- The basic colour is black with tan markings above the eyes, on the muzzle and on the lower parts of the legs.
- The tan markings above the eyes are the size of a hazelnut, whereas the ones on the lateral parts of the muzzle extend at maximum to the corner of the lips.
- The colour of the tan markings goes from a light red through a brownish red to a bright red.
- A white spot on the chest but not sought after
- its diameter must not be more than 3 cm
About the Montenegrin Mountain Hound
Origin: Montenegro
- Typical life span
- 11-14 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 20-25 kg
- Female
- 18-23 kg
- Height
- Male
- 46-56 cm
- Female
- 43-53 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Scent hounds and related breeds
- Origin
- Montenegro
- Also called
- Sabueso de Montana del Montenegro
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Montenegrin Mountain Hound?
Medium-sized, agile scenthound from the Balkans with a distinctive black and tan coat and robust build. Known for its docility, dedication to hunting, and keen tracking ability in mountainous terrain.
Montenegrin Mountain Hound history and origins
Ancient breed native to Montenegro's mountainous regions, developed for hunting hare, fox, and other small game. Formerly known as the 'black hound', it shares origins with other Balkan scenthounds and was recognized by the FCI with breed standard established in 1924. Prized by local hunters for stamina and strong sense of smell.
Montenegrin Mountain Hound appearance and size
Males typically weigh 20-25 kg and stand 46-56 cm at the shoulder; females 18-23 kg and 43-53 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hound
- Behaviour and temperament
“Well balanced, attached to his master, docile, trustworthy”
Quoted from FCI standard n°279. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Hound” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Montenegrin Mountain Hound
What you get with the Montenegrin Mountain Hound
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hound”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Well balanced, attached to his master, docile, trustworthy”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Montenegrin Mountain Hound
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
The undercoat is quite well developed
- Short
- Dense
- Rough
- Not very thick
- Glossy
- Flat
- Smooth
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°279 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “The height at the withers is from 44-54 cm; the ideal size for the males varies between 49-50 cm, and for the females between 48- 49 cm”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°279. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Montenegrin Mountain Hound down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Over- or undershot mouth; deviated incisor arch.
- Absence of one tooth (except PM1 and M3).
- Eyes of a very light colour, wall-eyes, eyes of different colour; entropion, ectropion.
- Rolled up tail, carried above the back line or deviated laterally.
- Non authorized colours.
- Any other white marking than that which is tolerated.
- Superior or inferior size than that prescribed in the standard
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Montenegrin Mountain Hound in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Montenegrin Mountain Hound
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Montenegrin Mountain Hound on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Montenegrin Mountain Hound owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Montenegrin Mountain Hound breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.