Posavac Hound

The Posavac Hound developed at some point several hundred years ago in Croatia and its name indicates that it was somewhere near the Sava Valley. Hounds similar to the Posavac Hound were seen in frescos at the tail end of the 15^th century and writings describing dogs with similar characteristics can be found from the 18^th and 19^th century. Their original ancestors are ultimately unknown; some experts and fanciers believe them to be a cross between Molossian hunting dogs and Egyptian sighthounds, while others believe them to be derived from Harriers, Beagles, and other scenting hounds. They were used as scenting and hunting dogs for smaller game like fox and hare, but they didn’t have any breed standards until sometime in the late 18^th and early 19^th century, when they became more standardized, particularly in the area of size. Until fairly recently, this breed was more often referred to as boskini and was frequently sold and traded to regions neighboring Croatia. The breed was first registered in 1929 and recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1955 under the name Posavac Basin Hound, although the breed name underwent some changes from that date until Posavac Hound was settled upon on as a moniker in 1969. These dogs have also been recognized by the United Kennel Club as the Posavaz Hound in 2006 as part of the Scent hound group. The modern Posavac Hound is prized in its home territory as a hunting dog as well as a companion dog due to the breed's excellent tracking ability and docile temperament.