Slovensky Kopov

The Slovensky Kopov, also known as the Slovakian Hound, is extremely well-known in his native Slovakia. Many lovers of the breed believe he dates all the way back to the Dark Ages, although his actual ancestry is somewhat muddied. Most researchers believe that the Slovensky Kopov descends from the Magyar Agar or Hungarian Greyhound, the Brandlbracke or Austrian Black and Tan Hound, and the Chart Polski or Polish Greyhound. The unique combination of these breeds gave the Slovensky Kopov his unsurpassed stamina and amazing sense of smell. In 1770, it was forbidden for breeders to cross breed any hunting breed from other countries with the Slovensky Kopov. This was to keep the breed as pure as possible. The Slovensky Kopov was named a national breed by Slovakia as he is the only scent hound that has been developed in Slovakia. Unfortunately the number of Slovensky Kopov in Slovakia dwindled considerably after World War II. However, Koloman Slimak, a Slovakian cynologist, began a complex study on the breed and in 1936 he set out to find only the highest-quality dogs for his breeding program. He held a breeding exhibition in Banska Bystrica to find suitable dogs for his program. In 1946, a second breeding exhibition was held to determine if the breeding program was truly successful. After ten years of successful breeding practices, the Slovensky Kopov was recognized and a breed standard was developed and an official stud book was opened. The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) officially recognized the Slovensky Kopov in 1963. In 1988, a breed club was established in Slovakia.