If you hear a Slovakian Hound (Slovenský Kopov) on a trail, you will hear that voice for a long time. The FCI standard highlights precisely this: following a warm trail for hours while persistently giving tongue. Added to that is a sharpness recommending the breed mainly for wild boar and predatory game in its homeland.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.2 Medium-sized Hounds, Standard No. 244, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovakia |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 45 to 50 cm, females 40 to 45 cm (ideally males 46 cm, females 43 cm) |
| Weight | 15 to 20 kg (ideal 16 kg) |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | 2 to 5 cm long, moderately coarse, close-fitting and dense, longer on back, neck and tail; dense undercoat even in summer |
| Colours in the standard | black with brown to mahogany markings on the limbs; white markings faulty |
A hunting dog for boar and predatory game
The current standard dates from 1963, the FCI’s German version from 1996. It has no history section, but gives a clear task: a hound with endurance, voice and courage against defensive quarry. In a Polish analysis of boar-hunting trials from 2005 to 2015, the breed accounted for 238 of 1,867 dogs and, alongside the Alpine Dachsbracke, was one of the two breeds with the best results (Bednarek and Sławińska 2021). Similarly built Central European neighbours are the Polish Hound and the Transylvanian Hound.
Always black, never clumsy
The standard requires an always solid-black dog with tan markings, relatively lightly built but with solid bone and an elongated rectangular shape. A clumsy, stocky build, an overly heavy head and pendulous lips are faulty; a flat chest is even a serious fault.
Temperament with a built-in compass
The standard gives only two temperament points: a spirited nature and an exceptionally developed sense of direction. The eyes should reveal liveliness and courage. Aggressive or excessively fearful dogs are disqualified. In daily life, these dogs find the way back but like deciding when. Building recall that holds against a fresh wildlife trail takes years rather than weeks.
Activities when not hunting
Without hunting work, provide long outings on a long line, tracking and searching games where giving voice is allowed. Remember that sharpness: in wild-boar areas, keep the dog on a lead for their own protection too. The coarse coat and undercoat need little: weekly brushing, with ears and coat checked for ticks after woodland walks.
What studies reveal about health
Almost nothing. McMillan and colleagues’ large longevity study lists the Slovakian Hound but did not analyse it for lack of data. An Italian birth-weight survey included 103 puppies of the breed without examining disease. We found no breed-specific inherited-disease study. Ask for the parents’ hip and eye results rather than relying on a robust hunting-dog reputation.
Who will be happy with this dog
Hunters seeking a vocal, enduring wild-boar dog, and very active countryside residents with time for daily scent work. Less suitable are city flats with thin walls, owners expecting unrestricted off-lead freedom and households with cats the dog might regard as quarry. Give these dogs work and you get a companion who still knows where the car is after hours out.
The breed quiz helps you assess whether a vocal boar-hunting dog fits your daily life; the book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German) offers a more thorough guide. If a puppy is joining you, the free Puppy Starter Pack supports the first weeks. Black and mahogany look particularly striking on a magazine cover on canvas; find more ideas among our dog portraits.
Further reading
- Beagle: a nose with a dog attached, and what that means day to day
- Dog pulling on the lead: 5 mistakes almost everyone makes
- Puppy training: the 5 rules that really work
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 244 Slovenský kopov (Slowakischer Laufhund) (fci.be, German version dated 19.08.1996, English version dated 19.08.1996, valid original standard dated 16.04.1963); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed listed but not analysed); Bednarek E, Sławińska A, Hunt Trials as a Measure to Assess Level of Training in Boarhounds, Animals 2021; Groppetti D et al., A National Census of Birth Weight in Purebred Dogs in Italy, Animals 2017.
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