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The Kritikos Lagonikos (Cretan Hound) (Greek:Kρητικός Λαγωνικός) is a
''Travels in Crete''
p. 33, vol. 1, J. Murray, 1837. The Cretan Hound is recognized both in Greece and in Germany. The breed is also considered to be the oldest European dog breed dating to perhaps before 3200 BCE and Neolithic times.
The Cretan Hound is a slender dog, somewhere between a scenthound and a sighthound in body, particularly light on its feet (that are oval rather than cat-like) and strong in loin, specially adopted for swift reflexes and high speed over dangerous, rocky terrain. The head is wedge-shaped, elongated and dry, with pricked and very mobile ears that fold backwards. The tail is a key breed characteristic, long and curved upwards, forming a loose or tight ring and covered with a brush of longer hair underneath.
The dog is slightly longer than tall, with medium angulations, slender legs and muscle. The loin is slender yet powerful and there is tuck-up, with the points of the hipbones slightly prominent. The breed has a balance between characteristics of speed and stamina, the conformation being a compromise producing great agility.
The breed can range in colour between pure white, cream, sandy, fawn, grey, black or brindle, bi-colored or tri-colored.
The males of the breed can be 21 to 23 inches (54-58cm tolerance 2cm) and the females 20 to 22.8 inches (52-56cm tolerance 2cm). The weight for males can range between 35 and 49 pounds (16 and 22kg), and females ideally weigh 31-44 pounds (14-20kg).
The Cretan Hound, Rarest of All
"The Hound of Crete" in Shakespeare
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of dog from the island of Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
, in Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
.Pashley, R''Travels in Crete''
p. 33, vol. 1, J. Murray, 1837. The Cretan Hound is recognized both in Greece and in Germany. The breed is also considered to be the oldest European dog breed dating to perhaps before 3200 BCE and Neolithic times.
Description
Appearance
The Cretan Hound is a slender dog, somewhere between a scenthound and a sighthound in body, particularly light on its feet (that are oval rather than cat-like) and strong in loin, specially adopted for swift reflexes and high speed over dangerous, rocky terrain. The head is wedge-shaped, elongated and dry, with pricked and very mobile ears that fold backwards. The tail is a key breed characteristic, long and curved upwards, forming a loose or tight ring and covered with a brush of longer hair underneath.
The dog is slightly longer than tall, with medium angulations, slender legs and muscle. The loin is slender yet powerful and there is tuck-up, with the points of the hipbones slightly prominent. The breed has a balance between characteristics of speed and stamina, the conformation being a compromise producing great agility.
The breed can range in colour between pure white, cream, sandy, fawn, grey, black or brindle, bi-colored or tri-colored.
The males of the breed can be 21 to 23 inches (54-58cm tolerance 2cm) and the females 20 to 22.8 inches (52-56cm tolerance 2cm). The weight for males can range between 35 and 49 pounds (16 and 22kg), and females ideally weigh 31-44 pounds (14-20kg).
Temperament
The Cretan Hound uses both sight and scent on the hunt and has a particular tendency to taste aerial or ground scent, even able to suck it from pebbles and stones. When they sense prey, the tail moves in circular fashion and the hound becomes rigid, moments before it begins chasing.History
The ancient origins of this rare primitive breed date to a time before written history. According to the Cretan Hound Dog Club, the breed is linked in its DNA and its characteristics to hunting dogs represented in ancient artworks discovered by archaeologists in prehistoric settlements of Crete. The hound's ancestors are clearly depicted on Minoan seal stones, on ceramic and metallic utensils, ornamental objects, in sculptures and on frescos now housed in theHeraklion Archaeological Museum
The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Heraklion on Crete. It is one of the greatest museums in Greece and the best in the world for Minoan art, as it contains by far the most important and complete collection of artefacts ...
.
See also
* Dogs portal *List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both extant and extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines modern dog breeds as "a recent invention defined by conformation ...
* Alopekis
* Greek Harehound
The Greek Harehound ( gr, Ελληνικός Ιχνηλάτης; FCI No. 214) is a rare breed of dog that only comes in a black and tan color, originally bred as a scenthound for tracking and chasing hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals bel ...
* Greek Shepherd
The Greek Shepherd or Greek Sheepdog (Greek: Ελληνικός Ποιμενικός, ''Ellinikós Pimenikós'') is a breed of livestock guardian dog from Greece. Thought to be ancient in origin, the Greek Shepherd is very closely related to lives ...
* Small Greek domestic dog
The Kokoni ( el, Κοκόνι) is a small domestic dog breed from Greece, only recently established as a standardized breed. The foundation stock, a general landrace of small dogs of the region, are widely found throughout the country.
Br ...
* List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both extant and extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines modern dog breeds as "a recent invention defined by conformation ...
External links
The Cretan Hound, Rarest of All
"The Hound of Crete" in Shakespeare
References
*METAMORPHOSES by OVID: Book III:206-231 Actaeon is pursued by his hounds *CYNEGETICUS by Xenophon: Chapter X * *Κρητικός Ιχνηλάτης: Ο αρχαιότερος κυνηγετικός σκύλος της Ευρώπης. Κρητικό Πανόραμα, τεύχος 10, σελ. 118–145, 2005. {{Greek dogs Hounds Dog breeds originating in Greece