Pharaoh Hound

This breed is elegant, intelligent, swift and powerful. Much like the Saluki and Greyhound, the Pharaoh Hound is affectionate to his owners and reserved and cautious with strangers.

He is considered clean and quiet and easy going around the house. The Pharaoh Hound is tolerant of older children, but does not like a hectic environment and roughhousing. He may even tend to snap in protest. This hound is not a good watch dog and should be watched around small animals due to his high prey instinct. Like most sight hounds, he does not do well with small pets like rabbits because of his natural instinct to hunt.

The Pharaoh Hound can live in an apartment but needs exercise every day. Like most sight hounds, he needs daily exercise to remain happy and fit. They absolutely love to run and play and have fun, but only within the family. This breed really needs to be a part of the family and included in everything possible to be at it's best.

The environment should be quiet, predictable and with very little hectic activity. As an owner of this breed, you need to be easy going as well, and respectful of the dog's need for space. Give him a place to call his own, even if it's just a bed in a room corner. Loud families with lots of people should avoid this breed.

Training this breed can take longer than normal. No overbearing techniques should be used. You will need patience and precision because sight hounds tend to learn at slower speeds. If pushed, thi Pharaoh Hound may panic and become passive-resistant. The "sit" and "come" commands are the most challenging to teach.

Early socialization will help reduce the breed's natural timidity.

One other interesting fact - according to Ripley's, the Pharaoh is the only mammal besides humans that will blush. They are also known to smile.

The Pharaoh Hound stands 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 45 and 60 pounds. His athletic and graceful body has a short smooth and silky coat that needs very little grooming. They vary in color from light to dark reddish brown. His amber eyes are similar in color to a Weimaraner.

This is a generally healthy breed that lives between 9 and 15 years (12-13 is average). Their average litter size is 6 to 8 pups.