Slavonian Greyhound

Once a common hunting dog in eastern Slavonia, Voivodina and parts of northern Bosnia, the Slavonian Greyhound was a slightly heavier breed than its Bosnian cousin. Some believe that it was developed by crossing the Posavac Hound with the Staro-Bosanski Hrt, the Pannonian Herder, the Staro-Srpski Hrt, the Croatian Sheepdog and the Hungarian Greyhound, but others also include the Kuvasz and the Viszla into the breed's ancestry. This rugged sighthound was also known as the Panonian Hound, Voivodjanski Hrt, Sremski Hrt, Brodski Gonic and even Zemunski Hrt, depending on the area, leading some authorities to conclude that these were either separate breeds or simply regional sub-types of the greater Panonian Greyhound population. This was a popular hunter of boars, foxes, hares and deer, but also a capable livestock herder and watchdog. Being a strictly working dog, bred only for its resilience and working qualities with little regard to its looks, the Slavonski Hrt wasn't uniformed in appearance and a few types within the breed existed, from lean medium-sized dogs to taller and heavier examples, as well as coming in a wide range of coat types and colourings. The breed eventually became extinct and by the mid-20th century, the Slavonian Greyhound and all its varieties were assimilated into the more popular breeds of the regions, namely the Croatian Greyhound, as well as some bloodlines of the Pannonian Sheepdog, Old Bosnian Hound and even the rare hunting variety of the Sylvan, which to this day is said to resemble certain strains old Slavonian sighthounds. Before the 1st World War, the Slavonski Hrt was a name commonly used to describe the eastern type of the Croatian Greyhound, but after WW2, the breed was rarely mentioned as anything more than a working cross and was eventually forgotten.

Due to the blood of herders, scenthounds, bird dogs, sighthounds and livestock guardians in its background, the Slavonian Hound was an all-around working dog, prized for its stamina, strenght, intelligence and drive, which were the qualities that made it a very common and popular breed in many different parts of the region. Some fanciers consider the use of the name "greyhound" to be incorrect when describing this old Slavonian breed, since it was quite heavier than most sighthounds. Long-legged, deep-chested and strongly boned, the Slavonski Hrt was a powerful and rugged worker, very agile and fast, although not as valued for its speed as its Bosnian, Croatian and Hungarian cousins, which were all typical lean greyhounds, much faster than dogs of Slavonia. The majority of the dogs had typical hound-ilke drop ears, but erect-eared specimens were also common, especially within the so-called Brodski type.

Whether it was short, flat, smooth, long, rough or curly, the coat of the Slavonian Hound was the most valued in white-based colourings, with darker markings of various sizes, but also common in black-n-tan, wheaten, red, grey and black colourings, usually with white markings. The average height was 25 inches, but taller examples existed, depending on their home region.