Pharaoh Hound
Malta's national dog, and it blushes: the nose and ears flush rose when it is excited. Bred to hunt rabbit by sight, sound and scent all at once.
Photo by Petful.com, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Pharaoh Hound is Malta's national dog, where it is called Kelb tal-Fenek, meaning rabbit dog, and it hunts rabbit over stone walls using sight, scent and hearing together. Despite the name and the resemblance to Egyptian art, DNA work shows it is not an ancient Egyptian breed but a more recent Mediterranean one.
It has one genuinely distinctive trait: when excited or happy, the nose and ears flush a deep rose pink, which is called blushing and is unique to the breed.
Temperament
Affectionate, playful and sensitive. Pharaoh Hounds are devoted to their families and reserved with strangers, and they are more demonstrative than most sighthounds.
They are clever and mischievous, they climb, and they are excellent at getting onto things. They respond very badly to harsh handling. The prey drive is high and recall in the presence of a moving animal is unreliable.
Care and grooming
A short glossy coat, a weekly rub down, minimal shedding.
Sighthound anaesthesia sensitivity applies. The breed is generally healthy, with patellar luxation and hypothyroidism at low rates. They feel the cold and need a coat. Twelve to fourteen years.
Living and exercise
An hour a day with a sprint in a securely fenced space, and the fence needs height because they jump and climb.
They are calm indoors and they are not off lead dogs in open country. The breed is uncommon and finding one takes time.
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