LIVING WITH PHARAOH HOUNDS
By Robert Newman, Esq. President, Pharaoh Hound Club of America
I
acquired my first Pharaoh Hound over eight years ago, after researching the breed for almost a year. Although I did all that I could to prepare myself for what I realized was a unique
and am away at work for up to 6 hours at a time, I had planned in advance to help integrate Logan into our home. From the day he arrived, Logan went everywhere that I went. He was introduced to and inundated with new sights, sounds and scents on a daily basis. He learned to walk on di ff erent flooring and textures from carpet to tile and anything else I could find. From outdoor restaurants, parks, out- door malls and around the neighborhood, Logan was a constant fixture. I cannot stress enough how important early and ongoing socialization is for the Pharaoh Hound. Th e first “trick” Logan learned was to “speak” on command. Because they can be excessive barkers, I wanted to reward the barking behavior when it was asked for and ignore it when it wasn’t, hoping to extinguish the unwanted bark.
Because most Pharaoh Hounds are extremely food motivated, training is rel- atively easy. Most Pharaoh Hounds will do anything for food, and there are many Pharaoh Hounds with Rally Obedience, Obedience and Agility titles—quite impressive for a sighthound. I have had several judges comment that they had never seen a Pharaoh Hound in Rally or Obedience before I walked into their ring with Logan. Extreme caution must be used when working with a Pharaoh Hound o ff leash, and sadly, there are too many stories about Pharaoh Hounds being injured or killed because they were o ff leash or got loose. Pharaoh Hounds tend to be escape art- ists, and must be secured well, including a minimum of six-foot fences in all yards in which they are allowed to free roam.
breed, nothing could have adequately prepared me for the reality of living with Pharaoh Hounds. Like most sighthounds, Pharaoh Hounds can be quirky and idiosyncratic. Some can be extremely shy with strangers, taking an extended period of time to become com- fortable. But at the heart of this breed lies a mischievous clown that can be surprisingly adaptable and even trainable. My first Pharaoh Hound was a male named Logan. Because I was aware that Pharaoh Hounds can be quite vocal, and because I live in a residential neighborhood
“Because most Pharaoh Hounds are extremely food motivated, TRAINING IS RELATIVELY EASY.”
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