Pharaoh Hound Breed of Dog:

The Pharaoh hound dog, also known as Kelb tal – Fenek in Malta – where it is the national animal, is a rather lithe and elegant animal with an air of royalty and grace.



The animal is rarely found outside Malta. Somewhat close to the Doberman in terms of raw power combined with athleticism, these dogs do not have put on unnecessary body weight.



Their ears are very prominent and stand erect while the jaw is extremely powerful making it quite a medical emergency if one of them were to bite. They are rather tall animals – a feature which enables them to cover more ground in a shorter space of time.



The coat may come in variations of either glossy or tan with a few white markings as well. Legend claims that the Phoenicians took these hounds with them when they started to settle in the islands of Malta and Gozo and the dogs were frequently used as hunting dogs by Egyptian nobility. It is also believed that the Pharaoh hounds are the oldest domesticated dogs in history.

The Pharaoh hound temperament is very pleasant and, while they are very fond of children, they can get a little irate when they sense too much frantic movement around them. Some of their other characteristics include being very loyal as well as playful – but can be a little suspicious of strangers. One of the unique features of the breed is the fact that it is able to blush, with the nose and ears turning a deep rose glow when excited. The overall temperament and attitude of the dog make it rather easy to train. However, the effectiveness of the training will depend largely on the character of the master. If trained by anything less than a strong willed individual, the animal might star to assume control as well as leader responsibilities. As with any dog, this could be a significant problem and lead to other attitude problems like jealousy and over protectiveness of certain objects in the house. Due to its natural hunting instincts, the animal will almost always take off on a hunt when it spots some kind of prey – hence must always be kept on a lash during a walk.

This Pharaoh hound dog is known to be very healthy and generally does not suffer from generic medical problems if living under normal conditions, but is very sensitive to pesticides and medication.