Hellenic Hound

History

Originating in Greece, the Hellenic Hound is one of the oldest dog breeds that exist today, in fact, they are ancient. Unable to know exactly what bloodlines make up this ancient breed, we are certain that the Hellenic Hound was and still is used today, to chase away and hunt rabbits. This breed is extremely popular all over Greece.

Appearance

Both males and females measuring 18-22 inches in height and weighing 38-44 pounds in weight, this breed is medium in size. Built low, long and lean, the Hellenic Hound has a single later coat that covers their body and demonstrates a beautiful natural shine. Their soft to the touch coat is available in a distinct black and tan color combination, as their two almond shaped eyes are typically dark brown or black as their nose. Their wedge shaped head is accompanied by two large pendant shaped ears that hang delicately alongside of their face. Their hind legs should stand slightly taller than their front legs. The Hellenic Hound has a tail that should be positioned downwards and away from their body when relaxed. In general, this breed appears to have a very sleek and elegant look about them.

Temperament

This breed is recommended for single dog households without any other non-canine pets or small dogs. Best suited for households without children. The Hellenic Hound is very courageous, lively, intelligent and knows what he or she wants. Due to this, the breed is best suited for an owner who is firm, confident, self assured and has had prior dog experience. Consistency is key for this breed, and many others similar. Rules and boundaries must be set within the home immediately and continued to be followed through out the life of the dog. If properly trained with positive reinforcement training methods, this breed can be a lovely asset to many households. The Hellenic Hound is relentless at hunting hare as it is at protecting its loved ones. This breed also makes a great watch and guard dog because of this trait. Full and proper education of this breed is highly recommended prior to adding one to your home.

Grooming

Daily brushing and bathing when needed. This breed is an average shedder.

Special Notes

Please fully educate yourself about the Hellenic Hound prior to adding one to your family. Do not add one to your household unless you are able to make a life time commitment to your new addition both physically and financially. A properly fenced in area is highly recommended for this breed while outdoors. All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2017. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders.