General Description: The Cretan Hound is slender and comparatively tall. Their stature is somewhere between a scenthound and a slighthound, and they are particularly swift and light on their feet. The breed is slightly longer than it is tall, and they have medium angulations, slim legs, and excellent muscle. They have an average-sized rib cage that is spacious and doesn’t quite meet the level of the elbow. They have a powerful, slender loin and good tuck-up, and their hipbones are slightly pronounced. The breed’s head is elongated, wedge-shaped, and features a pair of pricked, mobile ears that fold in a greyhound-like fashion. They have tight skin that exists in a variety of colors. One of the distinguishing characteristics of this breed is its long, curved tail that forms a loose or tight ring over the dog’s back. The tail is covered underneath with longer hair. Their short-haired coat is either pure white, sandy, grey, cream, fawn, black, brindle, bi-colored, or tri-colored.
Character: The Cretan Hound is an extremely efficient and passionate working dog that is deadly on the chase. They are polite, calm, and aristocratic at home, and they are slightly reserved with strangers. They will live in harmony with other dogs, but they will chase cats and shouldn’t be trusted around small animals. They are kind, patient, and very good with children. They rarely bark and they are naturally very quiet, but they will alert their owner(s) of an entrance or intrusion. In order to reach their full potential, this breed should be given a job to do. Having the ability to act on instincts will make the Cretan Hound much happier. They are born to hunt, and they have an amazing sense of sight and smell. They have been known to taste aerial and ground scents. They are graceful hunters with clean, crisp, elegant movements.
Size: 19 - 27 inches
Weight: 44 – 66 pounds
General Health: The Cretan Hound is a comparatively hardy breed with few health concerns or issues. They typically live for 10 to 12 years, but they often live longer.
History: The Cretan Hound is a primitive breed of hunting hound whose existence dates back to the Greek Island of Crete for at least 3500 years. They were heavily utilized and bred by the people of the Minoan civilization. At the peak of this civilization, its people dominated the majority of the Aegean, the eastern Peloponnesus, and the Cyclades islands. The Cretan Hound is a natural born hunter, tracking, and coursing hound. They have always been used to chase and catch rabbits. Classic authors praised the Cretan Hound for its hare-hunting abilities. In ancient times, the breed was often exported to Europe and the Greek colonies, and it was also sent to Spain and the British islands. The Cretan Hound is believed to be the oldest dog breed in Europe. It is suspected that this breed’s ancestors came from Africa and were subsequently adapted to the unusual and incomparable habitat of Crete. Because of the island’s remoteness, the Cretan Hound was isolated for millennia. The breed was formed by function to perform a certain task, and they have stayed pure and unaltered since that time. Because of their continuous struggles with outside enemies, the Cretan people generally don’t like to give their dogs to outsiders. Even today, the best specimens of this breed are kept hidden from the public. The breeding practices of the Cretan Hound are harsh. All but the best males are destroyed. Although a ruthless method of breeding, this process has resulted in a very healthy, strong, efficient breed. The Cretan Hound is rarely seen outside of Crete.
Maintenance: The short-haired coat of the Cretan Hound is easy to groom and care for. The coat should be brushed with a firm bristle brush and dry shampooed on occasion. It may be necessary to give this breed a rare bath in mild soap. The feet and mouth of this breed should be regularly checked, and the nails should be kept trimmed. The Cretan Hound is an average shedder.
Ideal Environment: The Cretan Hound is not suited to live life in a small household or apartment. They need plenty of space to run. They are easy to take care of if they have space to run and exercise.
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