Sighthounds - A Brief Introduction.

Sighthounds, also known as Gazehounds, are a suprizingly large family of dogs encompassing some of the oldest known breeds of dog. Bred for hunting, their primary method of finding and tracking prey is by sight, relying on a combination of speed and stamina to capture its quarry - anything from a rabbit up to a wolf. In line with this difference in size of prey Sighthounds come in all sizes from 14 inches for the Italian Greyhound up to 35 inches for the Wolfhounds (measurements to the shoulder). As well as superb eyesight, some hounds use additional senses. The Pharaoh Hound is reknowned for also having an acute sense of hearing aided by large erect ears able to swivel in the direction of an interesting noise.	A young Greyhound
Many breeds are relatively rare but the more popular breeds include Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Deerhounds, Afghan hounds, Salukis, Borzoi and Whippets. In addition to this there are the cross breeds. In the United Kingdom a cross between two different Sighthound breeds is known as a Long Dog and a cross between a Sighthound and another working breed such as a Border Collie is called a Lurcher.	A Long Dog - this one is a Saluki/Whippet cross
Sighthounds are the most incredible atheletes in the canine world with many having almost cat like flexibility. Perhaps the most well known feature of the Sighthounds is the great speed they can run at, the fastest of course is the Greyhound the swiftest of all dogs with a top speed of over 40 mph, the Saluki is slower at around 35mph but has superior stamina having been bred for longer desert chases. To enable the hounds to run at these speeds they have the famous long legs, giving tremendous stride with paws designed to assist grip in high speed turns, bodys are slim and long giving an aerodynamic shape and good flexibility to allow the dog to follow the twists and turns of their quarry at high speed. The deep chest houses lungs sufficient to keep the body at speed supplied with oxygen.	Sighthounds enjoy running together
Many Sighthounds were bred to hunt in pairs or packs and so they have developed as a sociable breed with other hounds but the need for them to make their own decisions when hunting in the field away from their people gives many of the breeds an aloof independence which means, while certainly not untrainable, they are unlikely to be obedience champions! Despite being intense and relentless in pursuit of their prey, at home Sighthounds tend to be very gentle but playful creatures with a love of sofas and toys.	A Saluki in it's natural environment!