The Pharaoh Hound's appearance is unique and striking. This is a
medium-sized breed, ranging from 21-25 inches at the withers and weighing
between 40 and 60 pounds on average, males being larger than females.
Conformationally (structurally), the Pharaoh Hound is a
moderate breed in almost every way - moderate in size, moderate in angulation,
and moderate boned. At first glance, the breed should exude a look
of elegance, speed, and power all at the same time. The breed should have
an intelligent and alert expression, and carry itself with an air of grace.
The Pharaoh's coat is short, tight, and sleek, which makes it a minimal
shedder. Pharaohs come in various shades of red, ranging from a very light
reddened-tan to a rich, deep chestnut, although most fall somewhere in between 
these
two extremes. The eyes, nose, lips, pads, toenails, and whiskers should
all match the color of the coat. Most Pharoahs have at least a few white
markings on them, but some Pharaohs are solid red. The following white
markings are allowed by the standard: a "star" on the chest, a bit on
the toes, a small white snip on the centerline of the face, and on the tip of
the tail.
When trotting naturally, they should appear to "float" along, covering a lot of ground quickly yet effortlessly. Some other distinguishing characteristics of the breed are, of course, the large upright ears, the long whip-like tail, the powerful and well-arched neck, and the strong jaws filled with a set of large teeth. Additionally, the breed smiles and "blushes" naturally. When they are excited, embarrassed, or sometimes even when they're dreaming, the nose leather, eye rims, and inside of the ears turns a deep rosy color.
Below is the AKC official breed standard. This is the detailed description of what the "perfect" Pharaoh Hound should look like and is what they are judged by at conformation shows. The closer they match this idealized description, the better.
|
OFFICIAL AKC PHARAOH HOUND STANDARD |
| General Appearance
General Appearance is one of grace, power and speed. The Pharaoh Hound is medium sized, of noble bearing with hard clean-cut lines-graceful, well balanced, very fast with free easy movement and alert expression. The following description is that of the ideal Pharaoh Hound. Any deviation from the below described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation. |
| Size, Proportion,
Substance
Height--Dogs 23 inches--25 inches. Bitches 21 inches--24 inches. Allover balance must be maintained. Length of body from breast to haunch bone slightly longer than height of withers to ground. Lithe. |
| Head
Alert expression. Eyes amber colored, blending with coat; oval, moderately deep set with keen intelligent expression. Ears medium high set, carried erect when alert, but very mobile, broad at the base, fine and large. Skull long, lean and chiseled. Only slight stop. Foreface slightly longer than the skull. Top of the skull parallel with the foreface representing a blunt wedge. Nose flesh colored, blending with the coat. No other color. Powerful jaws with strong teeth. Scissors bite. |
| Neck, Topline, Body
Neck long, lean and muscular with a slight arch to carry the head on high. Clean throat line. Almost straight topline. Slight slope from croup to root of tail. Body lithe. Deep brisket almost down to point of elbow. Ribs well sprung. Moderate tuck-up. Tail medium set -- fairly thick at the base and tapering whip-like, reaching below the point of hock in repose. Well carried and curved when in action. The tail should not be tucked between the legs. A screw tail is a fault. |
| Forequarters
Shoulders long and sloping and well laid back. Strong without being loaded. Elbows well tucked in. Forelegs straight and parallel. Pasterns strong. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet neither cat nor hare but strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded. |
| Hindquarters
Strong and muscular. Limbs parallel. Moderate sweep of stifle. Well developed second thigh. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet as in front. |
| Coat
Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh with no feathering. Accident blemishes should not be considered as faults. |
| Color
Ranging from tan/rich, tan/chestnut with white markings allowed as follows: White tip on tail strongly desired. White on chest (called "the Star"). White on toes and slim white snip on center line of face permissible. Flecking or other white undesirable, except for any solid white spot on the back of neck, shoulder, or any part of the back or sides of the dog, which is a disqualification.
|
| Gait
Free and flowing; the head should be held fairly high and the dog should cover the ground well without any apparent effort. The legs and feet should move in line with the body; any tendency to throw the feet sideways, or a high stepping "hackney" action is a definite fault. |
| Temperament
Intelligent, friendly, affectionate and playful. Alert and active. Very fast with a marked keenness for hunting, both by sight and scent. |
| Disqualification
Any solid white spot on the back of neck, shoulder, or any part of the back or sides of the dog. |
