Styrian Coarse-haired Hound

Also known as: Wirehair Styrian Mountain

In Austria's Styria region this breed was developed in the late 19th century specifically to hunt wild boar through steep, thickly overgrown terrain, where a coarse coat meant protection from brush and thorns. The frame is medium sized, up to 25 kilograms, tough enough for long days working the forest. The wiry coat needs occasional hand-stripping rather than frequent brushing. The breed stayed almost entirely unknown outside Austria and remains rare even within FCI registries. The voice is used to track game and signal direction back to the hunter. It has a working dog's independent streak that doesn't suit apartment life. Life expectancy runs 12 to 14 years.

Browse dog food sized right for this breed

Styrian Coarse-haired Hound: how old in human years?

45–58 cmHeight
18–25 kgWeight
12–14 yrsLife expectancy

Basset Artesien Normand

FCI group: Scenthounds and Related Breeds
FCI section: Section 1.2: Scenthounds, Medium sized
FCI: 62
Country of origin: Austria

Energy level

4/5
Trainability

3/5
Family friendly

3/5
Grooming need

2/5

At a glance

Height

Males 48–58 cm

Females 45–54 cm

Weight

Males 20–25 kg

Females 18–23 kg

Life expectancy

12–14 yrs

Coat

harsh, wiry (wire-haired)

Temperament & Family Life

Styrian Coarse-haired Hound's average temperament and family-life score for this breed is moderate.

Family friendly 3/5
Good with children 3/5
Good with other dogs 3/5
Friendly with strangers 2/5
Intelligence 4/5
Trainability 3/5

Exercise, Energy & Space

Styrian Coarse-haired Hound's energy and exercise needs are high.

Energy level 4/5
Exercise need 4/5
Apartment friendly 1/5
Prey drive 5/5
Hunting instinct 5/5

Guarding & Alertness

Styrian Coarse-haired Hound's guarding and alertness traits are moderate.

Guarding instinct 2/5
Watchfulness 3/5
Barking level 3/5

Grooming & Care

Styrian Coarse-haired Hound's grooming needs are low.

Shedding 2/5
Drooling 2/5
Grooming need 2/5

Living with the Styrian Coarse-haired Hound

Once it catches a fresh trail, your voice becomes background noise: nose down, tail up, and a moment later the woods ring with its bay. The Styrian Coarse-haired Hound is an Austrian mountain hound, bred to follow game doggedly over hard ground for a long time, and that job matters to it far more than any sofa.

It has plenty of energy and stamina, and its prey drive and hunting instinct are about as strong as they come. Every day it needs long walks, ideally in woods or hills, and work for its nose: tracking, search games. It is clever but independent, so training takes patience and consistency, and recall with a hare in the air will be a lifelong project. Let it off the lead only where it is fenced in.

With its own people it is loyal and calm indoors, provided the day gave it enough to do, but it is reserved with strangers and will announce a visitor out loud. It gets along fairly well with other dogs; cats and small pets call for real caution. A flat is no place for it: it is happiest in the countryside or with a hunter who has a yard and time to head into the forest.

Grooming and coat

The Styrian Coarse-haired Hound wears a hard, harsh, wiry coat, and it is a work outfit: in mountain scrub and scree it shrugs off branches, rain and wind. It asks for little. Once a week, go over it with a stiff brush to lift out dead hair and grit, and after a forest outing check for needles and seeds caught in it. Shedding is moderate, so you won't be wading through hair at home.

It rarely needs a bath: the harsh hair lets go of mud once it dries, and washing too often only softens it. Look into the hanging ears every week; redness, discharge or a bad smell is a reason to see a vet. After running over rocky ground, check the pads, and trim the nails if they don't wear down by themselves.

How to do it:

By age:

Health and possible conditions

We don't have reliable health information specific to this breed, so we don't list conditions here. Keep up regular vet check-ups, and if you are getting a puppy, ask the breeder about the parents' health testing.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.

Food for large breeds — cheapest per kg

This list is chosen by the breed's weight (25 kg) rather than the breed itself: shops label food by dog size, so every breed of the same size gets the same list. Prices are updated daily.

≈ 295 g of dry food a day, from €16,14 a month For a neutered, normally active 21,5 kg dog. Calculate for your dog