Pet Healthipedia

Other names/Nicknames:

• Yugoslavian Gonic

Country/Date of origin:

• Yugoslavia
• 19th century

Height:

• 18 to 23 inches

Weight:

• 33 to 55 pounds
• About 44 being the average

Personality:

• Very active and alert.
• Calm in nature, friendly, and affectionate.
• Tends to roam.
• Great stamina.

History:

There are many fine trailing hounds from the Istrian region of the former Yugoslavia.  They are referred to as Gonic (hound).  Legs, which are longer than are usual in a Foxhound-type dog, help the Gonic traverse the rugged mountain slopes of its homeland.  The Gonic is used alone or in a pack to trail hare, fox, and roebuck.  The Istrian Gonic comes in two coat varieties.  The rough-haired is called the Ostrodiaki.  The smooth-coated is called the Kratkodiaki.  The smooth-coated dog is about a half-inch smaller than the rough-haired variety.

Body Type:

• Resembles a slim, long-legged Foxhound.
• Medium-length tail should reach just to the hocks.  It is not altered.
• Hanging ears should be long enough to reach the nose, although some variation is allowed.

Coat:

• Double coat.  The undercoat is soft and woolly.  The outercoat is two- to four-inches long, hard, and not glossy.
• The coat is rough and ruffled, but without waves or curls.
• In the smooth-coated variety, the coat is very short, dense, very fine, and glossy.
• Color is always snow white with small patches of bright orange scattered about the head and body.
• A star of white on the forehead is highly desirable.
• Grooming is moderate.

Health and Wellness:

• None are presently known.

What you should know:

• A puppy will be difficult to obtain in this breed due to the strife in the former Yugoslavia.