Sporting Dogs

Hounds

Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of hounds - the coursing hounds and the tracking hounds. Both are hunters, but one depends more on eyesight and speed; the other has keener scenting powers. The fleetest legs in all the canine world are in this first group, represented by the long-headed Greyhounds, Afghan Hounds, Borzoi and Saluki. The second group of hounds are those that hunt by scent. All hounds that hunt by scent have certain characteristics in common. They are nearly all short-coated dogs with pendulous ears and plenty of stamina and perseverance. They are slower than the coursing hounds, being bred to wear down their quarry by their endurance in following a trail rather than to overcome it by superior speed. Coursing hounds run mute, needing all their breath for their physical exertion. Hounds bred to follow a scent give vent to their feelings in rich melodious baying. This enables the huntsman to know where they are, and to judge from the quality of their cry how hot is the line that they are following, and whether they have their prey at bay. This latter group is represented by Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, Beagles and some others.

The Greyhound. "Swift as a ray of light, graceful as a swallow, and wise as Solomon" is this lean and leggy hound whose fame was "first written on the hot sands of Egypt".

The Pharaohs maintained great kennels for royal sport. One of the breed's earliest pictorial records, discovered in a 5,000-year-old tomb, depicts dogs of Greyhound type running down a deerlike prey. Through Persia, Greece, Rome, Northern Europe - Greyhounds followed history's course. In modern times it has been used to overtake deer, foxes and hares. The speediest of all dogs it is now used extensively for racing, a sport nearly one hundred years old, in which Greyhounds, sprung from a starting gate much like those used for horse races, chase a mechanical rabbit for fun, fame, and sometimes fortune for their owners. Medium-sized (30-32 inches tall), this dog with a smooth, short coat of any colour is high-strung and not very affectionate.

The Afghan Hound and Saluki. Unusually interesting breeds are the fleet and graceful Afghan Hound and the Saluki, with their long and feathered ears. Both are very old breeds and can trace their history for at least 5000 years. They are treasured favorites of kings and sheiks in their native lands, where they were used for coursing the gazelle. Through countless centuries with nomad masters they have coursed deserts from Sahara to Caspian sea; no breed excels them in the hunt on sand. The Saluki sometimes rides athwart the saddle (or in recent years, aboard a jeep) to keep fresh for the chase. No other dog sleeps in his Arab master's tent; no other's pedigree has been handed down; in songs for perhaps a thousand years.

The coat of the Afghan Hound may be of any colour and is long and silky, that of the Saluki is smooth, soft and silky.