The FCI first registered this breed under another name: the Illyrian Hound, on 19 June 1965. The current 1973 standard calls it the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound, called Barak. That name suits the coat: long, harsh, shaggy and tousled.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.2 Medium-sized hounds, Standard No. 155, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Bosnia |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 46 to 56 cm, ideally 52 cm; females slightly smaller |
| Weight | 16 to 24 kg, ideally 20 kg |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | long, harsh, shaggy and tousled, with abundant undercoat; bushy moustache and beard |
| Colours in the standard | wheaten yellow, reddish yellow, earthy grey or blackish, often with white markings on head, throat, chest, legs and tail tip; also bicolour or tricolour; chocolate brown and black excluded |
Deliberately shaggy
The standard describes a robust dog with a long, moderately broad head measuring 20 to 25 cm, pronounced bushy eyebrows and an expression both serious and stern, yet cheerful. The body is one-tenth longer than tall. Size and weight allow considerable variation, but the standard gives ideals: 52 cm for males and 20 kg.
Courage, endurance and a deep voice
The standard says little about character: lively temperament, courage and endurance. Under purpose, it describes a good, hardy scent hound with a full, sometimes deep voice. That is the entire description, chiefly indicating the job: long, independent tracking work audible across great distances.
What this dog asks of your day
A Barak wants to be outdoors using their nose. Long hikes, tracking and searching games on a long line fill the day without hunting. Determination on scent makes off-lead exercise in woodland and fields hard to plan.
A coat that collects burrs
Harsh hair with dense undercoat protects well but catches burrs, grass awns and dirt. Brush thoroughly weekly, more often during shedding, and inspect beard and feet after every outing. Overlong, woolly or curly hair is disqualifying under the standard, so maintain the rough texture rather than a soft coat.
What geneticists measured
Our search found no disease studies of the Barak. McMillan and colleagues list the breed without analysing it. A study from Bosnia and Herzegovina examined 30 unrelated dogs from breeders in 17 locations using ten microsatellites, finding high genetic variability. Among 15 comparison breeds, the Tornjak was closest. As numbers are declining, the authors call for a gene bank and preservation programmes (Nikitović et al. 2023). According to that paper, alongside the Istrian Wire-haired Hound this is one of only two internationally recognised rough-coated Balkan scent hounds.
Does a Barak suit you?
Yes, if you hunt or spend many hours weekly in nature, accept grooming and want a brave, enduring dog with an independent mind. Less so if you live in a city, want a quiet companion or must often leave your dog alone. Meet a smooth-coated regional neighbour in the Posavatz Hound entry.
Before committing to a Barak, try the breed quiz; our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German) offers a deeper assessment. For the first weeks with a puppy, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. Shaggy fur and bushy brows look good in our dog portraits from your photo, for example in a wooden frame.
Further reading
- Autumn shedding in dogs and cats: what is normal and when it is not
- Dog pulling on the lead: 5 mistakes almost everyone makes
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is the wrong advice
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 155 Bosanski Ostrodlaki Gonič Barak (Stichelhaariger Bosnischer Laufhund, genannt Barak) (fci.be, German version dated 24.10.1996, English version dated 01.04.1996, valid original standard dated 15.01.1973); Nikitović J et al., Genetic Diversity of Bosnian and Herzegovinian Autochthonous Dog Breed Bosnian Broken-Haired Hound-Barak, Biochemical Genetics 2023; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed listed but not analysed).
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