A vision of speed and elegance
Sighthounds, or gazehounds if you prefer – those that hunt entirely by sight and speed rather than scent – are among the most beautiful and graceful of dogs. With a lineage dating back at least 5,000 years, they are believed to be descended from the primitive running dogs that hunted across the vast, low grasslands of the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. By selective breeding, the Ancient Egyptians are credited with developing an agile, long-legged sighthound, with massively powerful hindquarters, fast enough to course gazelle, antelope, hare and ostrich.
Sighthounds spread radially across Eurasia and into North Africa as early civilisations came and went and, with each, were the treasured possessions of monarchs and nobles, who celebrated them in mosaics and murals – indeed, it could be said that no animal in history, apart from the horse, has been more represented in art.
With the passage of time, true sighthounds developed into distinct geographical breeds, including the bareskinned desert hounds of the Middle East, North Africa and India, and the heavycoated sighthounds of Afghanistan and Russia. Across Europe, the Celts, who were great hound men and particularly fond of coursing hares, bred a fine.
