meet the...Gonczy Polski
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 7: Scenthounds and Related Breeds
Sub-group :
Origin Country Poland
Weight Males: 48-60 pounds. Females: 48-60 pounds.
Height Males: 21-23 inches. Females: 19-22 inches.
Other Name(s) Chien Courant Polonais, Polish Hunting Dog, Polnischer Jagdhund
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
Although strikingly beautiful, the Polish Hunting Dog, or Gonzcy Polski as he is called, is a rugged and talented breed of antiquity. For centuries these hounds were used to hunt the deep forests and rugged mountains of Poland where they were used on game such as deer, boar, and wisent.
In the 1970s, a Polish breeder, hunter, and cynologist by the name of the Jozef Pawuslewicz helped to refine the breed and gain acceptance for it into the Polish Cynological Association, as well as the Federation Cynologique Internationale.
The breed remains popular throughout its home country, as well as surrounding areas in Europe, where he is still one of the ancient go-to hounds for hunting all sizes of game, from deer to hare.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is just slightly arched in profile and when viewed from the front. The occiput is slightly marked, never overly pronounced. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkle.
Eyes: Moderate in size, opened oval to almond in shape, ranging from amber to hazel in liver-based dogs, and brown to dark brown in black-based dogs. The eyes are set obliquely. The eye rims are well fitted and well pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Medium-large in length. Set somewhat low on the skull, set level with the eyes. Triangular in shape with well-rounded tips. Drop in type. The inner edges and tips hang close to the head. The ears should extend to just below the jawline. The ears are never long, overly large, or fly-away.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It is fairly broad throughout, with a slight taper from the broader base to the nose. Upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak.
Nose: The nose is well pigmented and black, liver, or self-colored according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.
Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage and movement; it is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, with a slight amount of loose skin at the throat area, but never excessive with a dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed.
Body: Compact, solid, and of good substance, yet lithe, agile, and athletic. The body is never racy or refined, nor heavy and cloddy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup [ut as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually approximately level with, or slightly above the topline, but never tucked. The tail is of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, or sabered.
Movement: Energetic, effortless, and efficient, the characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Gonzcy Polski is a tireless hunting dog, bred for centuries to assiduously pursue and engage game over harsh and rugged terrain. He is both courageous and tenacious. To those who known and love him, he is gentle, noble, and loyal, yet aloof to indifferent towards strangers. This, in addition to his melodic alarm call that he uses on the trail as well as at home, makes him an excellent watchdog. The Gonzcy Polski is also naturally protective of his family’s children, harboring a special patience and devotion to them. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 7: Scenthounds and Related Breeds
Proportions: Off-square to slightly rectangular, with length of the body, measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being just slightly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal body-height-to-length ratio is between 5:4 and 10:9. Females may be slightly longer. The body is well put together, yet agile, athletic, and lithe. The build is of good substance and moderate, yet sturdy bone. Males should appear masculine, being more substantial in size and mass, while females should appear more feminine and slightly less substantial. Neither should lack overall type.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is just slightly arched in profile and when viewed from the front. The occiput is slightly marked, never overly pronounced. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkle.
Expression: Kind and noble.
Stop: The stop is slightly pronounced.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal to the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel to slightly converging.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It is fairly broad throughout, with a slight taper from the broader base to the nose. Upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak.
Lips or Flews: Lips are well pigmented, fairly clean, somewhat thick, and fit fairly well over the teeth and jaws. The lips should never extend well below the lower plane of the bottom jawline.
Nose: The nose is well pigmented and black, liver, or self-colored according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.
Cheeks: The cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, white teeth. Bite may be level, or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work is not to be penalized.
Eyes: Moderate in size, opened oval to almond in shape, ranging from amber to hazel in liver-based dogs, and brown to dark brown in black-based dogs. The eyes are set obliquely. The eye rims are well fitted and well pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Medium-large in length. Set somewhat low on the skull, set level with the eyes. Triangular in shape with well-rounded tips. Drop in type. The inner edges and tips hang close to the head. The ears should extend to just below the jawline. The ears are never long, overly large, or fly-away.
Body and Tail
General Description: Compact, solid, and of good substance, yet lithe, agile, and athletic. The body is never racy or refined, nor heavy and cloddy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage and movement; it is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, with a slight amount of loose skin at the throat area, but never excessive with a dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed.
Topline: Straight and level or just slightly sloped from prominent withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached.
Croup: Broad, strongly muscled, and gently sloped.
Underline: Slight to moderate tuck up present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup [ut as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually approximately level with, or slightly above the topline, but never tucked. The tail is of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, or sabered.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: Forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters. Forequarters are well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: Elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, moderate, yet sturdy bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: Upper thigh and lower thigh are long and equal in length, strong, of moderate, yet sturdy bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: Angulation of hindquarters is always in balance with angulation of forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The coat is a dense, protective, and weather-resistant short double-coat. The outer coat is glossy, harsh and close throughout, being shortest and finest on the head, ears, and lower extremities. No fringe or feather permissible, but a slight brush is permissible on the tail. The undercoat is thick, protective, and abundant.
Coat Color or Pattern: Black, liver (brown, or chocolate) with well-defined traditional tan points; red, fawn-red, all with or without a small amount of minimal white markings.
Movement
Energetic, effortless, and efficient, the characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Gonzcy Polski is a tireless hunting dog, bred for centuries to assiduously pursue and engage game over harsh and rugged terrain. He is both courageous and tenacious. To those who known and love him, he is gentle, noble, and loyal, yet aloof to indifferent towards strangers. This, in addition to his melodic alarm call that he uses on the trail as well as at home, makes him an excellent watchdog. The Gonzcy Polski is also naturally protective of his family’s children, harboring a special patience and devotion to them. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
