Hound Group

Hounds are hunting dogs and originated in the Middle East, Africa, the southern part of the Soviet Union and Europe. Hounds pursue their quarry by using either their sense of sight or smell and in some cases by using both senses. Sight hounds - or gazehounds - are some of the most ancient pure breeds in the world. For thousands of years mankind relied on their superior hunting skills for their well-being. Throughout history royal houses from many lands have been linked with sight hounds. Kings, princes and nobility respected them not only for their great speed and endurance, but also for their elegance and dignity. The Afghan was the hunting dog of the royal house of Afghanistan; the Saluki was favoured by the Pharaohs of Egypt; and the Greyhound, the ancestor of all hunting dogs, has been associated with many English monarchs especially the House of Tudor. The Tsars and Grand Dukes of Russia kept Borzois. Queen Victoria and also Queen Alexandra - who loved all dogs whether hounds or toy breeds - kept Borzois and Deerhounds in the kennels at Sandringham. The Afghan was used mostly for hunting large animals, such as gazelle, wolf and ibex. Also by shepherds for herding and guarding cattle. In Russia the Borzoi was kept for wolf and hare coursing. The Tsar's kennels at St Petersburg and Grand Duke Nicholas's at Perchina were the finest in the world where hundreds of hounds were kept in luxury and were looked after by kennel staff who wore livery. The Saluki, an Arab breed of great antiquity, originated in the Middle East. It was highly prized not only for its hunting abilities - they coursed desert gazelle and desert hare - but also for its racing skills. It was not until the twentieth century that this graceful hound became known universally. 'The Boke of St Albans', supposedly written in 1481 by Juliana Berner, the prioress at Sopewell Nunnery, disclosed what is believed to be the first description of the Greyhound that is written in English. It is not the Greyhound as we know it today, but it is factual evidence, apart from bas-reliefs, that show of its existence. In the reign of Henry VIII greyhounds were used for coursing, a sport which was to become a popular pastime down the centuries and still is to this day. The Scottish Deerhound and the Irish Wolfhound are ancient breeds. Deerhounds can be described as rough-coated large greyhounds and were used for coursing red deer. They were mostly kept by Scottish chiefs and were used not only for coursing but also to find wounded deer and hold them at bay. The decline of the breed was brought about by the improvement of the rifle. A number of enthusiasts, including Captain George Graham who also saved the Irish Wolfhound from extinction, managed to preserve the Deerhound as a distinct breed. The Irish Wolfhound, another rough coated hound, was used for wolf coursing. Reputedly before the Christian era, ancestors of the presrnt-day breed were used in Ireland for hunting elk and wild boar. Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries they were referred to in their own country as "large greyhounds" or "wolfdogs". All these hounds appear to have been smooth-coated; the first reference to rough coated hounds was made in 1841 when they were described as hounds "with untidy coats of soft curly hair". After the wolf became extinct in the eighteenth century the breed suffered a drastic decline. By the end of the nineteenth century Captain Graham, with other enthusiasts, had re-established the breed and in 1885 the Irish Wolfhound Club was founded. The Whippet, the only sight hound to be evolved in Britain, came on the scene in the middle of the nineteenth century. Although created centuries after the original sight hounds, the Whippet nevertheless is just as able as other hounds in its group, and was originally used for coursing rabbit and hare. Nowadays it is used mostly for racing - a popular sport not only in the British Isles but also in continental Europe. Today's sight hounds are still used for hunting in the Middle East, but mostly they are now show dogs and pets. Most breeds adapt to this status provided they are given adequate but controlled exercise, and plenty of affection. Hounds with scenting skills which evolved in Europe centuries later represent the largest set of animals in any of the six groups. A number of these breeds can be traced back to the Saint Hubert, a pack hound from the Ardennes, that was bred by a nobleman in the sixth century. After taking holy orders and later becoming a bishop, he founded an abbey where he bred these famous hounds. After his death the monks, who are believed to have named the breed, carried on breeding what we know today in the British Isles as the Bloodhound. It was probably William the Conqueror who introduced these hounds to England. Developed by sporting gentry and clerics alike, they were used successfully in the hunting field until the seventeenth century when the faster sport of foxhunting became popular. In France up until around 1570, the Saint Hubert was used by most French sovereigns. Charles IX, however, decided to supersede it with 'le Blanc de Roy'- a French bred hound. These hounds were used until the French Revolution when they and the Saint Hubert both became extinct. Bloodhounds, because of their exceptional scenting ability, were kept in the British Isles and in the United States by the police and the army. The Bloodhound is a solemn dog which is dignified and friendly and is usually good with children. Several breeds are thought to have stemmed from the Saint Hubert: Basset breeds, the early Harriers ( a breed similar to the Beagle), the large Spanish hound, the Otterhound, and the Bruno de Jura. Possibly many more hound breeds - those with long pendulous ears and similar colouring - have strains of the Saint Hubert in their blood. Progeny of this hound was known to have been sent to French kings and probably to other royal houses and nobility as well, which would account for the large number of hound breeds which have originated in Europe. Hunting today is still a popular sport and takes place in a number of countries: France, Great Britain, the United States and Canada. Belgium and France have 251 packs which hunt red and fallow deer, white boar, fox, hare and rabbit. Hunting in these countries, which goes back to medieval times, takes place mostly in the forests and is therefore carried out at a slower pace than in the British Isles. In the United Kingdom the Master of Foxhounds Association, founded in 1881, is the governing body and recognises 191 packs. There are also four packs of Staghounds (larger than Foxhounds but similar in appearance) plus twenty four Harrier, ninety Beagle, ten Basset and one Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen pack, which hunts in the south of England. The Harrier is used when the hare is hunted by followers on horseback, whereas the Beagle and the Basset, also used for hare hunting, are followed on foot. The United States and Canada have 162 recognised packs of foxhounds. They hunt a normal season in the United States but in Canada hunting is often curtailed owing to the weather; by Christmas the ground can be too hard for the horses, and the lakes, if not entirely frozen, can become dangerous for the hounds. Scandinavia has a number of scent hounds: from Norway, the Norwegian Elkhound and the Finnish Spitz both ancient breeds and fine hunting animals; Sweden has the Drever (Swedish Dachsbracken), an all round scenting hound which hunts in both woods and fields, and also the Hamiltonstovare, a trailing hound which is used for hunting hare. Some scent hounds, like sight hounds can make good pets. They usually have good temperaments but can be strong willed and therefore not always obedient. The character of the Dachshund probably sums up a number of scent hounds - they have been known to train their owners before being trained themselves! Finally we come to the hounds that hunt by sight and scent. Two breeds in this category are the Pharaoh Hound and the Ibizan Hound. Both have been in existence since before the Christian era and come from the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Ibiza respectively. They are used to hunt rabbit and hare; but are also capable of hunting larger game such as fox and small deer. The Rhodesian Ridgeback, in spite of its name, comes from South Africa, and not from the country which is now known as Zimbabwe. Although classified as a sight hound its keen nose makes it successful at tracking. A brave, athletic hound that is known in Africa as the Lion Dog owing to its ability to hunt the lion. It is also capable of hunting other types of game from the smaller rabbit to the larger buffalo. Another breed from Africa which uses both its senses is the Basenji hound or Congo Terrier. Like all members of the Spitz group it has pricked ears and a tail which curls over its back. It has a smooth coat and not the double coat (a thick dense coat underneath and a longer harsh coat on top) of the other Spitz breeds. Basenjis do not bark and therefore are a silent hunters, and because of this wear gourds or small metal bells round their necks while hunting. They do not hunt in packs, but in threes and fours flushing game into specially prepared nets. The Tazy comes from the former Soviet Union. Although different in colouring from the Saluki - it is tan, grey or black and tan - there are similarities in shape and size. It has been bred for its hunting skills, and with sharp eyesight and a sensitive nose it is capable of both coursing and tracking. This independent and hard working hound likes human companionship but is, unfortunately, near extinction. Hounds, whether sight or scent, have always played an important part in the lives and well being of people who live in the country. Originally the chase and the kill were of equal importance. It provided entertainment and a day's pleasure; it was also a means of providing food for the banqueting hall and hopefully for the estate's retainers. Nowadays the kill is of little importance as it is the participation in the sport that counts. Hunting and coursing are traditional activities and this accounts for the continued existence of so many breeds of hound throughout the world. Rosamund Walters.