Description of a Transylvanian Hound.

These medium sized hounds were favored by the Hungarian kings and princes for hunting bears and wolves in the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania. The breed's great adaptability to the region's extreme climates of sweltering summers and frigid winters made it an excellent all season hunting dog. In modern times, the tall hound was used to hunt stag, lynx and boar. The short variety was used to hunt smaller game, including foxes and hares.

Over 1000 years ago, the Magyars arrived in the region. They brought with them several types of dog, including the hound. These dogs probably bred with native dogs to give the present version of the hound In post World War II Europe, the Romanian government issued orders to exterminate the hounds, as they were perceived to be symbols of the Hungarian occupation of Romania. Limited numbers of the hounds were smuggled out of Romania into Hungary, where breeders have been trying to bring the dog back from the brink of extinction.