Pharaoh Hound

The Pharaoh Hound is a medium-sized sighthound that comes from the island of Malta, where for generations it hunted rabbits across rocky, sun-baked ground. Its Maltese name, Kelb tal-Fenek, means "dog of the rabbit." Unlike many sighthounds that hunt purely by eye, this breed tracks by sight, scent, and sound together, which makes it unusually versatile in the field.

The coat runs from tan to a deep chestnut, the ears stand tall and alert, and the whole frame is built for a flat-out gallop over uneven terrain. A grown dog usually measures 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder and weighs somewhere between 45 and 55 pounds. Owners often remark on the "blush": when the dog is pleased or worked up, its nose and the skin around its ears deepen to a rosy pink.

Indoors, the Pharaoh Hound settles into a calm, affectionate housemate. It attaches firmly to its own family and is generally good-humoured with people it already knows. Like most hunting hounds it has a stubborn streak and will not always come when called on the first ask, though patient, reward-led training gets results over time.

Who suits this breed

This hound suits an active household with time for daily exercise and a garden fenced securely enough to stop a determined sprint after next door's cat. It suits owners who like a low-maintenance coat and who are not bothered by a strong instinct to chase anything that moves. Anyone looking for instant, parade-ground obedience may find the independent streak wearing thin fairly quickly. Homes with cats or smaller pets need to manage introductions with care, since the urge to give chase runs deep.

The Pharaoh Hound is Malta's national hound, kept there for centuries under its local name, Kelb tal-Fenek. Hunters on Malta and the neighbouring island of Gozo used the dog to flush rabbits from among dry stone walls and rough scrubland, often working at night alongside ferrets.

The English name and an old popular story tied the breed to ancient Egypt, based on its likeness to dogs carved and painted in Egyptian tombs. Later genetic research found no unbroken line back to those ancient dogs, so the breed is better understood as a long-standing Maltese type rather than a literal descendant of the pharaohs' hounds.

The breed arrived in Britain and, not long after, in Ireland during the 1920s and 1930s, though organised breeding programmes did not take firm root until the 1960s. The Irish Kennel Club, working to FCI breed standards, and British and American registries recognised the Pharaoh Hound formally in the closing decades of the twentieth century, which helped fix its type and carried it to new countries.

Even with that recognition, the Pharaoh Hound stays a rare sight outside Malta, and Irish litters are few and far between. It remains bound up with its home island, where the old rabbit-hunting tradition carries on alongside its newer role as a companion dog.

The Pharaoh Hound carries the lean, graceful lines typical of sighthounds. The body runs slightly longer than it stands tall, with a deep chest, a neatly tucked waist, and long clean legs built for speed rather than show. The head is long and finely chiselled, the muzzle narrows towards the nose, and the large ears stand bolt upright, swivelling forward the moment the dog takes notice of something.

Coat and colours

The coat is short, fine, and lies flat against the skin with no undercoat to speak of. Acceptable shades run from a light tan through richer chestnut and red-gold tones. White is allowed in set places only: a white tip on the tail, sometimes called the "flag," white on the chest, white toes, and a slim white blaze down the centre of the face. Heavy white patching or flecking across the back of the neck, shoulders, or body counts against the dog under most standards. Because the coat gives so little insulation, the breed feels an Irish winter keenly and needs proper cover in cold, wet weather.

At home the Pharaoh Hound is warm, playful, and often stuck to its people like a shadow. Plenty of them are happy to lean their full weight against a family member or curl up tight beside them on the sofa. The breed generally gets on well with children it has grown up alongside, though its speed and enthusiasm mean playtime with very young kids wants watching.

Reactions to strangers range from open friendliness to a polite, wait-and-see reserve. Early socialisation helps keep the dog settled around new faces and new situations. It is alert and will usually bark to flag a visitor at the door, but it was never bred for guard work and rarely turns aggressive.

The strong urge to chase shapes a good deal of its outdoor behaviour. A Pharaoh Hound will take off after a rabbit, squirrel, or cat without a backward glance, so a secure fence and firm lead discipline matter a great deal, especially given how many hedgerows and open fields border Irish gardens. It usually gets along fine with other dogs. With cats and smaller pets, success comes down to careful, gradual introductions, and some individuals never become fully trustworthy around small animals.

Grooming

• Brush the short coat about once a week with a soft brush or a grooming mitt to lift out loose hair.
• Bath only when needed; the coat stays clean on its own and carries little of the usual doggy smell.
• Trim the nails every few weeks and check they are not clicking on the kitchen floor.
• Clean out the large upright ears regularly and watch for wax build-up or redness.
• Brush the teeth several times a week to keep dental problems at bay.

Exercise

• Give at least 45 to 60 minutes of activity a day, with a proper chance to run flat out.
• Use a securely fenced area for any off-lead sprinting; the chase instinct makes recall unreliable once a small animal is in view.
• Keep the dog on the lead in open fields or unfenced ground, however tempting a good run looks.
• Add in mental work such as scent games or short training sessions, since the breed is sharp and bores easily.

Environment

The Pharaoh Hound does best with access to a safely fenced garden, though it can manage in a smaller home if properly exercised. The thin coat and lack of undercoat mean it feels the cold and damp of an Irish winter more than most breeds. A warm, soft bed indoors matters, and a coat for outdoor walks helps no end when the weather turns raw. This is very much an indoor dog and should never be left out in low temperatures.

The Pharaoh Hound does well on a complete, balanced dog food matched to its life stage and activity level. Being a lean, athletic breed, it should be fed so the ribs are easily felt but not seen, with a clear waist visible from above. Exact amounts depend on the food itself, along with the dog's weight, age, and how much exercise it gets, so treat the pack guidelines as a starting point and adjust from there based on body condition. Fresh water should be available at all times.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to roughly 10 percent of daily calories at most, so the dog stays lean. Small bits of plain cooked meat or a shop-bought low-calorie treat work well for training. Most Pharaoh Hounds on a complete diet need no extra supplements; run any joint or skin supplement past the vet before adding it, since supplements the dog does not need can do more harm than good.

The Pharaoh Hound is considered a sturdy, generally healthy breed, with a typical lifespan of 12 to 14 years. It carries fewer inherited disorders than many breeds, partly thanks to its long history as a working hunting dog. Like all sighthounds, its low body fat changes how it copes with certain medications and anaesthesia, so make sure the vet knows the breed before any procedure.

Preventive care

• Keep vaccinations and parasite control up to date.
• Book a yearly veterinary check-up, moving to twice a year once the dog is a senior.
• Keep the dog at a lean weight to protect the joints.
• Brush the teeth regularly and arrange professional dental care as the vet advises.
• Tell any vet about the breed's drug and anaesthesia sensitivity before a procedure.

The Pharaoh Hound is bright and can pick up a wide range of commands, but its hound independence means it weighs up whether a request is worth its while. It is also sensitive and does not take well to harsh corrections, which tend to make it shut down or sidestep the handler altogether. Short, upbeat sessions built around food and play rewards get the best results. Recall is the hardest thing to make reliable, since a rabbit or cat on the move can override even solid training, so most owners keep the dog on the lead or inside a fenced area whenever off-lead work carries any risk.

The basics

1. Start socialisation early, introducing the pup to people, places, sounds, and other dogs.
2. Teach name recognition and a marker word or clicker to flag the right behaviour.
3. Build the core cues one at a time, sit, down, and stay, in short sessions.
4. Train recall hard from puppyhood, rewarding every single return, and practise first in safe, enclosed areas.
5. Add lead manners and bring in distractions gradually as the dog improves.

Responsible breeding of Pharaoh Hounds puts health, sound temperament, and closeness to the breed standard ahead of numbers. Although a dog can physically reproduce earlier, most breeders hold off until full maturity, around 18 to 24 months, before a first litter, so the dog is properly developed in body and mind and all health screening is complete. Mating is timed to the female's season, and pregnancy runs to roughly 63 days from conception.

Litters usually run to six or eight pups, though smaller and larger litters do turn up. Newborns are entirely helpless and rely on the mother for warmth and milk, so a clean, warm whelping area matters a great deal. Pups open their eyes at around two weeks and start weaning between four and six weeks old. Gentle, early handling and exposure to ordinary household sights and sounds in those first weeks help raise confident, well-adjusted adult dogs.

Pups usually head to new homes from about eight weeks old, once first vaccinations and a vet check are done. Because the breed stays rare in Ireland, prospective owners often go on a waiting list with a reputable breeder rather than finding a pup ready to go.

How to register a Pharaoh Hound in Ireland

A dog warden with a scanner can only follow the record, and a Pharaoh Hound whose record is current is home the same day. Register your dog free with United Pet Club: your contact details, his photo, and his chip number together on one profile that never lapses and never bills you.

The implant is the vet's job; the record is down to you, and the 2015 rules assume you'll keep it current. Register the microchip free on the lifetime plan: whatever brand the vet reached for is grand, a house move costs nothing to record, and the number stays searchable day and night. Create your free account and have the pair of jobs done before the tea goes cold.