Torso. The body format is rectangular. Strong skeleton, musculature well developed, embossed. The withers are massive, better expressed in males.
- Chest. Deep, descends to the elbow joints, the ribs are rounded, springy, wide. The belly is tight.
- Back. Strong, wide. Loin rounded, well defined. Croup sloping, powerful.
- Limbs. Straight, tall, with well-defined muscles, widely set, dry and strong. The shoulders are well developed, the forearms are oval, strong. The joints are large. The hind limbs noticeably go beyond the line of the croup, strong, elongated hips, sheer metatarsals. Paws are oval or round in shape, fingers tightly compressed.
- Tail. At the base, thick, tapering towards the end, saber-shaped, raised up. Stopping is not accepted.
- Wool. The outer hair is hard. The undercoat is well developed, but not too dense, does not repel water and dirt. On the ears, legs and head, the hair is shorter than on the rest of the body (4-5 cm, even longer on the hips). The skin does not form folds.
- Suit. Three color options are allowed: gray-piebald, crimson-piebald; tricolor - a combination of piebald and black color. The spots can be of any size and cover any area, the stomach and legs are always white. Small specks are allowed.
Height and weight are not specified in the standard. The weight of animals ranges from 25-30 kg, the height in females is 55-65 cm, in males - 58-68 cm. The average life expectancy is 12 years.
Character Features
The breed Russian pinto hound is characterized by a calm and balanced character. Its representatives quite quietly get along with other dogs, can "make friends" with cats. However, birds and small rodents remain an object of hunting for them. The peculiarity of the breed is the ability to work both in bat and alone.
Do not show importunity, demanding attention from the owner. Get along well with children, but a small child is unlikely to keep an energetic friend on a leash. By nature, animals are curious and rather arrogant. They will not beg for something tasty - they will take it themselves. Moreover, they demonstrate miracles of ingenuity. Re-educating is a vain effort, it is easier to reliably close and hide food.
The guarding instinct in the hounds is poorly developed. They do not know how to preserve household goods, they will certainly bark at an outsider. By barking, the animal shows the whole spectrum of its emotions, and quite loudly. When living in an apartment, this can be a problem.
Breed diseases
Dogs of the Russian pinto hound are distinguished by good health and strong immunity. However, there are a number of characteristic diseases:
- allergies, most often the result of an unbalanced or malnutrition;
- hip dysplasia, usually congenital, is detected at one year of age;
- myositis, accompanied by inflammation (purulent, eosinophilic, rheumatic) muscles, leads to swelling of muscle tissue, and then to chronic lameness;
- conjunctivitis, with an advanced stage, can go into a chronic form;
- degenerative myelopathy (spinal cord disease), affects elderly animals, leads to paralysis of the hind limbs.
The dog is constantly in the forest, often in contact with wild animals, therefore, a prerequisite for maintaining the health of the pet is timely vaccination and regular treatment from external parasites and worms.
Content
The Russian pinto hound (the photo fully conveys its external characteristics) is an active and very mobile animal. The best place to stay is a country house with a furnished spacious aviary and a booth. The dog needs long walks and good physical activity. It is recommended to walk on a leash, because a strong hunting instinct makes animals hunt "for everything that moves." In the heat of pursuit of a cat or another dog, they can escape.
Wool does not require special care. During molting, the dog is combed daily, the rest of the time - no more than once a week. They bathe animals as they become soiled. By nature, hounds are clean and especially not dirty.
Feeding
Feeding a Russian pinto hound does not cause problems. A dog can digest food in about 8 hours. Typically, the daily portion is divided into several meals: 3 or 4. Such a diet will not cause an acute hunger in the animal. Serving size is determined by pet preference.
There are two options:
- Natural feeding. The basis of the diet is beef meat. Tubular bones (any animals and birds) are excluded. Acceptable vegetables, fruits, dairy products, offal, cereals.
- Dry feed. A balanced food in all respects will help to maintain good physical shape of the dog effortlessly. When choosing a company, it should be borne in mind that high-quality feed cannot be lower than the premium class.
It is strictly forbidden to feed animals from the table. Sugar beef bone is quite suitable as a treat.
Training
The Russian quail hound dog has an independent character and will try to prove its superiority. She immediately needs to be made clear who the “pack leader” is. Education begins from the moment when the puppy crosses the threshold of the house. At the age of 3 months, babies are taught the basic commands “To me”, “Fu”, “Sit”, “You can’t” and others. Later, “professional” teams are used. Feeding is carried out only after the signal of a hunting horn. Practice walking young animals in the area of ​​future hunting.
Hounds begin to train from 10-11 months of age, when the skeleton and muscle corset get stronger. You can’t rush into a surge, you can harm the young body and vocal cords. The best time for surge is spring and autumn. By the beginning of the hunt, the dog must learn to walk near the owner without a leash, immediately leave the forest by the sound of a hunting horn. The innate mind and quick-wittedness of the hounds allows them to understand the master at a glance.
Working qualities
For dogs of the Russian pinto hound there are qualities without which its work in hunting is impossible:
- Flair. A well-developed flair helps to quickly find and raise game. It will not allow the dog to lose track. This ability is inherited and is very much appreciated by dog ​​breeders.
- Prey. This is the ability to find and drive the beast, giving voice. At the same time, the hound independently searches for game, adhering to the general direction of movement of the hunter.
- Vote. Sensitive, melodic, sonorous and strong. It helps the hunter to determine the place where the dog will drive the prey. The sign is transmitted from the parents; when selecting pairs, the “voice” of the animals must be taken into account.
- Viscosity. The animal’s ability to aggressively untangle the track, if it is lost, again find and continue walking along it.
- Endurance. The race of the beast can last for hours, a weak dog simply can not withstand the load.
- Malice Hounds have an innate malice towards the beast. They should not be afraid to drive a large beast alone.
Hunting with a dog
The Hound is an excellent hunting partner. The most important advantages:
- the dog will not only find the game, but also drive it to the arrow;
- will give time for aiming, preventing the hare from falling under the legs;
- a well-trained dog will bring game;
- losing an object of hunting with such a partner is almost impossible.
On the other hand, there are some difficulties. Not so often, modern man has time to break free to hunt. Only a true professional can train a dog properly. A poorly trained hound will interfere more than help. Not every game can be taken with a Russian pinto hound (photo “at work”). Basically, they hunt hares, raccoon dogs, foxes, wolves, wild boars.
The choice
Puppies of the Russian pinto are selected when they turn one month old. During this period, animal defects are noticeable. Pay attention to the build of the dog, its physical condition, activity. Size does not matter. Be sure to be interested in the origin of the puppy, working qualities are inherited.
The price range is large and depends on the class of the puppy:
- Pet class. Animals meet all the requirements of the breed, but have some flaws in appearance. They participate in exhibitions, perform hunting duties properly. Price - $ 100 (5,600 rubles.).
- Brid-class. Puppies do not have serious shortcomings, but rarely show winners at shows. Performance is consistent with breed standard. Price 300-500 $ (16 900 - 28 000 rub.).
- Show class. The elite of the breed, it is they who are purchased for breeding, 100% meet the requirements of the breed standard. Keeping such animals is an expensive pleasure. Price from 1000 $ / 56 000 rub.
There are frequent cases when hunters prefer adult, well-trained dogs. The main difficulty here is to establish contact with a partner.