Serbian Tricolour Hound vs Bulgarian Shepherd - Breed Comparison

The Serbian Tricolour Hound was once known as the Yugoslavian Tricolour Hound. It’s a rare dog breed that you won’t find much outside of the Balkans.

These dogs were bred for hunting in packs but in these more modern times they are more of a companion dog.

It is thought that the Serbian Tricolour Hound was a variant of the Serbian Hound until 1946 when a separate breed standard was established. It was recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1961.

The Bulgarian Shepard Dog comes from the ancient line of Molossers of Central Asia and Tibet, and the shepherds of the Balkans, Turkey and Caucasus. Among the oldest and most valued of the working dogs of Europe, the Bulgarian Shepherd breed was created by mixing the Balkan breeds with the dogs from Central Asia by the proto-Bulgarians around the 7th century. The Karakachanskoto Kuche was introduced to Bulgaria and accepted by the sheep herders. Mixing this breed in with the Balkan and Central Asian mix developed the Bulgarian Shepherd we know today. In the long run the original Karakachanskoto Kuche became extinct, replaced entirely by the Bulgarian Shepherd even in places where the new breed is still called by the Kuche name. Although the breeds are not the same, most of the dog world does not know the difference.

In Bulgaria however the Karakachan is a national treasure and the history of the breed runs deep. One Kuche could run up to 1200 animals and hundreds were used by the herdsmen in the mountains of Bulgaria. There were many regional types of Bulgarian Shepherds with very little difference between those types. These dogs were so prized by the shepherds that the dogs ate first before the people. The dogs however ate a vegetarian diet of milk, wheat, water and oats. The Bulgarian Shepherd lives a long life of often over 20 years. The Bulgarian Army made good use of these dogs early in the 20th century.

Following World War II, the wolves were close to extinction and property in Bulgaria was nationalized. There was no longer a need for a large force of working dogs. The Communist government exterminated large numbers of sheep dogs including the Bulgarian Shepherd. Only those species on government owned farms and in remote regions survived. When the government farms were disbanded in the early 20th century, these dogs were exterminated as well. Only those in the mountains survived. Commercial breeding of the Bulgarian Shepherd in the end of the century has resulted in controversy as other breeds came into the breeding program.

Use of breeds such as Sarplaninacs, Caucasian Ovcharkas, St. Bernards, Central Asian Ovcharkas and Bosnian Tornjaks in these programs resulted in Bulgarian Shepherd or Karakachans that were a lot different from the original breed. There is therefore some concern about the future of the breed in Bulgaria, yet they received official Bulgarian national recognition in 2000. Today’s Bulgarian Shepherd is a guard dog for both property and livestock.

The official standard for the breed came about in 1991 and in 2005 it was recognized by the Bulgarian State Commission for Animal Breeds. Only those dogs that meet this standard are considered “true” Karakachans. The Bulgarian Shepherds are willing to fight bears and wolves in defense of its family and flock. The dog is brave and loyal, dignified and powerful. They are recognized by both the Dog Registry of America, Inc. (DRA) and the Bulgarian Republican Federation of Cynology (BRFC) a member of the FCI.

The Serbian Tricolour Hound is a medium sized dog standing at between 44 to 55cm in height and weighing in the region of 20 to 25kg.

He is a strong, muscular, solidly built dog with a rounded skull and longish muzzle. The ears of this dog are long and floppy and the long, curved tail hangs down but is held high when the dog is excited.The dog has a short, glossy coat which is essentially a rusty color. There is quite a lot of black with some white on the coat too.

Temperament:

Loving and loyal, this dog was once used for hunting and he has learned to listen carefully to- and respond well to his owner.

He loves his human family and makes a great family pet. He gets on well with the kids, loving to take part in their games. He is intelligent and with training and socialization he is obedient, well balanced and well mannered.

Friendly and social, all he wants is to be with his human family, but even so he is better suited to life with a family who lives on a large property in the suburbs or countryside as opposed to living in the city.

A massive, powerful and muscular Molosser, the Bulgarian Shepherd is strong, agile, powerful and fast. They are intelligent and reliable. They have a long, thick, harsh coat in white with patches of black. Their skull is massive and broad with a furrowed forehead. The muzzle is massive as well while the nose has wide nostrils and is fairly large. It has close fitting, thick lips with strong, scissor bite jaws. The Bulgarian Shepherd’s eyes are deep, oblique and small. They are either hazel or dark. They have an intelligent and confident, yet firm almost grim expression.

Their ears are low set, small and v-shaped. They sit close to the head which sits on a powerful but short neck. They have a broad back, well-muscled body with a deep chest and long, rough tail. Their gait is a trot with a spring in their step. There are two types of coats – longhaired and shorthaired with no undercoats.

The Serbian Tricolour Hound is a loving, loyal, active, devoted breed that loves his human family, wanting to be involved in all the activities they’re involved in.

He is somewhat reserved with strangers but training and socialization helps to make him well behaved around them and it means you can take him with you wherever you go as he is well behaved.

These Serbian dogs make splendid pets, and if you take good care of yours, he will provide you with unconditional love.

This is a working dog, intelligent and independent guard dog. Reserved around strangers but loyal and devoted with his family. Tolerant of children in their family if they were raised with them. Not only will she defend human family members, she will guard and defend household pets as well. He is quite capable of making her own independent decisions. These are very intense guard dogs that will respond aggressively if they think their people are being attacked.

The Serbian Tricolour Hound is such a healthy dog breed and with the right nutrition and exercise can reach 12 to 15 years of age. He is a rare dog breed so there isn’t a whole lot of information available about his health.

There are always going to be those common dog illnesses that many dogs succumb to. Some of them are hip dysplasia, cancer, skin problems and parasites.

Ear Infections:

With his floppy ears, check out the insides of his ears to ensure there are no signs of redness and ear discharge.

Hip Dysplasia:

Hip dysplasia is a condition where parts of the hip joints don’t fit properly together. This creates a situation where there is abnormal wear and tear on the joints. It can lead to arthritis even and pain for your dog.

Parasites – Tapeworm, Fleas ad Ticks:

The tapeworm is a parasite spread to dogs but also to people and it is through the ingestion of infected fleas. You can often detect this when you discover parts of the worm crawling in your dog’s bowel movements.

Check your dog over for ticks and fleas too when you brush him as these can lead to other illnesses such as tick bite fever.

The breed itself is known to be healthy but they do face some of the usual health issues of the massive, giant breeds. This includes knee and elbow dislocation; hip dysplasia; bloat; entropion and osteosarcoma. All of these conditions require medical intervention, but bloat and osteosarcoma are the deadliest. Bloat needs immediate attention and osteosarcoma is a deadly bone cancer.

The short, shiny coat of the Serbian Tricolor Hound will require nothing more than a good brush twice a week to keep the coat nice and smooth. You can even take a damp cloth and wipe the coat over with it to remove dust.

Exercise:

Provide your dog with a regular amount of exercise every day. Dogs become sad and unhealthy when they’re just stuck in the back yard and left on their own. Take him for walks each day and throw a ball for him to fetch. Simple little games like this will keep him happy as he loves to spend time with you.

Vaccines:

Keep your dogs vaccines up to date to avoid deadly diseases.

Diet:

Only the very best food is good enough for a dog. Dry kibble is excellent and convenient but try and feed your dog some home-made food too. Avoid spicy, exotic foods as this can upset your dog’s digestive system. Speak to your vet if you’re unsure how to feed your dog to ensure his good health and longevity.

Feeding

These are large dogs with large appetites, but you want to keep them lean and active. Feed them at least twice a day with a high quality large or giant dog dry food. Four to five cups of food per day is the maximum.

Health issues

Patellar Luxation – a floating kneecap or dislocated knee. Will cause lameness.

Bloat - distended or twisted stomach. Can cause death.

Osteosarcoma – bone cancer must be treated immediately as it is potentially fatal.

Entropion – eye issues when the eyelid turns inward and damages the eye.

Hip Dysplasia – May cause lameness and arthritis.

Exercise and games

The Bulgarian Shepherd needs a good amount of exercise every day. Remember this is a working breed and they need a job. Long walks every day are essential for his well-being.