The Polish Hound Temperament would make a fantastic addition to most households. He’s a loyal, smart, affectionate dog that everyone in your family will love. But his high exercise needs could represent a problem for some owners.
It’s these little details that make understanding the Polish Hound traits essential for any potential owner. And the discussions below dive deep into his temperament to ensure you have the necessary information.
The Polish Hound Temperament and Personality
1. Loyal and Protective
The Polish Hound temperament is one filled with a loyalty to his loved ones. His sense of devotion goes a long way, as he’s willing to protect his family. This trait makes him an adequate guard dog to have around your home.
His role of protector is something he takes seriously. Intruders would have a hard time breaking into your home with a Polish Hound on the case. He’ll do whatever he needs to ensure his family is safe.
This trait does have a downside though as it makes him reserved around strangers. But this particular Polish Hound behavior is easily correctable with the proper training methods. Early socialization is another crucial part of solving this issue.
2. Pet and Kid Friendly
One of the Polish Hound temperament’s best parts is he’s friendly toward both pets and children. This particular trait puts him among a rare class within the dog community. You see most breeds either have issues with one or both of these groups.
But the Polish Hound will calmly interact with both without issues. It makes him an excellent option for a family or someone that wants a second pet. But this trait doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch his interactions with your kids or pets closely.
He’s not perfect, and there might be a slip up from time to time. But he’s a lot less prone to these incidents than almost every other breed. It also helps that other dogs seem to love him as much as he loves them.
3. Affectionate
Few dog breeds love their families more than the Polish Hound. And he’ll show this admiration through affectionate acts such as hugs. It’s adorable and something any dog owner would love to have in their home.
These affectionate acts aren’t only reserved for one person either. He instead will rotate throughout the family and emit a sense of joy inside your home. He’s even known to cuddle up with other pets as well.
4. Intelligent
This next trait might be the most useful within the Polish Hound temperament, his high-level intelligence. This aspect makes training a relative breeze with his ability to grasp new concepts quickly.
It also helps that he has a top-notch memory, which ensures the lessons take effect quickly. This level of smarts does come with its own set of challenges though. You see a smart dog is also a stubborn one and might find his way more appealing than yours.
This scenario is something you’ll have to watch out if/when you become a Polish Hound owner. But with the right approach, this potential issue shouldn’t be too hard to correct in training.
5. Highly Active
This breed’s exercise needs are legendary. He loves to keep busy and needs at least 90 minutes of activity per day. You can imagine how this part of the Polish Hound temperament can be a hassle for some owners.
But it’s also perfect for potential dog owners that want a running companion. He’s ideally suited for this role with his hunting background that provides him with great stamina. His calm personality means you can allow your kids to help him meet his activity needs as well.
He’ll gladly run around with them in the backyard and won’t overreact to an accidental pull or tug. His friendly disposition also makes him a great candidate to take out into the public. There isn’t a place or event where he wouldn’t end up the star.
A Quick Look at Polish Hound History
The Polish Hound’s history starts where you might expect it, Poland. His presence there was first noticed in the 17th century when he first popped up in a book. This book, Hunting with the Hounds, depicted him as a larger breed who approached hunting with particular ferocity.
But there’s a bit of disagreement among experts about the starting point of his origins. Some find F.B Laska's theory of the breed descending from the Kostroma Hound as correct. Others agree that it starts in the Middle Ages with cross-breeding between Bloodhounds and local dogs.
Either way, the breed was thriving up until World War II, which caused a substantial decrease in his numbers. It was such a massive decline that extinction was feared. But an attempt to revive the breed was taken up by two of his strongest supporters.
These supporters were both Colonels with the names Piotr Karatwik and Josef Pawlusiewicz. Their efforts ended up creating two different variations:
- Pawlusiewicz's small-boned version
- Kartawik's large-boned version
Kartawik’s creation would end up getting recognized as the Ogar Polski by the FCI (Federation Cynologique International) in 1966. And it would be the accepted Polish Hound’s breed standard from that point.
Understanding the Polish Hound Appearance
This breed’s size is rather average considering the following set of measurements:
- The Polish Hound height will range between 20 and 22 inches
- The Polish Hound weight on average will vary from 44 to 57 pounds
These measurements result in a long, well-muscled physique. His muzzle will be long as well and feature a wide black nose. The oval-shaped eyes will be dark brown, and his ears will hang down close to the face.
He’ll also have a broad chest and long legs, which make him a fantastic hunting companion. The coat will feature a thick undercoat that’ll keep him warm during the winter months.
He’ll have a top coat as well, which will be longer on his legs and tail. It’ll also be shorter on both his ears and face. The Polish Hound colors typically are bi-colored fur combinations of the following:
- Black
- Tan
- Red
White markings on his chest, tail, and lower legs are acceptable as well.
A Brief Polish Hound Training Guide
Training this breed is considered a relatively easy process. All it takes is an understanding of the methods that’ll get the best results. In most cases, the Polish Hound temperament will respond reasonably well to positive reinforcement training.
He does tend to develop slower mentally than other breeds. This trait means his puppyish behaviors might stick around longer than you expect. It’s essential you remain patient with him despite this issue and never resort to harsh techniques.
Another vital part of this process is early socialization. It’ll ensure he becomes comfortable experiencing new things and doesn’t develop anxiety. But the most crucial part of this process is establishing consistency.
This breed valves it above all else during training sessions. You must make sure all your family members understand the established rules. In other words, you can’t have one person allowing him on the couch and another person disciplining him for it.
Helpful Dog Training Resource:
For help with training your Polish Hound dog, you should take a look at The Online Dog Trainer by Doggy Dan. Doggy Dan is an expert Dog Trainer based in New Zealand. His online resource contains Hundreds of Excellent Dog Training Videos that will take you step-by-step through the process of developing a healthy, happy well-behaved dog.
Relevant Polish Hound Health Issues
If you’re looking for a dog with few health issues, this breed’s an ideal choice. You see the Polish Hound lifespan’s a bit lengthier than your average dog, 13 to 14 years. And this longer life comes with a lack of proclivity to contracting numerous diseases.
However, there are still some health issues that are found in this breed regularly:
Understanding all the ins and outs of these conditions could help your dog avoid them. It’s also imperative that you visit the vet regularly. These visits will give you an audience with a professional that’ll answer any questions regarding your dog’s health.
If you’re getting a Polish Hound puppy, hip dysplasia should already be on your mind. It’s necessary you ensure the puppy has parents with OFA certified hips. This certification lessens the chances a dog will contract this condition.
It’s also useful in separating the bad Polish Hound breeders from the good ones. Any breeder worth his salt will make this paperwork readily available. If they don’t, it’s a sign that you should move onto another quickly.
Note: if you agree that your health and your dog's health should be a top priority then get a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health. Your friendly Polish Hound will love you for it. This guide will help save you money, time and most of all help you keep your dog healthy.
The Polish Hound Grooming Requirements
There’s nothing too extensive regarding this breed’s grooming. He has coat full of straight, short hair that won’t require much upkeep to stay in pristine condition. All he needs is a weekly brushing to remove any dead hairs.
You should use a firm bristle brush during these brushing sessions to get the best results. It’s also helpful that he doesn’t shed a lot, which makes this whole process much easier. His bathing needs aren’t massive either and rarely ever needed.
In most cases, you can get by with a quick rub down of his coat with a damp towel. And the rest of his grooming needs fall under basic care requirements:
- Trimming his nails monthly
- Check his ears for build ups regularly
- Brushing his teeth weekly
Finding Your Polish Hound
Polish Hound for Sale
Finding a reputable Polish Hound breeder in the states will be tricky. You see this breed is considered a rare sight outside of its home country. It’s not recognized by any major dog clubs within the US either, which further complicates things.
You’ll instead have to use sites like Puppyfinder.com. This particular website will give you a list of Polish Hound puppies near your location. But there’s a problem with buying a puppy in this manner.
It heightens the risk of you purchasing from a bad breeder. These sites don’t require the sellers to meet a certain standard or follow specific guidelines. This issue means setting up a meeting before buying becomes a must.
The meeting will allow you to evaluate whether the breeder seems legitimate. It’s also imperative you insist on this interaction taking place at their breeding facilities. It’ll let you see how their operation runs.
Don’t hesitate to be incredibly thorough with your questions during the meeting. After all, bad breeding isn’t a practice you want to encourage. You must ensure your puppy has all the right paperwork concerning their parent’s hip certifications as well.
Other Signs of a Bad Breeder
- Unsanitary breeding facilities
- Sells dogs to pet stores or wholesale
- Offers reduced prices for puppies without papers
- Numerous litters available at once
- Doesn’t seem interested in your living situation
Estimated Cost of a Polish Hound
You can expect a Polish Hound price to be anywhere between $600 and $800. This figure could be less or more depending on certain factors such as DNA or transport costs.
Polish Hound for Adoption
The adoption process for this breed might even be more difficult than the buying one. It also doesn’t help that there aren’t any Polish Hound rescues or clubs within the United States. As a result, it’s going to take a lot of time and patience on your part.
If you choose this route, you’ll have to look through sites like Adoptapet.com. This website works by providing the contact information of the nearest shelter or rescue with a Polish Hound. From there, it’s just a simple matter of making your interest known.
Another option is going to the closest humane society or shelter and taking a look. Polish Hounds aren't frequent visitors to these places, but you never know. And it never hurts to express your interest in a particular breed.
Topics to Cover Before Bringing a Polish Hound
If you do find one, please try to accumulate as much information about them as possible. This means asking questions about a variety of different topics:
- Temperament
- Family history
- Medical issues
- Previous owner
- Training
Cover everything you need to ensure you’re comfortable bringing him home. There shouldn’t be a question that you feel too embarrassed to ask. In other words, make sure you don’t become the person that returns a dog to the pound.
Average Cost of the Adoption Fee
The adoption fee will cost anywhere between $30 and $300. It’ll depend on various factors such as shelter or rescue, medical expenses, and age.
Conclusion: Is the Polish Hound the Right Breed For You?
If you want a lovable, energetic companion, the Polish Hound temperament should be near the top of your list. His warm, loving personality will bring a sense of warmth into your life.
But if you’re looking for a couch potato dog, a Polish Hound isn’t a good fit.
His extensive activity needs will overwhelm you, and he’ll start using his built up energy to cause mischief. He also isn’t a great fit for people with 9-to-5 jobs that’ll be gone all day.
Calvin is the co-founder and one of the main contributors to dogtemperament.com. He has been an avid dog lover all his life. He enjoys researching and sharing great ideas on how you can avoid common pitfalls of dog ownership and build the most loving and enjoyable relationship with your dog.