AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL KENNEL COUNCIL

Extended Breed Standard of THE PHARAOH HOUND

Produced by Mrs Jay Green in conjunction with The Australian National Kennel Council

Standard adopted by Kennel Club London Standard adopted by ANKC 1987 FCI Standard No: 248 Breed Standard Extension adopted by ANKC 1996 Breed Standard Extension — History added 2008 Copyright Australian National Kennel Council 2008 Country of Origin ~ Malta Extended Standards are compiled purely for the purpose of training Australian judges and students of the breed. In order to comply with copyright requirements of authors, artists and photographers of material used, the contents must not be copied for commercial use or any other purpose. Under no circumstances may the Standard or Extended Standard be placed on the Internet without written permission of the ANKC.

HISTORY OF THE BREED The first two specimens of the breed were taken to Britain from Malta in the 1920s, but at that time, no litter was bred. Again, some dogs were imported to the UK in the early 1960s, and the first litter was born in 1963. The breed standard was recognised by the Kennel Club in 1974. The breed was called the Pharaoh Hound although this name was already used by the FCI as an alternative name for the Ibizan Hound at that time. When the FCI abolished this name in 1977 and decided to call the Ibizan Hound exclusively by its original Spanish name Podenco Ibicenco, the term Pharaoh Hound was transferred to the Kelb tal-Fenek, whose breed standard had been recognised by the FCI at the same time. For many years, the Pharaoh Hound was considered one of the oldest dog breeds, because it is thought by some to resemble paintings of dogs featured on the walls of ancient Egyptian pyramids and tombs. Recent DNA analysis reveals, however, that this breed is actually a more recent construction, developed out of different lines of European hunting dogs. This DNA data now puts to rest the “Egyptian Myth” and proves the breed did not originate from Egypt. Another study -”Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in Portuguese native dog breeds” -found no evidence of connection between Iberian dogs and those of North Africa; showing again, no connection between Mediterranean hounds and dogs of North Africa. The Pharaoh Hound is often called a sighthound, particularly in North America, but also hunts by scent and hearing. A number of other breeds that are similar to the Pharaoh Hound exist in different regions of the Mediterranean. One is the Cirneco dell’Etna from neighbouring Sicily, which is very similar in structure and appearance, but somewhat smaller (43-51cm/ 17-20in). Other similar breeds include the Ibizan Hound, Podenco Canario, Podengo Português and other local breeds from the Mediterranean—each breed is slightly different with physical characteristics that match the terrain the dogs hunt on. It is not clear whether those breeds have descended from the same anscestral lines, or whether their similarities have developed due to similar environmental conditions. It should be noted that the Pharaoh Hound is not the only breed of dog specific to the tiny islands of Malta. There is also the Kelb tal-but (“pocket dog”, a toy breed), Kelb tal-kaa (“gun dog”, a breed used for bird hunting), and lastly a type of Mastiff which is now extinct (Kelb tal-Gliet, sometimes called the Maltese Bulldog or Maltese Mastiff).

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 2 Fig. 1

Typical of the breed ! GENERAL APPEARANCE The Pharaoh Hound is medium sized, of noble bearing with clean-cut lines. Graceful yet powerful. Very fast with free easy movement and alert expression.

In body the Pharaoh Hound is slightly longer (horizontally measured from fore chest to the rear projection of the upper thigh) than he is in height (measured vertically from the top point of the withers to the ground. See also under Body.) The body is well- boned, muscular and powerful, having great endurance and capability of speed. A fault in overall appearance is coarseness, which is a lack of elegance and nobility. Equally wrong is a racy or too fine build, when lack of enough bone and substance to the dog’s structure results in a dog too lightly built without enough power, or undersized. Striving too much for elegance and grace may produce an ultra-refined Pharaoh Hound, completely losing the true type. Of the utmost importance is the TOTAL look of the Pharaoh Hound as a whole dog. The whole dog is the sum of all its parts good and bad, and it is the overall balance, the flow of clean hard lines and the whole general appearance as it conforms to the entire standard that must be assessed.

! CHARACTERISTICS An alert keen hunter, the Pharaoh Hound hunts by scent and sight using its large ears to a marked degree when working close. The Pharaoh Hound’s ears are extremely mobile, turning to catch the slightest sound - always listening and prepared to spring into action.

! TEMPERAMENT An intelligent, friendly affectionate, playful and alert breed. The Pharaoh Hound has a truly outstanding personality, highly intelligent, alert, fun loving and affectionate, and also very sensitive. He is full of vitality and animation.

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 3 While many Pharaoh Hounds are extroverts, it is definitely not a temperament fault should the dog be initially wary on introduction to strangers. He may act in a cool fashion but any sign of aggressiveness should be severely penalised, as should any tendency to cringe in fear.

Fig. 2

Blunt wedge Cheeky head

Showing correct wedge

! HEAD AND SKULL Skull long, lean, and well chiselled. Foreface slightly longer than the skull. Only slight stop. Top of skull parallel with the foreface, the whole head representing a blunt wedge when viewed in profile and from above. Nose flesh coloured only, blending with the coat. The head must be in correct proportion, with the foreface or muzzle slightly longer than the skull, and the size of the entire head must be in proportion to the body. A head too small for the body is as faulty as one too large, both are out of balance. The head should resemble a blunt wedge when viewed from the side or from above. Cheeks should not bulge - this fault will give the dog a coarse look as it interrupts the clean line of the head. Cheeks should be muscular and the muscles should lie flat but there should be no hollow under the eye. Frontal bones should be only slightly developed. A domed or convex skull is undesirable. When viewed from the side the planes of the head should be parallel. (“Planes” here refers to the line of the top of the muzzle and line of the top of the skull.) Either a “ram’s head”, a down-face with the line of the muzzle sloping down from the plane of the skull, or a “dish face” with a slight dip from stop to nose, severely detracts from the nobility of expression which is so important. A snipey muzzle sometimes results in weak jaws and poor bite. The snipey dog also tends to lose his impression of being a powerful dog. Too much or too little stop also tends to change the expression, as do other faults such as too wide a skull, too short a foreface, and heavy, thick or drooping lips. This severely detracts from the ideal head, over which tight skin should fit like a glove. There should be no wrinkling.

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 4 Fig. 3

Correct head shape

There is no black pigmentation over the nose. Nostrils should be generous, not pinched or stingy, for the hunting dog’s obvious requirements of hunting by scent and also for breathing easily when carrying prey, and to allow an easy intake of air when travelling at high speed.

! EYES Amber-coloured, blending with the coat; oval, moderately deep set, with keen, intelligent expression. The oval or almond shaped eyes set fairly deep in the head should have a keen and intelligent expression and give a feeling of the dog’s character. Faults are blue eyes (a very severe fault), pale yellow eyes (which usually have an unattractive glaring expression), slit eyes, round eyes, bulging eyes, and eyes set too close together, nor should tile eyes be circled with dark pigment (Kohl lines!). Note that the eye may appear still a little pale in a young dog as the final darker colour is sometimes not attained until the dog is as much as 2 years old.

! EARS Medium high set; carried erect when alert, but very mobile; broad at the base; fine and large. The ears are large but fine, and broad at the base. They are not to be upright and parallel, being carried not on top of the head but at the outer corner of the skull, in the position often described as “Five to One on the clock face”. When alert the ear is carried erect but it is an extremely maneuverable organ and very expressive, turning to catch the slightest sound and when happy or showing affection the hound will fold them back against his neck. Consequently the judge should NOT expect to see a Pharaoh Hound’s ears held constantly in the same position or erect at all times. Fig. 4 —Correct ear set

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 5 Soft ears that droop or fold over are a serious fault, as are those that are set too low or are too short and thick or carried sideways. There are however ears, which have a slight fold across the lower part, but this is acceptable PROVIDED the whole ear can be carried properly upright and erect. A puppy’s ears are most erratic until he has finished teething, but size and set on should be apparent.

Fig. 5

Correctly proportioned head Correct parallel planes

Too much stop

Too little stop

Ram’s head or downfaced

Dish faced Snipey

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 6 ! MOUTH Powerful jaws with strong teeth. Scissor bite. In a true scissor bite the lower incisors are upright and touching inside the upper incisors. Obvious faults would be undershot or overshot. Full dentition - 22 teeth in the lower jaw and 20 in the upper - are most desirable and must be a necessary part of powerful jaws and strong teeth. A weakness such as missing teeth must be seen as a disadvantage in a hunting breed.

Fig. 6

Correct neck Long neck

Short, thick neck Ewe neck

! NECK Long, lean, muscular and slightly arched. Clean throat line. The neck should show nobility of bearing. Long, lean, well muscled with dry throat line, it should be slightly arched to give grace to the head. Head and neck together should have a sculptured appearance. It is most important that balance be maintained. The neck must be smoothly and firmly set into sloping shoulders and must carry the head with a look of ease. There should be no flabbiness or loose folds in the skin. A short thick neck is faulty, as is too long a neck or a ewe-neck with its concave arch. This last is often badly set on the shoulders as well as having a poor outline.

! FOREQUARTERS Shoulders: Strong, long and well laid back. Forelegs: Straight and parallel. Elbows well tucked in. Pasterns strong. The length of wither to point of shoulder and from point of shoulder to elbow should be approximately equal. Correct distinct withers have a small space between the tops of the shoulder blades. However, the space between the tops of the shoulder blades should not be so narrow as to inhibit the movement of the neck forward and down to pick up prey. Shoulder blades, which are too short, result in low withers and a wide space between the shoulder blades. An open and upright shoulder is unacceptable. Muscles of the shoulders should be long and flat. Bulging or loaded shoulders are unpleasing to the eye and detrimental to proper gait. They indicate faulty construction and are often allied to being out at shoulder.

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 7 Fig. 7

Correct front

Front legs should be perpendicular to the ground viewed either from side or front. Although pasterns are strong, viewed from the side there is a slight slope to them allowing the dog some give when leaping or coursing, but this must definitely not allow him to be down on his pasterns which is a weakness and a fault. From the frontal view the forelegs should be parallel to each other, the dog toeing neither in nor out.

! BODY Lithe with almost straight topline. Slight slope down from croup to root of tail. Deep brisket extending down to point of elbow. Ribs well sprung. Moderate cut up. Length of body from breast to haunch bone slightly longer than height at withers. “Haunchbone” in this context means point of buttock and not, as is sometimes thought, the hipbones. Although this conflicts with the ANKC Glossary of Terms, it is consistent with the Kennel Club definition under which the Standard was written. The Kennel Club Glossary of Terms simply defines “Haunch” as “Buttock or rump” and does not define “Haunchbones”. It is therefore consistent to accept that “Haunchbones” means “the bone forming the hip bones and/or the point of buttock”. It is this latter definition, which is intended in the Pharaoh Hound Breed Standard and has been confirmed with breed specialists and authors, Pauline Block and Rita Laventhall Sacks. A body of substance conveying the impression of strength and power, with enough room for the heart and lungs to function properly in the frame of the hunting dog is of the utmost importance. A narrow chest is most undesirable. Deep brisket just down to the point of elbow and ribs that are well sprung give the heart and lungs room to expand during the chase, and these together with well laid back shoulders will give the correct front with a definite forechest.

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 8 “Moderate” is the key word to apply to the characteristics of the Pharaoh Hound. There are no extremes called for. The topline, which is almost straight, is at its highest point at the withers. It should be firm, not sagging with a sway back, which is a weakness of the spine, or having the opposite fault, a roach back, which constricts the spine. However, a slight rise over the loin is permissible. Sometimes a good handler can hide a faulty top line when the dog is standing but an accurate picture of it can be see from the side view when the dog is in motion. An equally serious fault here would be an exaggerated curve to the tuck up, a fault, which can accompany a roach back. Looking down on the body, the width across the hips should equal the width across the body at the widest point of rib spring. Once again, BALANCED. A Pharaoh Hound should not carry excessive weight. He need not show rib or hipbones when he is standing still but should show a slight outline of rib when he is in motion. A hound in hard hunting or coursing condition may however show the ribs and will be more heavily muscled. (A rule of thumb to judge good normal condition - just to be able to see three vertebrae knobs on the back, and a slight knob at the hip bone.)

! HINDQUARTERS Strong and muscular. Moderate bend of stifle. Well-developed second thigh. Limbs parallel when viewed from behind. The quarters are strong and muscular with a well-developed second thigh and moderate angulation. They must balance with the forequarters to give the correct gait, the drive of the rear equalling the reach of the front. Strong hocks perpendicular to the ground are essential. A line dropped from the rear of the thigh to the ground should pass through the toes of the hind foot when the dog is standing with the rear pasterns perpendicular.

! FEET Strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded. Dewclaws may be removed.

Fig. 8

Correct front Toeing out

Toeing in Correct pastern Down in pastern

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 9 The feet should not be too small and compact nor weak and flat - neither cat nor hare. The foot is used like a strong hand in gripping harsh terrain and the grasping toes and nails are necessary for climbing. Often reaching for an object the Pharaoh Hound will spread his toes using his foot as though it were a hand, and on certain surfaces the foot will spread slightly to give him sure control on an unstable surface. It is essential to the character of the breed that nails be kept as natural as possible, not mutilated by excessive filing. The front feet should toe directly forward. Removal of dewclaws is not required but is optional and dewclaws on hind legs are an abnormality.

! TAIL Medium set -fairly thick at the base and tapering (whip-like), 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. The Standard is very clear regarding the tail. However experience has shown that many Pharaoh Hounds - particularly bitches - carry their tails out and lowered rather than up when in the show ring, keeping the high carriage for their more active pursuits.

Fig. 9 Tail carriage when active and alert.

Tail set too low Tail set too high

Correct tail set

Fig. 10

Although it is desirable to have the tail carried up and curved when gaiting - though it should never curve right down to touch the back - holding it outwards and lower merely detracts somewhat from the picture and is not a fault. Even when partly lowered however, the tail should still show a scimitar-like curve. The tail tucked between the legs is most undesirable and a serious fault, as is a tail carried to the side. There should be no feathering on the tail. In cooler weather the Pharaoh Hound curls himself up tightly and tucks his nose beneath his tail, resulting often in a bald patch from his warm moist breath and this should not be mistaken for a skin ailment.

! GAIT/MOVEMENT Free and flowing, the head should be held fairly high and 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 definite fault.

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 10 Gait is a trot of moderate speed and is of the utmost importance. It must give the impression of effortless power, the hound striding out to cover the ground with ease. If the dog is structurally sound his gait will be good. If he shows faults in his gait the observer can be certain to find faults in his structure. When moving at a trot of moderate speed the gait of the Pharaoh Hound is free, smooth, and powerful with reach in front and drive behind, which necessitates correct and balanced front and rear angulation. When the dog is gaited the back should remain level while he is in motion, with the topline firm but flexible. If he has a weak back it will sag or sway when he gaits and his true topline can be observed. The constricted or roach back is also visible from the side when the dog is gaiting. At the same time the side view enables one to determine whether the gait is free, smooth and powerful with vigorous rear drive, and front reach to absorb this rear drive. One can see if the front step is the same length as the rear step. In short one can see if the front and rear angulation are correct and in balance. The legs will be parallel to each other when the dog is standing but at the trot as the speed increases the legs will incline inwards towards a centre line, but the Pharaoh Hound does not “single track”. The elbows and stifles will turn neither in nor out. Paddling, plaiting, weaving or any rolling in movement should be penalised. While the dog should not have a hackney action, which is totally unacceptable, neither should he drag his feet. He must clear the ground easily without prancing, an action which would inhibit the required powerful flow of movement.

! COAT Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh; no feathering. Although most coats are short and glossy, fine and close, many Pharaoh Hounds do not begin life that way. Many, from a few days of age, develop a “puppy” coat, which is somewhat longer and possibly a bit fuller than the coat would be at maturity. These hounds tend to keep this slightly rougher coat until a year old or thereabouts when it begins to slough off and is replaced by a finer and closer coat. Some however after shedding this coat will grow a slightly harsher and slightly longer coat. This is acceptable if the variation is not excessive, but there must be no feathering.

! COLOUR Tan or rich tan with white markings allowed as follows:

White tip on tail strongly desired White on chest (called “The Star”). White on toes. Slim white blaze on centre line of face permissible. Flecking or white other than above undesirable. The shade of coat may vary from light to a rich dark hue - provided the colour is tan the shade is irrelevant. Usually the colour deepens as the dog matures, the darker coat gradually replacing the paler puppy coat. Shaded colour is not unusual, the deepest colour appearing down the dog’s back with the hair on the neck and shoulder blades being lighter in shade. Every shade of tan is equally acceptable and though personal preference seems to tend towards the darker colours, a dog MUST NOT be marked down because his coat is lighter.

Extended Breed Standard of the Pharaoh Hound - Page 11 White markings only as listed. The Star of course is rarely star-shaped - a small white patch or small streamers of white on the chest are quite acceptable. At the same time, these desirable white markings must not be excessive. A tail tip is a tip, not a 3- inch brush, a star on the chest is a small star, not a scarf or a bib, white on the toes is just that, not socks, and a slim white blaze means a very fine line, not a broad streak. Judges should be aware that some Pharaoh Hounds develop greying from a very early age. This starts on the muzzle and spreads back towards the eyes and skull, sometimes beginning as early as 3 to 4 years old. This greying must not be confused with flecking, which is highly undesirable. ! SIZE Weight Dogs Ideally 56-63.5 cm (22-25 ins) Bitches Ideally 53.5-61 cm (21-24 ins) Overall balance must be maintained. The range of size is quite wide and it is most important that dogs at either end of the scale must be considered as equally acceptable, provided overall balance and type are maintained. ! FAULTS Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, hunting blemishes excepted. ! NOTE Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. REFERENCES Illustrations by the Davidson sisters from the RASKC Illustrated Breed Standards. Mrs B. Skilton Members of the “Pharaoh Hound News”. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Compiled by Mrs J. Green with grateful acknowledgement to Mrs Rita Laventhall Sacks (U.S.A.) on whose “Interpretation of the Standard” in the breed book, “The Pharaoh Hound” by Rita Laventhall Sacks and Pauline Block, this version, while not identical, is heavily based.

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