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The Pharaoh Hound is a breed of dog, a hound which has been classed as a member of the sighthound/pariah and the so-called primitive 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. It is the national dog of Malta, where it is called the Kelb-tal Fenek (plural: Klieb-tal Fenek), meaning "rabbit hound".
Appearance: The Pharaoh is an elegant breed. Its skull
is long and chiseled with only a slight stop. Its muzzle is
slightly longer than the skull and is wedge-shaped and finely
built, but strong and without snipyness. Its eyes are oval, it
has a keen, noble, and intelligent expression. It has a long,
lean, and muscular neck that is slightly arched. Its body is
slightly longer than, or the same length as, its height at the
withers. It has a deep chest that extends down to the elbows
and a moderate tuck up.
Its shoulders are long and well laid back. Loaded shoulders
are a fault. It has long, straight front legs that are strong
without being bulky. Its hindquarters are, as is the breed in
general, strong without being overly muscled and bulky. Its
hind legs are moderately angulated, parallel to each other,
and must be in balance with the forelegs. It has a
"whip" tail that should reach down to a bit below
the hocks, and is carried down normally but must not curl
between the back legs as in the greyhound. When the dog is
excited, the tail is carried level with, or loosely curled
above, the back. Its dewclaws may be removed.
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 is white,
with patches of brown or tawn, whereas the Pharaoh hound is
always a solid reddish-ruddy color with only small amounts of
white tolerated on its chest, toes, throat, muzzle, and tail
tip. The other similar breed is the Cirneco dell'Etna which
looks like 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,
intelligent, trainable, playful and 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.
They are a vocal breed without being yappy or barking just for
the sake of barking. They make good watch dogs, however, they
are not well suited as guard dogs as they are rarely
aggressive with people. They bond deeply with their people,
and should not be kept outside in a kennel.
Care: The Pharaoh Hound is an independent-minded,
but very trainable, breed when positive methods are used, as
it is sensitive and responds poorly to being physically
punished. Some Pharaohs can be dominant by nature, but it
depends on the individual animal. They have sensitive skin and
shampoo (canine or human) may cause allergic reactions;
therefore, it is best to wash them with either a human baby
shampoo or gentle dog shampoo.
Grooming Pharaohs is as easy as a quick rub with a hound
glove or a damp cloth. They are clean dogs, shed very little,
and have no noticeable odor, even when wet. They are a very
active breed and need more than just a daily walk; a run every
day is required. But though they are active they should not be
hyperactive. Because of their strong prey drive, one should be
careful to let them off leash unless one is in a safe area far
away from road traffic or other dangers: if they see something
they think is prey they will go after it without thinking, and
no amount of training can stop them. They are very good
jumpers and fences meant to contain them must be more than
four feet high.
Because they are such good jumpers, they are well suited to
the sport of dog agility. They are often (and incorrectly)
classified as sighthounds, and thus compete in lure coursing.
They can be sensitive to cold, and some might need a coat when
kept in cold climates. However, many Pharaoh Hounds enjoy snow
and will keep themselves warm through running, playing and
digging.
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.
This DNA data now puts to rest the "Egyptian
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 called a sighthound,
particularly in North America, but hunts predominantly by
scent and hearing.
The breed was brought to Britain in the 1920s and called
the Pharaoh Hound because it resembles paintings of dogs
featured on the walls of ancient Egyptian pyramids and tombs.
Health: Pharaohs, being somewhat uncommon, have not
been subjected to irresponsible breeding because they are not
profitable for commercial breeding, thus those who breed them
do it for the love of the breed and to have a good hunting
dog. They try hard to prevent hereditary diseases from
entering the gene pool. Thus, Pharaohs are basically free from
genetic diseases. Note that they, like most sighthounds, are
sensitive to barbiturate anaesthetics. Their ears are thin and
prone to frostbite when in cold climates.
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