AKC Breed Standard

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.

Head and Skull - Skull long, lean, and chiseled. Foreface slightly longer than the skull. Only slight stop. Top of the skull parallel with the foreface representing a blunt wedge.

	Nose - Flesh colored, blending with the coat. No other color.
	Mouth - Powerful jaws with strong teeth. Scissor bite.
	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.

Neck - Long, lean, and muscular with a slight arch to carry the head on high. Clean throat line.

Body - Lithe with almost straight top-line. Slight slope from croup to root of tail. Deep brisket almost down to point of elbow. Ribs well sprung. Moderate tuck up. Length of body from breast to haunch bone slightly longer than height of withers to ground.

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. Forelegs straight and parallel. Elbows well tucked in. Pasterns strong.

Hindquarters - Strong and muscular. Moderate sweep of stifle. Well developed second thigh. Limbs parallel.

Feet - Neither cat nor hare but strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded. Dewclaws removed.

Coat - Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh with no feathering. Accident blemished should not be considered 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 the 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.

Height: Dogs 23 inches to 25 inches. Bitches 21 inches to 24 inches. All over balance must be maintained.

Temperament - Intelligent, friendly, affectionate, and playful. Alert and active. Very fast with a marked keenness for hunting, both by sight and scent.

The foregoing description is that of the ideal Pharaoh Hound. Any deviation
from the above-described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.

Disqualification - Any solid white spot on the back of neck, shoulder, or any part of the back or sides of the dog.

E-Mail Naha Pharaoh Hounds

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