Post by DogGoneGood on Mar 10, 2009 19:15:07 GMT -5
Group: II - Hounds
Origin: Malta
Date of Origin: Antiquity
Purpose: Hunting Rabbit
Other Name(s): Kelb-tal Fenek (Rabbit Dog)
Skeleton remains indicate that hunting dogs similar to the Pharaoh Hound have existed in the Middle East for at least 5,000 years. After the Roman invasion of Egypt 2,000 years ago, similar dogs spread throughout the rest of the Mediterranean, possibly traded by Phoenicians and Carthaginians. They survived particularly well as distinct breeds in relatively isolated places such as the Maltese and Balearic Islands and Sicily, but also in France and mainland Italy. Perhaps due to its rich red colour and its rediscovery by dog breeders in the 1960s, the Pharaoh Hound has become the most popular of these descendants of the Egyptian Hound. Unlike the Greyhound, which hunts by sight alone, the Pharaoh Hound hunts by sight, sound and smell.
General Appearance:
The Pharaoh Hound is medium sized, of noble bearing, with clean-cut lines. Graceful yet powerful. Very fast with free easy movement.
Life Expectancy:
12-14 Years
Size:
Males 22-25 inches (55-63 cm).
Females 21-24 inches (53-61 cm).
Overall balance must be maintained.
Tail:
Medium set, fairly thick at the base and tapering (whiplike), reaching just below the point of hock in repose. Carried high and curved when the dog is in action. The tail should not be tucked between the legs. A screw tail is a fault.
Head:
Skull: Long, lean, and well chiseled. Foreface: Slightly longer than skull; only slight stop. Top of skull parallel with foreface, the whole head representing a blunt wedge when viewed in profile and from above. Nose: Flesh-coloured only, blending with coat. Mouth: Powerful jaws with strong teeth. Scissors bite. Eyes: Amber colour, blending with the coat. Oval, moderately deep set, with keen, intelligent expression. Ears: Medium high set; carried erect when alert, but very mobile; broad at base, fine and large.
Neck:
Long, lean, muscular and slightly arched. Clean throat line.
Forequarters:
Shoulders strong, long, and well laid back. Forelegs straight and parallel. Elbows well tucked in. Pasterns strong. Feet strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded. Dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarters:
Strong and muscular. Limbs parallel when viewed from behind. Thigh: well developed second thigh. Stifle: moderate bend. Hocks well let down.
Body:
Length of body, from breast to haunch bone, slightly longer than height at withers. Topline lithe and almost straight. Slight slope down from croup to root of tail. Chest: deep brisket extending down to point of elbow. Ribs well sprung. Abdomen: moderate tuck up.
Gait:
Free and flowing with head held fairly high, the dog should cover the ground well without any apparent effort. The legs and feet should move in line with the body. Any tendency to throw the feet sideways, or a high stepping “hackney” action is a fault.
Coat and Colour:
Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh, with no feathering. Tan, rich tan with white markings permitted as follows:
(a) White tip on tail strongly desired.
(b) White on chest (called the “star”).
(c) White on toes.
(d) Slim white blaze on centre of face.
Flecking, or white other than above undesirable.
Temperment:
An intelligent, friendly, affectionate, and playful breed.
Faults:
The foregoing description is that of the ideal Pharaoh Hound. Accident blemishes should not be considered faults. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
History:
The Pharaoh Hound is of great antiquity, bearing a striking resemblance to the hounds with large, erect ears depicted in the sculptured delineations in the Egyptian temples from before 4,000 B.C. A keen hunter, the Pharaoh Hound hunts by scent and sight, as well as using its large ears to a marked degree when working close.
The elegant, dignified Pharaoh Hound is probably descended from the small, lithe wolf that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula. Phoenician traders brought the breed to the island of Malta and Gozo approximately 2,000 years ago, where it has remained isolated in a pure state.
Sources:
Canadian Kennel Club Official Breed Standards - Pharaoh Hound
The New Encyclopedia Of the DOG by Bruce Fogle DVM Page 94
Origin: Malta
Date of Origin: Antiquity
Purpose: Hunting Rabbit
Other Name(s): Kelb-tal Fenek (Rabbit Dog)
Skeleton remains indicate that hunting dogs similar to the Pharaoh Hound have existed in the Middle East for at least 5,000 years. After the Roman invasion of Egypt 2,000 years ago, similar dogs spread throughout the rest of the Mediterranean, possibly traded by Phoenicians and Carthaginians. They survived particularly well as distinct breeds in relatively isolated places such as the Maltese and Balearic Islands and Sicily, but also in France and mainland Italy. Perhaps due to its rich red colour and its rediscovery by dog breeders in the 1960s, the Pharaoh Hound has become the most popular of these descendants of the Egyptian Hound. Unlike the Greyhound, which hunts by sight alone, the Pharaoh Hound hunts by sight, sound and smell.
General Appearance:
The Pharaoh Hound is medium sized, of noble bearing, with clean-cut lines. Graceful yet powerful. Very fast with free easy movement.
Life Expectancy:
12-14 Years
Size:
Males 22-25 inches (55-63 cm).
Females 21-24 inches (53-61 cm).
Overall balance must be maintained.
Tail:
Medium set, fairly thick at the base and tapering (whiplike), reaching just below the point of hock in repose. Carried high and curved when the dog is in action. The tail should not be tucked between the legs. A screw tail is a fault.
Head:
Skull: Long, lean, and well chiseled. Foreface: Slightly longer than skull; only slight stop. Top of skull parallel with foreface, the whole head representing a blunt wedge when viewed in profile and from above. Nose: Flesh-coloured only, blending with coat. Mouth: Powerful jaws with strong teeth. Scissors bite. Eyes: Amber colour, blending with the coat. Oval, moderately deep set, with keen, intelligent expression. Ears: Medium high set; carried erect when alert, but very mobile; broad at base, fine and large.
Neck:
Long, lean, muscular and slightly arched. Clean throat line.
Forequarters:
Shoulders strong, long, and well laid back. Forelegs straight and parallel. Elbows well tucked in. Pasterns strong. Feet strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded. Dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarters:
Strong and muscular. Limbs parallel when viewed from behind. Thigh: well developed second thigh. Stifle: moderate bend. Hocks well let down.
Body:
Length of body, from breast to haunch bone, slightly longer than height at withers. Topline lithe and almost straight. Slight slope down from croup to root of tail. Chest: deep brisket extending down to point of elbow. Ribs well sprung. Abdomen: moderate tuck up.
Gait:
Free and flowing with head held fairly high, the dog should cover the ground well without any apparent effort. The legs and feet should move in line with the body. Any tendency to throw the feet sideways, or a high stepping “hackney” action is a fault.
Coat and Colour:
Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh, with no feathering. Tan, rich tan with white markings permitted as follows:
(a) White tip on tail strongly desired.
(b) White on chest (called the “star”).
(c) White on toes.
(d) Slim white blaze on centre of face.
Flecking, or white other than above undesirable.
Temperment:
An intelligent, friendly, affectionate, and playful breed.
Faults:
The foregoing description is that of the ideal Pharaoh Hound. Accident blemishes should not be considered faults. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
History:
The Pharaoh Hound is of great antiquity, bearing a striking resemblance to the hounds with large, erect ears depicted in the sculptured delineations in the Egyptian temples from before 4,000 B.C. A keen hunter, the Pharaoh Hound hunts by scent and sight, as well as using its large ears to a marked degree when working close.
The elegant, dignified Pharaoh Hound is probably descended from the small, lithe wolf that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula. Phoenician traders brought the breed to the island of Malta and Gozo approximately 2,000 years ago, where it has remained isolated in a pure state.
Sources:
Canadian Kennel Club Official Breed Standards - Pharaoh Hound
The New Encyclopedia Of the DOG by Bruce Fogle DVM Page 94
