THE PHARAOH HOUND BY PAMHAIG A LOT OF DOG IN A PLAIN BROWNWRAPPER
A ring full of short coated, similar colored dogs. Where do you begin to sort them out? Let’s start with the initial impres- sions as you look over your line-up for the first time. As you look down that line, what you should feel is a sense of elegance, combined with the well-balanced body of a true athlete. The Pharaoh Hound should present a clean, smooth outline where all the body parts flow together with- out lumps, bumps or hard angles. Shoulders should be well
upright nor tipping off from the side of the head. The Pharaoh Hound standard does not require full denti- tion. With that said, missing teeth are undesirable. It is not uncommon to encounter missing pre-molars. Anything more should be noted and considered when making final deci- sions. A scissors bite is called for; anything else should be considered a fault. The under jaw should be strong and well defined. Lack of
laid back, topline almost flat (with a slight rise over the loin being acceptable) and rear angulation moderate and balanced with the front. Color? Color should not play a part is assess- ing the overall quality of a dog. Pharaoh Hounds can be anything from a light tan to a deep chest- nut—and all shades in between. All these varia- tions are acceptable and one is not preferable over another, except on a personal level. Although the white tail tip is strongly preferred, it is common to see an outstanding specimen of the breed that is a solid red. Unless attempting to decide between two dogs of equal quality, the white tip should not overly influence judg- ment. Moving on to individ- ual examination: Like many of the sighthound breeds, Pharaoh Hounds do not like to be approached from above. They should be
under jaw pro- duces a snippy appearance and detracts from the overall symmetry of the head. A strong under jaw is impor- tant when it comes to hunt- ing and taking down prey. The chest should reach almost to the point of elbow. Past that point would interfere with the turning ability of a hound in pursuit of prey. This is a breed that for centuries has hunted in rough, rocky ter- rain. Bone should be sub- stantial enough to with- stand this activity with ease. Slight boned like a Whippet or heavy bone like a Doberman would not serve the Pharaoh Hound well. There is no measuring in or out in this breed; however, an exceptionally tall or exceptionally small dog should be penalized. This is a medium sized breed. Above all else, balance should be maintained. When moving the hand from the neck to the rear, you should not encounter any bulges or hard angles. The hand should be able to move smoothly from front
to rear. Down, Back & Around, Please
approached with confidence and the first hands-on contact should be under the chin. This will normally put the dog at ease and facilitate the remainder of the examination. The Pharaoh Hound eye should be amber and oval shaped. It should blend with the coat. Their expression should be that of intelligence, alertness and curiosity. Muzzles should be relatively equal to length of the skull. This is a breed that experiences a large variation in age when it comes to the graying factor. You will see many young dogs already start ing to gray as well as older dogs without a gray hair. This should not play a part in evaluating the animal. Ears should be erect and f lexible; being neither overly
Like any natural athlete, the Pharaoh Hound should cover ground efficiently without effort. Reach and drive should be equal. You should not see pounding or hackney-type lift. The tail can be carried high or low, but should never be so high it tends to curl towards the back. The length of the Pharaoh Hound body should be “slightly” longer than it is tall. Too square or too long takes away from the overall balance of the dog. Coming at you, elbows should be well tucked into the body without any sloppiness. The Pharaoh Hound should move parallel and single tracking is not desirable. Although
356 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017
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