Until 1996, this breed was called the Balkan Hound. At its Copenhagen meeting, the FCI board then approved a request from the Yugoslav Kennel Association: because the dogs are particularly widespread in Serbia, they have since borne the name Serbian Hound.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.2 Medium-sized Hounds, Standard No. 150, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Serbia |
| Height at the withers | Males 46 to 56 cm (ideal 51 to 52 cm), females 44 to 54 cm (ideal 48 to 49 cm) |
| Weight | Not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | No reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | Short, abundant, glossy, somewhat thick and close-fitting, with undercoat; slightly longer on backs of thighs and beneath tail |
| Colours according to the standard | Fox red from yellowish red to rust red, with a black mantle or saddle reaching the head and forming two black temple markings; white chest marking up to 2 cm in diameter permitted |
Scent hounds throughout the Balkans
The Serbian Hound belongs to a family of scent hounds spread throughout the Balkans. Hounds from Asia Minor probably played an important role in its development. Franz Laska provided the first description in 1905, followed by a first standard in 1924. The FCI approved it at its Bled meeting in 1940; definitive recognition dates to 1955. A close relative with three colours is the Serbian Tricolour Hound (Srpski Trobojni Gonic).
An enduring trotter
The standard’s preferred gait is a brisk, energetic trot. This medium-sized, powerful dog has a body about 10 per cent longer than its height at the withers, with the chest reaching half that height. An excessively long body disqualifies, as does a tail carried over the back or curled. For owners, that means a dog built for hours of work outdoors. Without hunting, it needs long outings, tracking on a long line and mantrailing. A short walk around the house is not enough.
Friendly and remarkably persistent
Friendly, lively, reliable and remarkably persistent: that is what the standard says. Persistence is a virtue in hunting; in everyday life, it appears when the dog refuses to leave a trail. Patient, consistent training from puppyhood and plenty of recall practice pay off. The standard excludes aggressive or overly fearful dogs.
A short coat with undercoat
The short, dense coat with undercoat is easy to care for. Weekly brushing is enough, more often during shedding. The hanging, rather thin ears lie close to the cheeks; look inside regularly.
What is known about its health
Almost nothing. Although the Serbian Hound appears in the breed list in McMillan and colleagues’ longevity study, it was not analysed. We found no disease study. The only paper involving several animals investigated AMY2B gene copy number, which helps with starch digestion, in eight Serbian Hounds. It ranged from 9,1 to 18,1, the widest span among the eight Balkan breeds studied (Katica et al. 2025). This allows no conclusions about disease. Ask breeders for the parents’ hip X-rays and eye results.
Who can meet its needs
Hunting households and very active, experienced people with space and patience for a dog that follows its nose. Anyone able to exercise it only occasionally, living in a city or seeking a first dog should choose another breed. Like relatives such as the Bosnian Broken-haired Hound, Barak (Bosanski Ostrodlaki Gonic-Barak), it shares a passion for scent trails; give that passion room and you gain an enduring, friendly companion.
Check whether a strong-willed Balkan scent hound suits you with the breed quiz; our book offers detailed guidance: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For those first weeks with a puppy, try our free Puppy Starter Pack. Its fox-red coat and black saddle shine in our dog portraits from your own photo or on a poster in a wooden frame.
Further reading
- Beagle: a nose with a dog attached, and what that means day to day
- Adding rice and potatoes to dog food: how to account for extras
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is poor advice
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 150 Srpski Gonič (Serbischer Laufhund) (fci.be, German version dated 05.05.2003, valid standard published 25.03.2003, original language French) and FCI breed page Nr. 150; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024; Katica J et al., Copy number variations in AMY2B gene and amylase activity in Balkan dog breeds, PLoS One 2025.
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