Overview
The Lithuanian Hound is a heavy-boned scenthound from the Baltic, saved from near extinction in the late twentieth century and still mainly a hunter's dog at home. It is black with tan markings, deep-chested and strong, and it hunts with a loud voice on the trail. It is extremely rare outside Lithuania.
Scenthounds are among the easiest breeds in company and the hardest to walk in the open. The Lithuanian Hound is no exception: good-natured with people, comfortable in a pack, and absolutely single-minded when it hits a line of scent.
Exercise and walking needs
Around an hour and forty minutes a day, in two long walks, keeps a hound of this build fit and settled. Distance is more useful than speed; a steady trot with a nose full of scent is the ideal. Hounds that do not get enough become vocal and destructive.
Keep young hounds to shorter walks while the heavy frame develops, and watch weight in older ones, as hounds eat like hounds.
On the walk
- Scent: Everything else is secondary once the nose is down. The dog will follow a trail across a road without noticing the road. Lead on anywhere near traffic.
- Pulling: A heavy hound leaning into a harness is hard work. Practise stopping and changing direction early in each walk to keep the dog's attention on you.
- Voice: Hounds bay on scent and at excitement. In a residential area this draws attention, so choose routes with space.
- Other dogs: Pack animals through and through. Most are relaxed and sociable with other dogs and do well in a group walk.
Tips for professional walkers
- Use a long line in open country if the owner wants free movement; it gives the dog scope without losing it.
- Carry strong-smelling treats to compete with the ground for attention.
- Pick quiet rural routes over busy parks, for the noise and the scent.
- Check the ears after walks; long hound ears trap dirt and moisture.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog been worked, and how does it react to deer or fox scent?
- Does it have any recall at all off the lead, and where have you tested it?
- Is the dog vocal on walks, and how do you want that handled?