Sighthounds, also called gazehounds, are a
type of
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
,
hound
A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.
Description
Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. T ...
s that hunt primarily by sight and speed, rather than by scent and endurance as
scent hound
Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785
Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...
s do.
Appearance
These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, and overpowering it by their great speed and agility. They must be able to detect motion quickly, so they have keen vision. Sighthounds must be able to capture fast, agile prey such as
deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
, and
hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
s, so they have a very flexible back and long legs for a long stride, a deep chest to support an unusually (compared to other dogs) large heart, very efficient lungs for both
anaerobic
Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to:
* Anaerobic adhesive, a bonding a ...
and
aerobic
Aerobic means "requiring air," in which "air" usually means oxygen.
Aerobic may also refer to
* Aerobic exercise, prolonged exercise of moderate intensity
* Aerobics, a form of aerobic exercise
* Aerobic respiration, the aerobic process of cellu ...
sprints, and a lean, wiry body to keep their weight at a minimum. Sighthounds have unique anatomical and physiological features likely due to intentional selection for hunting by speed and sight; laboratory studies have established reference intervals for
hematology
Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...
and serum biochemical profiles in sighthounds, some of which are shared by all sighthounds and some of which may be unique to one breed.
The typical sighthound
type has a light, lean head, which is
dolichocephalic
Dolichocephaly (derived from the Ancient Greek δολιχός 'long' and κεφαλή 'head') is a condition where the head is longer than would be expected, relative to its width. In humans, scaphocephaly is a form of dolichocephaly.
Dolichocep ...
in proportion. This shape can create the illusion that their heads are longer than usual.
Wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
and other
wild dog
A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not confined to a yard or house. Free-ranging dogs include street dogs, village dogs, stray dogs, feral dogs, etc., and may be owned or unowned. The global dog population is estimated to be 900 million, of w ...
s are dolichocephalic or
mesaticephalic, but some
domestic dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is Domestication of the dog, derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's n ...
s have become
brachycephalic
Brachycephaly (derived from the Ancient Greek '' βραχύς'', 'short' and '' κεφαλή'', 'head') is the shape of a skull shorter than typical for its species. It is perceived as a desirable trait in some domesticated dog and cat breeds, ...
(short-headed) due to
artificial selection
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...
by humans over the course of 12,000 years.
Dolichocephalic dogs have a wider
field of vision
The visual field is the "spatial array of visual sensations available to observation in introspectionist psychological experiments". Or simply, visual field can be defined as the entire area that can be seen when an eye is fixed straight at a point ...
but smaller overlap between the eyes and therefore possibly poorer
depth perception
Depth perception is the ability to perceive distance to objects in the world using the visual system and visual perception. It is a major factor in perceiving the world in three dimensions. Depth perception happens primarily due to stereopsis an ...
in some of their field of view than brachycephalic dogs; most, if not all, dogs have less visual acuity than their antecedent the wolf. There is no science-based evidence to confirm the popular belief that sighthounds have a higher visual acuity than other types of dogs. However, there is increasing evidence that dolichocephalic dogs, thanks to a higher number of
retinal ganglion cell
A retinal ganglion cell (RGC) is a type of neuron located near the inner surface (the ganglion cell layer) of the retina of the human eye, eye. It receives visual information from photoreceptor cell, photoreceptors via two intermediate neuron typ ...
s in their “visual streak”, retain more heightened sensitivity than other dog types to objects and rapid movement in the horizontal field of vision.
Sighthounds such as the Saluki/Sloughi type (both named after the
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...
) may have existed for at least 5,000 years, with the earliest presumed sighthound remains of a male with a shoulder height around 54 cm, compared to a Saluki, appearing in the excavations of
Tell Brak
Tell Brak (Nagar, Nawar) was an ancient city in Syria; its remains constitute a tell located in the Upper Khabur region, near the modern village of Tell Brak, 50 kilometers north-east of Al-Hasaka city, Al-Hasakah Governorate. The city's o ...
dated approximately 4,000 years before present. The earliest complete European description of a sighthound and its work, the Celtic ''vertragus'' from Roman Spain of the 2nd century C.E., comes from
Arrian
Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; la, Lucius Flavius Arrianus; )
was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander and philosopher of the Roman period.
''The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best ...
's ''
Cynegeticus
''Cynegeticus'' ( grc-gre, Κυνηγετικός, ''Kynegetikos'' "related to hunting" from κυνηγέω "I hunt"), is a treatise by the ancient Greek philosopher and military leader Xenophon, usually translated as "On Hunting" or "Hunting wi ...
''.
A similar type, possibly a moderately sized male sighthound, with a height of 61–63 cm, of approximately the same historic period, the ''Warmington Roman dog'' is described from a well-preserved skeleton found in England.
Although today most sighthounds are kept primarily as
pet
A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence, ...
s, some of them may have been bred for as many as thousands of years to detect movement of prey, then chase, capture, and kill it primarily by speed. They thrive on physical activity. Some have mellow personalities, others are watchful or even hostile towards strangers, but the instinct to chase running animals remains strong.
Apart from
coursing
Coursing by humans is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by sight, but not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised by the nobility, t ...
and
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
, various dog sports are practiced with purebred sighthounds, and sometimes with
lurcher
A lurcher is a cross-bred dog resulting from mating a Greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type, commonly a herding dog or a terrier. The lurcher was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching; in modern times it ...
s and
longdog
A long dog (also long-dog or longdog) is any dog of sighthound type, whether pure-bred or not. It is usually a cross-breed between two sighthounds of different breeds, one of which is usually a Greyhound It is distinct from the lurcher, which ...
s. Such sports include
racing
In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...
,
lure coursing
Lure coursing is a sport for dogs that involves chasing a mechanically operated lure. Competition is typically limited to dogs of purebred sighthound breeds. The AKC has a pass/fail trial for all breeds called the Coursing Ability Test (CAT) a ...
, and other events.
List of sighthound breeds
*
Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is a hound that is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed is selectively bred for its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is ( ps, تاژ ...
*
Azawakh
The Azawakh is a breed of dog from West Africa. With ancient origins, it is raised throughout the Sahelian zone of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. This region includes the Azawagh Valley for which the breed is named. While commonly associat ...
*
Borzoi
The Borzoi or Russian Hunting Sighthound is a Russian breed of hunting dog of sighthound type. It was formerly used for wolf hunting, and until 1936 was known as the Russian Wolfhound.
Etymology
The system by which Russians over the ages ...
*
Chippiparai
*
Chortai
The Chortai, sometimes spelt Chortaj, is a breed of sighthound from Ukraine.
The Chortai is said to resemble a cross between a Greyhound and a short haired Borzoi, being a quite heavily built running hound but nevertheless displaying typical sight ...
*
Galgo Español
The Galgo Español ('Spanish galgo') or Spanish Greyhound is an ancient breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family.
The Greyhound, English greyhound is possibly a descendant of the Spanish greyhound and, for several years in th ...
*
Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...
*
Irish Wolfhound
*
Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound ( it, Piccolo levriero Italiano, italic=no) is an Italian breed of small sighthound. It may also be called the Italian Sighthound.
History
Small dogs of sighthound type have long been popular with nobility and royalty. ...
*
Kaikadi
*
Kanni
The Kanni (கன்னி), meaning pure (also known as the Maiden's Beastmaster), is a rare indigenous South Indian sighthound breed of dog found in the state of Tamil Nadu. Their native breeding tract is located around villages in the Ti ...
*
Kombai
*
Levriero Sardo
The Levriero Sardo ( sc, Cani de lèpori) is a very rare breed of dog originating in Sardinia. Few specimens exist, but some Sardinian breeders are dedicated to the breed. Locally, the breed is also called , which roughly translates to "little hu ...
*
Magyar agár
*
Mudhol Hound
*
Old Croatian Sighthound †
* Patagonian Greyhound
*
Polish Greyhound
*
Rajapalayam
Rajapalayam () is a City in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest municipality in the Virudhunagar district. Rajapalayam is located in the Madurai to Quilon National Highway at a distance of 562 km south to the state capita ...
*
Rampur Greyhound
The Rampur Greyhound is a breed of sighthound native to the Rampur region of Northern India, which lies between Delhi and Bareilly. It is believed the Rampur Greyhound descends from early Afghan Hounds, with their present-day appearance due to e ...
*
Saluki
The Saluki, also known as the Persian Greyhound, is a standardised breed developed from sighthounds – dogs that hunt primarily by sight rather than scent – that was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game animals. The dog was origina ...
*
Scottish Deerhound
The Scottish Deerhound, or simply the Deerhound, is a large breed of sighthound, once bred to hunt the red deer by coursing. In outward appearance, the Scottish Deerhound is similar to the Greyhound, but larger and more heavily boned with a rough-c ...
*
Silken Windhound
The Silken Windhound is an American breed of sighthound. Like most sighthounds, Silkens are noted coursers.
Traits
Appearance
Silken Windhounds are graceful, small- to medium-sized Sighthounds with silky coats of middling length. Silken co ...
*
Sloughi
*
Taigan
*
Tazy
Tazy is a breed of sighthound hunting dog originating from Kazakhstan. Though it looks similar to Saluki sighthound, it is a different dog breed.
History
Tazys are used in Kazakhstan primarily for hunting and are considered one of the oldest ...
*
Whippet
The Whippet is a dog breed of medium size. It is a sighthound breed that originated in England, descended from the Greyhound. Whippets today still strongly resemble a smaller Greyhound. Part of the hound group, Whippets have relatively few ...
*
Xigou
Xigou (Chinese:細狗), also known as Xiquan (Chinese:細犬), Xiliegou (Chinese:細獵狗) and Chinese Xiquan (Chinese:中國細犬), is a breed of sighthound native to China. Xigou is a rare dog breed.
Background
Xigou is an ancient native do ...
†
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
Crossbreed sighthound types
*
Kangaroo hound
*
Longdog
A long dog (also long-dog or longdog) is any dog of sighthound type, whether pure-bred or not. It is usually a cross-breed between two sighthounds of different breeds, one of which is usually a Greyhound It is distinct from the lurcher, which ...
*
Lurcher
A lurcher is a cross-bred dog resulting from mating a Greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type, commonly a herding dog or a terrier. The lurcher was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching; in modern times it ...
* American Staghound
Breeds considered to be controversial, not having by origin a sighthound function
A number of breeds or types of dogs which do not hunt solely by speed and sight, as well as a number of non-hunting breeds, are currently being recognized as sighthounds, either formally or informally by kennel clubs, or lure and live coursing clubs. These include:
*
Andalusian Hound
The is an ancient Spanish breed of warren hound used to hunt small game in Andalusia, Spain. It is one of four podenco breeds recognized by the Real Sociedad Canina de España. It is an agile dog generally used to hunt ducks, rabbits, boar and ...
*
Basenji
The Basenji ( /bəˈsɛndʒi/) is a breed of hunting dog. It was bred from stock that originated in central Africa. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale places the breed in the Spitz and primitive types. The Basenji produces an unusual y ...
*
Cirneco dell'Etna
The Cirneco dell'Etna is an Italian breed of hunting dog from the Mediterranean island of Sicily. It is named for the Etna volcano in eastern Sicily. It has a keen sense of smell, and is used to hunt small game, particularly rabbits. As with ...
*
Ibizan Hound
The Ibizan Hound ( es, podenco ibicenco, ca, ca eivissenc) is a lean, agile dog of the hound family. There are two hair types of the breed: smooth and wire. The more commonly seen type is the smooth. Some consider there to be a third type, lo ...
(Podenco Ibicenco)
*
Peruvian Inca Orchid
The Peruvian Hairless Dog, Peruvian viringo, naked dog, or Chimú dog is one of several breeds of hairless dog. It is native to Peru and it is usually raised as a pet. It has been officially recognized as part of Peru's cultural heritage.
...
*
Pharaoh Hound
The Pharaoh Hound or is a Maltese breed of hunting dog. It is traditionally used for rabbit-hunting in the rocky terrain of the islands; the Maltese name means "rabbit dog".
It is classified by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in it ...
(Kelb tal-fenek)
*
Podenco Canario
Podenco Canario (In English: ''Canary Island Podenco'', ''Canary Island Hound'', or ''Canarian Warren Hound'') is a breed of dog from the Canary Islands. The Podenco Canario is still used today, primarily in packs, most often for the sport hun ...
*
Portuguese Podengo
The Portuguese Podengo, also known as the Podengo Português or Portuguese Warren Hound, is a hound (sight and scent) dog breed, breed from Portugal. As a breed, the Podengo is divided into three size categories that are not interbred: small (Peque ...
*
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large dog breed bred in the Southern Africa region. Its forebears can be traced to the semi-domesticated ridged hunting and guardian dogs of the Khoikhoi. These were interbred with European dogs by the early colonist ...
*
Thai Ridgeback
The Thai Ridgeback ( th, ไทยหลังอาน, ) is a dog from Thailand. The Thai Ridgeback is one of only three breeds that has a ridge of hair that runs along its back in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. The other tw ...
Kennel club classification
When competing in
conformation show
A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a ''breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ''c ...
s, most Anglophone
kennel clubs, including the
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kenn ...
and
The Kennel Club
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also opera ...
(
UK), group pedigree sighthound breeds together with
scent hound
Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785
Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...
s in a Hound Group, the
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium.
History
The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...
groups them in a dedicated Sighthound Group, whilst the
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...
groups them in a Sighthound and Pariah Group.
See also
*
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of domestic dogs based on form, function, or style of work, lineage, or appearance. Some may be locally adapted dog types (or ''landraces'') that may have the visual characteristics of a modern purebred dog. In c ...
*
Hound
A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.
Description
Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. T ...
*
Hunting dog
A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...
*
Scenthound
Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785
Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...
References
Further reading
* Almirall, Leon V. ''Canines and Coyotes''. Caldwell, Id.: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1941.
* Anderson, John Kinlock. ''Hunting in the Ancient World''. University of California Press 1985.
* Belkin, Dan
"The Functional Saluki: Lessons from the Coursing Field" ''Field Advisory News'', November/December 1993.
* Bengtson, Bo. "What IS a Sighthound?" ''Sighthound Review'', charter Issue, May–June 1984.
* Bengtson, Bo. "What ''is'' a Sighthound?" ''Sighthound Review''. January 2011.
* Bennett, D. & Timm, R.M., The dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part IV: Large sighthounds and guard and utility dogs. ''Archaeofauna'' (30) 2021, 185-216 https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/9/4/74
* Brown, Curtis. ''Dog Locomotion and Gait Analysis''. Wheat Ridge, Colo.: Hoflin Publishing, 1986.
* Burnham, Pat Gail. "Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and the Question of What Is a Sighthound?". ''Field Advisory News'', March/April 1992.
* Copold, Steve. ''The Complete Book of Coursing: Hounds, Hares & Other Creatures'', rev. and expanded 2nd ed. Wheat Ridge, Colo.: Hoflin Publishing, 1996.
* Copold, Steve. ''Hounds, Hares & Other Creatures: The Complete Book of Coursing'' (1st ed.). Arvada, Colo.: D. R. Hoflin, 1977 (1996).
* Couto Veterinary Consultants
"Are Sighthounds Really Dogs?"* Cunliffe, Juliette. ''Popular Sight Hounds''. London: Popular Dogs Publishing Co. Ltd., 1992. .
* Dansey, William
''Arrian on Coursing: The Cynegeticus'' London: J. Bohn, 1831
* Grant-Rennick, Richard (ed.). ''Coursing: The Pursuit of Game with Gazehounds''. Saul, Gloucestershire: The Standfast Sporting Library, 1977. .
* Hancock, David. ''Sighthounds: Their Form, their Function and their Future''. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press Ltd, 2012. .
* Hawkins, Richard. "What Is A Sighthound". ''Dogs in Canada'', April 2006.
* Hawkins, Richard
"Sighthound Identity" ''The Performance Sighthound Journal'', July–September 2007.
* Hull, Denison B. ''Hounds and Hunting in Ancient Greece''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1964.
* Miller, Constance O. ''Gazehounds: The Search for Truth''. Wheat Ridge, Colo.: Hoflin Publishing, 1988.
* Parker, Heidi G. et al
"Genomic Analyses Reveal the Influence of Geographic Origin, Migration, and Hybridization on Modern Dog Breed Development" ''Cell Reports'' (#19) 697–708, 2017.
* Phillips, A. A., and M. M. Willcock, (eds.). ''Xenophon & Arrian on Hunting with Hounds''. Oxford: Aris & Phillips, 1999. .
* Recum, Andreas F. von, ''Hunting with Hounds in North America''. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Co. 2002.
* Russell, Joanna. ''All about Gazehounds''. London: Pelham, 1976. .
*
M. H. Salmon
Maynard Hubbard "Dutch" Salmon II (March 30, 1945 – March 10, 2019) was an American outdoor writer, publisher, and founder of High-Lonesome Books, a publishing company in Silver City, New Mexico. He was a conservationist, environmental activist, ...
("Dutch"). ''Gazehounds & Coursing''. St. Cloud, Minn.: North Star Press, 1977. .
*
M. H. Salmon
Maynard Hubbard "Dutch" Salmon II (March 30, 1945 – March 10, 2019) was an American outdoor writer, publisher, and founder of High-Lonesome Books, a publishing company in Silver City, New Mexico. He was a conservationist, environmental activist, ...
("Dutch"). ''Gazehounds & Coursing: The History, Art, and Sport of Hunting with Sighthounds'', Rev. and expanded 2nd ed. Silver City, N.M.: High-Lonesome Books, 1999. .
* Severtsov, A. S. Shubkina, A. V.
Predator as a universal breeder ''Science in Russia'' 2014 No. 5 (#203)
* Severtsov, A. S., Rosenzweig, M. L. and Shubkina, A. V.
"Predators detect the welfare of their potential prey and cull those that are poorly" ''Evolutionary Ecology Research'', 2017 18 (#5), pp. 555–569.
* Suchanova, J. & Tovstucha, R. E.
"Problems in translating the names of dog breeds from the perspective of different nomination principles & linguistic relativity" ''Coactivity: Philology, Educology'' 2016, 24 (#2): 113–121.
* Uhrikova, I. et al. "Haematological and biochemical variations among eight Sighthound breeds". ''Australian Veterinary Journal'', Vol. 91 (#11), 2013
by Dr. Dominique de Caprona.
* Wimmer, Barbara
''Genetic Differences between Western bred Sighthound (FCI group 10) and Primitive breeds (FCI group 5)'' Se
by Dr. Dominique de Caprona
External links
*
{{Authority control