Illustrated Pharaoh Hound Standard [Extended]

 

 

 

GENERAL APPEARANCE .. General Appearance is one of grace, power and speed.  The Pharaoh Hound is medium sized, of noble bearing with hard clean-cut lines -- graceful, well balanced, very fast with free easy movement and alert expression.

THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION IS THAT OF THE IDEAL PHARAOH HOUND.  ANY DEVIATION FROM THE BELOW DESCRIBED DOG MUST BE PENALIZED TO THE EXTENT OF THE DEVIATION.

 

SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE -- Height -- Dogs 23 inches - 25 inches.  Bitches 21 inches - 24 inches.  Allover balance must be maintained.  Length of body from breast to haunch bone slightly longer than height of withers to ground.  Lithe.

 

SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE

The Pharaoh Hound, medium sized, is slightly longer in body than in height when measured vertically from the ground to the highest point of the withers, as opposed to the length of the body when measured horizontally from the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh.  The body is muscular and powerful, possessing great endurance and capability of speed.  A fault in over-all appearance is that of coarseness, which is a lack of elegance and nobility.  An equally serious fault is that of a Pharaoh Hound with a racy or fine greyhound build.  This means that there is generally not enough bone and substance to the dog's structure, resulting in a dog that is too lightly built, not powerful enough, or undersize.  In striving for elegance and grace, the breeder may easily fall into the trap of producing a racy, fine or Greyhound-like Pharaoh Hound, completely losing Pharaoh Hound type.  The most serious of faults is the loss of Pharaoh Hound type.

 

 

 

 

HEAD -- Alert expression.  Eyes amber colored blending with coat: oval, moderately deep set with keen intelligent expression.  Ears medium high set, carried erect when alert, but very mobile, broad at the base, fine and large.  Skull long, lean and chiseled.  Only slight stop.  Foreface slightly longer than the skull.  Top of the skull parallel with the foreface representing a blunt wedge.  Nose flesh colored, blending with the coat.  No other color.  Powerful jaws with strong teeth.  Scissors' bite.

 

The oval or almond-shaped eye set properly in the head gives the dog his expression, and in turn, gives us the feeling of the character of the dog as well as a form of communication with him.  Faults are blue eyes, pale yellow eyes, slit eyes, round eyes, bulging eyes and eyes which are set too close together.  None of these faults, other than the blue eyes, is severe.

It is most important that the ears not be perpendicular to the skull or parallel to each other, resulting in an earset that is too high.  A very high earset is not characteristic of the breed, and therefore not desirable, although striking in appearance.  Faults are soft ears which do not stand completely erect, ears with tips bending either forward or backward, ears set low on the head and carried sidewise and ears that are too small in proportion to the head.  A "Trademark" of the breed, the magnificently maneuverable ear may well be considered the emotional gauge of the Pharaoh Hound.  The ear completely enhances the expression of the dog.  When he is excited or alert, the ears will stand erect.  When he is quietly happy, he will often hold them back flat.  The blush of the inside of the ear shows the emotion of the dog, becoming deeper in color when he is excited or very happy.

The long head with a long neck, common to all coursing hounds, is required for speed.  The foreface or muzzle should be slightly longer than the skull.  The size of the entire head must be proportionate to the size of the body, that is, in balance with each other.  Faults are a head that is too small for the body and a head which looks too large for the body.  Both are out of balance.

The ideal Pharaoh Hound head resembles a blunt wedge when viewed from the side or from the front.  A dog with bulging cheeks is called "Cheeky".  This fault gives the dog a coarse-looking head.  The interrupted clean flow of line spoils the elegant look.  The cheeks must be muscular and lie flat, with no hollow under the eyes.

The planes of the head should be parallel, when viewed from the side.  This means that the top of the skull and the top of the muzzle or foreface must be parallel to each other.  The ram's head or down-face is a fault.  The dish-faced dog has an unusual and undignified expression which detracts from the look of nobility so important to the Pharaoh Hound.  A dish-faced dog has an upturned nose forming a depression between the lip of the nose and the stop.  A snipey muzzle is a fault.  A snipey muzzle is too pinched or pointed sometimes resulting in weak jaws and poor bite.  A dog with a snipey muzzle does not have nobility of expression.  The look of power is lost in the weakness of the foreface.

A less serious fault is too much or too little stop, which changes the expression to a degree.  Faults which detract from expression and therefore general appearance are a too-wide skull, a too short foreface, and heavy, thick or drooping lips.  This last fault detracts severely from the ideal Pharaoh Hound head, the skin of which must fit the head as closely as the skin of the body -- "like that of a glove".

Although not mentioned in the standard, nostrils should be generous, not pinched or stingy, for the obvious requirements of hunting by scent and for breathing easily after a hunt with a mouth full of kill.  There are times when the color of the nose will change because of the ability (or habit) of the Pharaoh Hound to "blush" when excited or happy.  When the Pharaoh Hound blushes, the flesh of the nose and the inside of the ears turn a deep rose color, while the amber eyes also seem to reflect a deeper, almost rosy hue.  Here, perhaps, we can see back into Ancient Egypt and apply the following translated quotation.  "The red long tailed dog goes into the stalls of the hills, he is better than the long faced dog.  He makes no delay in hunting, his face glows like a God and he delights to do his work."  Surely this must be a description of the ancient Pharaoh Hound blushing with joy and excitement, just as he does to this day.

A true scissor bite is that in which the lower incisors are upright and touching inside the upper incisors.  Faults are undershot or overshot bite.  Although not noted in the Standard, full dentition is a most desirable and necessary part of powerful jaws and teeth.  It should be noted that missing teeth can be a disadvantage to a breed that uses its teeth for more than just eating.  However, missing teeth are not to be considered a fault.

 

 

  

 

NECK, TOPLINE, BODY -- Neck long, lean and muscular with a slight arch to carry the head on high.  Clean throat line.  Almost a straight topline.  Slight slope from croup to root of tail. Body lithe.  Deep brisket almost down to point of elbow.  Ribs well sprung.  Moderate tuck-up.  Tail medium set -- fairly thick at the base and tapering whip-like, reaching below the point of hock in repose.  Well carried and curved when in action.  The tail should not be tucked between the legs.  A screw tail is a fault.

 

The neck should show nobility of bearing.  The combined head and neck should have a sculptured appearance.  The neck must be firmly set into sloping shoulders and must carry the head with a look of ease.  The dry, clean throat line means that there should be no flabbiness or loose folds in the skin.  The balance and overall look of the dog depends a great deal upon his having the correct neck.  The neck must be in balance with the rest of the dog.  A dog of good substance should have a heavier neck than a less substantial and/or taller dog.  In other words, the neck must suit both the head and body of the dog in order to merit description by the much-used word "Balance".  Faults are short, thick neck, an elongated neck and a ewe neck, which has a concave, sheep-like arch.  Ewe neck often sits badly on shoulders as well as having a poor outline.

The topline, which is almost straight, is at its highest point at the withers.  It should be firm.  Sagging, or sway-back, a weakness of the spine, is a fault.  The opposite fault is a roach-back, which constricts the spine.   However, a slight rise over the loin is permissible and is common.  A dog in correct weight should show no more than the suggestion of 3 vertebrae.  A Greyhound type curve to the tuck-up is a fault, often accompanied by a roached back.  Looking down at the body, the width across the hip should equal the width at the widest point of rib-spring.  Once again, balanced.  MODERATE is the key word to apply to the physical characteristics of the Pharaoh Hound body.

A tail tucked between the legs is most undesirable and a serious fault.  Although it is desirable to have the tail carried up and curved when in action, holding it outward and lower merely detracts somewhat from the picture and should not be considered a fault.  Experience has shown us that many bitches with correct tails tend to carry the tail out and lowered rather than up, when in the show ring.  Other tail faults are tightly curled tail, off-center tail carriage, tip of tail resting on dog's back, tail set too high, tail set too low, and feathering on tail.

 FOREQUARTERS -- Shoulders long and sloping and well laid back.  Strong without being loaded.  Elbows well tucked in.  Forelegs straight and parallel.  Pasterns strong.  Dew-claws may be removed. Feet neither cat nor hare but strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out.  Paws well padded.

 

FOREQUARTERS

The importance of properly angulated shoulders is reflected in the dog's gait.  Not every Pharaoh Hound will have the shoulder blade and the upper arm joining at an angle of 90 degrees, and an angle of slightly more is acceptable.  An angle of 110 degrees results in an extremely open and straight or upright shoulder and is a fault.  The proper construction of the shoulder can best be described as when a line drawn through the shoulder blade at an angle of 45 degrees, would meet a line drawn through the length of the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees.  The length of the shoulder blade and of the upper arm should be equal.  Correct distinct withers are those with a small space between the tops of the shoulder blades.  Shoulder blades which are too short have a wide space between them resulting in low withers, which are undesirable.

The muscles of the shoulders should be long and flat.  Bulging or "loaded" shoulders are unpleasing to the eye and detrimental to proper gait.  They are an indication of faulty shoulder construction.

The height from the elbows to the withers should be approximately equal to the height from the ground to the elbows.  When the dog is in normal stance and when he is gaiting, the elbows should lie close to the brisket.

From a frontal view, the forelegs should be parallel to each other, the feet toeing neither in nor out, but pointing directly forward.  The front legs should be perpendicular to the ground when viewed either from the front or the side.  There is a very slight bend to the pasterns, allowing the Pharaoh Hound some "give" when leaping or coursing.  However, this does not permit the dog to be down in pastern, which is a weakness and a fault.  When the dog toes out below the pastern the fault is called "French front" and that same terminology can be used for the fault in which the entire leg below the elbow turns outward.  The most extreme example is when the elbows themselves turn out.  It is absolute malformation of Pharaoh Hound front, but it is not uncommon.  All of these problems of faulty fronts, from the slightest to the most extreme are detrimental to sound locomotion.

The feet of the Pharaoh Hound have been a most important factor in the survival of the breed.  The foot is used like a hand, gripping harsh terrain.  The grasping toes and nails are necessary for climbing.  Often, when reaching for an object, the Pharaoh Hound will spread the toes, using his foot as though it were a hand.  On certain surfaces, such as sand or gravel, the Pharaoh Hound foot will spread slightly to give him sure control on an unstable surface.  It is essential to the character of the breed that the nails be kept as natural as possible and not mutilated by clipping or excessive filing.  We must accept the foot as it is, remembering the cat-footed Pharaoh Hound could not have survived, nor a weak, flat-footed or hare-footed one, in its countries or origin.  It is not required that front dew-claws be removed, but it is preferred that it be done.  Dew-claws on hind legs are an abnormality and should be removed.

HINDQUARTERS -- Strong and muscular.  Limbs parallel.  Moderate sweep of stifle.  Well-developed second thigh.  Dew-claws may be removed.  Feet as in front.

 

The hindquarters of the Pharaoh Hound, while strong and well-muscled, must not be overly muscular or "beefy".  The moderate sweep of stifle should be clearly defined, so that one can easily see its bend.  Correct construction of the hindquarters is where the pelvis and upper shank meet at a right angle (90 degrees) and the upper and lower shanks, which are of equal length, meet at an approximate right angle, possibly slightly more than ninety degrees.  The greater the angle between the upper and lower shank, the less clearly defined the stifle.

The forequarters and hindquarters must be in balance with each other, not only for appearance but for the purpose of correct gait.  Over-angulation in the forequarters, to be properly balanced, should have over-angulation to the same degree in the hindquarters.  The same holds true for lack of angulation, front and rear.  Although correct angulation is called for, slightly over or slightly under is acceptable, if balanced front and rear.  However, severe over or under angulation, front and rear, although balanced, is a fault, as is front and rear angulation not in balance.

The well-developed second thigh is necessary to support correct angulation.  The hindquarters support part of the dog's weight and also give him the strength to propel himself forward.  The greater the angulation, the further back the dog's rear paw will be, when standing with hocks perpendicular to the ground.  He will have greater difficulty supporting his weight  and his weaker hindquarters will lessen his ability to move forward with adequate drive and power.  Lack of rear angulation results in a stiff action.  Fluid motion and powerful drive are impossible to achieve with a straight rear leg.  Neither the over-angulated stifle nor the steep stifle will produce the necessary forward motion of the Pharaoh Hound.  Only the moderate bend of stifle will result in the smooth, strong drive required of the breed.

The hocks, or portions of the hind leg, from hock to heel, are upright and perpendicular to the ground when viewed from the side or rear.  Viewed from the rear, the legs and hocks are parallel to each other.  Hind feet should toe neither in nor out but point directly forward.

Faults are cow-hocks, where the hocks converge, turning in on each other, and divergent hocks, where the hocks turn outward.  Cow-hocks are a slightly worse fault, but both faults are signs of weakness and impair proper movement.

COAT -- Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh with no feathering.  Accident blemishes should not be considered as faults.

 

Most coats are short and glossy, fine and close, but many young dogs develop a "puppy" coat which is somewhat longer and a bit fuller than the coat would be at maturity.  They tend to keep this slightly rougher coat until a year of age, when it begins to shed and is replaced by a finer, closer coat.  A small percentage of Pharaoh Hounds, after shedding the puppy coat, will grow a slightly longer, slightly harsher coat.  This is acceptable if the variation is slight.  Feathering is a fault.

COLOR -- Ranging from tan/rich tan/chestnut with white markings allowed as follows:  White tip on tail strongly desired.  White on chest (called "the Star").  White on toes and slim white snip on center line of face permissible.  Flecking or other white undesirable, except for any solid white spot on back of neck, shoulder, or any part of the back or sides of the dog, which is a disqualification.

 

The shade of the Pharaoh Hound coat may vary from a beige-tan to a rich, reddish copper or chestnut.  The paler shades must not be penalized.  Usually the color deepens as the dog matures, the darker coat gradually replacing the puppy coat.  However, the coat very often begins to fade with the approach of middle age, with many once copper colored dogs becoming tan in their last years.  This should not be faulted.  Pharaoh Hounds also begin to turn gray on the face, many at an early age.  This should not be faulted.  Shaded coloring is not unusual.  Often the deepest color will appear down the dog's back, with the hair on the neck and shoulder blades lighter in shade.  This is not a fault.

 

DISQUALIFICATION

Any solid white spot on the back of the neck, shoulder, or any part of the back or sides of the dog.

 

For obvious reasons, white markings should be kept to a minimum.  The small permissible "star" on the chest can become a blaze within a few generations, and, unfortunately, this has been proven to occur in Pharaoh Hounds.  This drastically changes the total look  of the breed and should be penalized.  The white on the toes, while permissible, should not be "socks", nor should the permissible slim white snip on the center of the face become a blaze.  The white "star" is not really a star shape.  Therefore, a white patch on the chest or small streamers of white on the chest (and/or throat) are acceptable.  While the white tip of the tail is highly desirable, more is not better, just flashier, and 3 inches of white on the tail is not merely a tip.  Extra white is not more desirable.  On the other hand, a lack of white tip is not incorrect.  Neither of these conditions is listed as a fault, or is called undesirable.  A dog should not win or lose by the marking on his tail.  Flecking is a fault.  Most serious, of course, is the disqualification as described in the Standard.  If the integrity of the breed is to be maintained, one should adopt a conservative approach with respect to the amount of white considered permissible.

GAIT - Free and flowing:  the head should be held fairly high and the dog should cover the ground well without any apparent effort.  The legs and feet should move in line with the body; any tendency to throw the feet sideways, or a high stepping "hackney" action is a definite fault.

 

Single tracking, athough a mark of excellence in many other breeds, should be severely penalized.

Viewed from the side, the gait of the Pharaoh Hound, moving at a trot of moderate speed, should be free, smooth and powerful, with great reach in front and great drive behind.  This necessitates correct and balanced front and rear angulation.  Viewed from the side, the back should remain level while the dog is in motion and should not sag, sway or bounce, nor be constricted or roached.  The side view reveals if the front step is the same length as the rear step and if front and rear angulation are correct and in balance.

When moving away from the viewer, the rear feet and legs of the dog should move directly forward with hocks parallel to each other and in line with the body.  If the hocks are too wide apart or too close together, the dog will not have freedom of movement.  Cow-hocks make correct movement impossible to achieve.  Although the fault of hocks turning out is not as common as the faults of moving too closely or with hocks turning inward, all of these faults are to be considered serious.

When approaching the viewer, the dog's front legs should move in line with his body and should be parallel to each other.  Shoulder problems become apparent here.  Loose shoulders usually are illustrated in motion by the elbows turning outward and front feet turning inward.  The total action in this case is a fault called "weaving", which is actually the crossing of the front feet while gaiting.  Another serious fault is "paddling" caused by constriction of the shoulder, in which the front feet are thrown outward while moving and at the same time the elbows remain close to the body.  Equally serious is that fault in which the dog throws his weight from side to side when moving towards the observer.  This is usually caused by a too-wide front or barrel rib cage impeding the action of the elbows, causing them to turn outward when the dog is in motion.  Additional faults are a high-stepping "hackney" action or dragging the feet.  The dog must clear the ground easily, without prancing, an action which would inhibit the required powerful flow of movement.

TEMPERAMENT -- Intelligent, friendly, affectionate and playful.  Alert and active.  Very fast with a marked keenness for hunting, both by sight and scent.

 

The Pharaoh Hound is basically a friendly dog, but can be quite diffident with strangers.  Pharaoh Hounds do not like strangers to make motions that would cover (the dog's) eyes in any way.  The dog will often pull his head away.  This is not shyness, but a natural Pharaoh Hound instinct.  When meeting him it is always best to stroke him under the chin rather than patting him on the head.

 

 

Our Pharaohs || Puppies || Information || Links || News || Contact Us

Copy-Right© 2006 ®Vicoridge Kennels™- Design By Showdogs-Australia Hosting