PL: I have only been judging about 2 years, so I can answer this way: Pharaoh Hounds have continued to improve in a positive way since their arrival in the Hound group! The breeders have worked diligently to improve their breed in a positive way, from temperament to structure and everything in between. EL: I think type in this breed was well established before coming into AKC competition. That did not need to change and it hasn’t. Overall soundness and consistency has improved as numbers have increased in the United States and through the efforts of excellent breeders. 5. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed? EE: Few new judges have had the opportunity to see many excellent Pharaoh Hounds in one place at one time. All judges need to see and appreciate quite a lot of good rep- resentatives of any breed in order to know instinctively what is too refined or too coarse, what is too leggy or too low on legs, what is too short or too long and what con- stitutes the ideal silhouette of the breed. Construction- wise and movement-wise, the Pharaoh Hound is charac- terized by normality and lack of exaggerations. This is a sound, healthy breed with one leg in each corner and balanced angulation both ends with body length slightly longer than height at withers and brisket down to elbow. It is not a mystery breed and should not be all that dif- ficult to learn and to judge. But both new and more expe- rienced judges still often seem to fall for exaggerations and often miss the beauty of the moderate no-nonsense construction and balance of the ideal Pharaoh Hound. People with background in other Sighthound breeds often tend to look for more curves in the Pharaoh Hound outline than what the breed should have. The topline should be almost straight as in vertical and the tuck-up should be moderate, so the ideal Pharaoh Hound silhou- ette is a far cry from the Whippet. The beautiful, classical head has by tradition been much valued in the breed, and in my book the head counts for more in this breed than in any other Sighthound. Parallel head planes making a blunt wedge from all angles should be much sought after. A roman nose is not at all attractive. One thing that does a lot to confuse new judges is their obsession with com- paring Pharaoh Hounds to Ibizan Hounds. As the breeds are very different in construction and balance, this is a totally futile exercise. SH: This is not supposed to be a flashy breed so they should not be expected to be. They are a medium-sized, moder- ately angled, reddish dog without extremes. They should not be penalized for not being extreme as the standard in no way calls for extremes. PL: As in most breeds, the ability to do the job they were bred to do is one of the most important things to
(photo courtesy of sheila hoffman)
remember when judging this breed. Well balanced, built for speed... Just because the dog moves around the ring fast, does not mean it is correct and efficient. EL: Front movement style is a key difference between Ibizans and Pharaoh hounds. I think many new judges need to be steadfast in considering proper movement an important aspect of type and to reward it when it is correct. Judges Education for both breeds emphasizes this feature. 6. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? EE: Many, many years ago and in their heyday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Merymut kennels of Misses Still, Druce and Singer in the UK. The ladies were all very unique and great characters, and they had some lovely dogs that made a strong impact on me and formed an ide- al in my young mind that still remains. The pretty much universal breed standard and the excellent international co-operation between the main breeders have done this breed a lot of good. Pharaoh Hounds are a delight to judge at major specialties and all-breed shows in several countries. For the last three decades, Sweden has been the main stronghold of the breed even if type may be more varying than before. Having judged the breed on several occasions at Skokloster, I would still advice Pha- raoh Hound breeders to look to Sweden. But both the US and Russia are right up there, and the best dogs in both countries can compete with the best
t4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& . "3$)
Powered by FlippingBook