The Polish Greyhound ( pl, chart polski, pronounced ) is a Polish

sighthound Sighthounds, also called gazehounds, are a Dog type, type of dog, hounds that hunt primarily by sight and speed, rather than by scent and endurance as scent hounds do. Appearance These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, an ...

breed. It is known as the Polish Greyhound, although it is not a direct relative of the

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 ...

dog.

History

The first records for the existence of greyhounds in Poland come from the times of

Gallus Anonymus ''Gallus Anonymus'' ( Polonized variant: ''Gall '') is the name traditionally given to the anonymous author of ''Gesta principum Polonorum'' (Deeds of the Princes of the Poles), composed in Latin between 1112 and 1118. ''Gallus'' is generally rega ...

.Biologia. Multimedialna encyklopedia PWN Edycja 2.0. pwn.pl Sp. z o.o., 2008. . 12th centuryMultimedialna Encyklopedia Powszechna WIEM edycja 2006. Young Digital Poland S.A., 2006. or

13th century The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 ( MCCI) through December 31, 1300 ( MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched from Eastern Asia to Eastern Eu ...

is considered the beginnings of the breed's existence. Originally these dogs were used for hunting birds -

great bustard The great bustard (''Otis tarda'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Otis''. It breeds in open grasslands and farmland from northern Morocco, South and Central Europe, to temperate Central and East Asia. European po ...

s. The Polish Greyhound was the favorite dog of the

Polish nobility The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, breeding of this breed disappeared. Hunting with greyhounds was forbidden, and greyhound dogs were liquidated. Their keeping and breeding has been covered with a special permit, and this provision still applies. From the '70s up to the twentieth century began to reproduce the breed. Contemporary Polish Greyhound breeding was started by Stanisław Czerniakowski, who bought two females - Taiga and Struska, and one dog - Elbrus, in the vicinity of

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...

. From the association of Taiga and Elbrus, the first litter of Polish greyhounds was born.Małgorzata Szmurło, Izabela Szmurło Chart polski In 1989, the breed was entered in the register of 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 ...

(FCI).

Appearance

Polish Greyhounds have short, smooth

fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

that comes in many colors. The coat is somewhat heavier than a Greyhound. They have an undercoat that gets thicker in the winter. Polish Greyhounds have a long brush on the tail and have

culotte Culottes are an item of clothing worn on the lower half of the body. The term can refer to either split skirts, historical men's breeches, or women's under-pants; this is an example of fashion-industry words taken from designs across history, l ...

s at the rear of the thighs. The average Polish Greyhound weighs about 60 - 90 pounds, and ranges from 27 to 32 inches tall. The Chart Polski has a smooth double

coat A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...

, regardless of season, which is harsh to the touch while offering excellent insulation. The breed is a persistent hunter, with a long muscular neck, unlike the Greyhound, and the head is carried high. Large almond eyes are set in a slant, and the points of the hip bones are wide apart. The hind legs move closer together when the dog is moving at a short trot: this is called 'lacing'.

Temperament

Polish Greyhounds, also called Chart Polski, are very active dogs. They are known to be protective and loyal. These dogs tend to be well-mannered and happy if trained and routinely exercised. They tend to be standoffish with strangers and are not fond of other dogs. They are good around kids, but supervision is recommended with young children.

Health Issues

The biggest health concern for these dogs are

cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle. Early on there may be few or no symptoms. As the disease worsens, shortness of breath, feeling tired, and swelling of the legs may occur, due to the onset of heart failure. A ...

and

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

. It is recommended to get cardiac blood and urine analysis during the dog's yearly physical examination, for optimal health.

References

Bibliography

*Eva Maria Krämer: Rasy psów. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza MULTICO, 1998, s. 294. . *Goleman, M., Balicki, I., Radko, A., Rozempolska-Rucińska, I. and Zięba, G., 2021. Pedigree and Molecular Analyses in the Assessment of Genetic Variability of the Polish Greyhound. ''Animals'', 11(2), p. 35

External links

Chart Polski Association of America
FCI breeds Sighthounds Dog breeds originating in Poland Rare dog breeds {{dog-stub