Pharaoh Hound
Dogs
Pharaoh Hound
Pharaoh Hound |
Pharaoh Hound
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Alternative names |
Kelb Tal-Fenek |
Country of origin |
Malta |
Common nicknames |
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Classification and breed standards |
FCI: |
Group 5 Section 6 #248 |
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AKC: |
Hound |
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ANKC: |
Group 4 (Hounds) |
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CKC: |
Group 2 - Hounds |
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KC (UK): |
Hound |
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NZKC: |
Hounds |
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UKC: |
Sighthounds and Pariah Dogs |
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Not recognized by any major kennel club |
This breed of dog is
extinct |
Notes |
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The Pharaoh Hound is a
breed of
dog, classed as a
member of the
sighthound/pariah
family. It has a decent balance between the primitive features and manners of
the pariah family and the grace and racy lines of the sighthounds.
Appearance
Two other breeds that are similar to the Pharaoh Hound and that apparently
descended from the same anscestral lines have developed in other Mediterranean
islands. One is the striking
Ibizan
Hound, which has a form much like that of the Pharaoh hound, but is colored
differently. The Ibizan Hound may be white, with shades of brown or tawn,
whereas the Pharaoh hound is always a solid reddish-ruddy color with only small
amounts of white allowed on its chest, toes, throat, muzzle, and tail tip. The
other similar breed is the
Sicilian Greyhound (not the
Italian Greyhound), which is essentially a miniature of the Pharaoh with a
wholly different personality.
It stands between 50 and 65cm (22 to 28in.) at the
withers and
weighs between 18 to 32kg (40 to 70lb).
Temperament
The Pharaoh Hound is a friendly, calm, intelligant, trainable, active breed.
It is reserved with strangers, but affectionate with its family. It has a strong
hunting instinct, and caution should be observed when it is around small pets
such as cats, birds, and rodents. It is not a demonstrative breed and is quietly
affectionate. It is a very trainable breed when positive methods are used as it
is sensitive and responds poorly to being physicaly punished.
History
For many years, this breed was considered one of the oldest dog breeds.
Recent
DNA analysis reveals, however, that this breed is actually a recent
construction, bred to resemble an older form.[1]
This DNA data now puts to rest the "Egytian Myth" and proves the breed did not
originate from Egypt.
The Pharaoh was developed into its modern form on the islands of
Malta and
Gozo. It is often
classified as a sight hound, but hunts both by sight and scent.
The breed was brought to
Britain in
the 1920s and called the Pharaoh Hound because some thought it resembled dogs
featured on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs.
Miscellaneous
The Pharaoh Hound is the national dog of
Malta, and its
Maltese name, Kelb-tal Fenek. A literal translation is "Dog of the
Rabbit", a better translation is perhaps "Rabbit Hound".
External links
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