Spanish hound

Overall description of the breed

The Spanish Hound is a breed with ancestral origins, already present in the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula, it was particularly appreciated for its hunting qualities. Created in Spain as its name suggests, it was developed and selected as early as the 13th century. King Alfonso XI of Castile and the historian Gonzalo Argote de Molina mentioned it in several writings from the 14th century.

Mainly used for bloodhounding and hare hunting, it is a breed that is not very widespread outside the Spanish borders, but which keeps a constant number of births year after year.

The breed was definitively registered by the International Cynological Federation on 15 November 1957, the last update of the official standard in force was published on 26 May 1982.

The "Sabueso Español", as it is called in its native country, is a medium-sized dog, with a rather slender and athletic morphology, a powerful and long dog at the same time. Its main physical characteristic is that it has large, floppy ears of a rectangular shape with rounded tips. Its body is longer than it is tall, fitting into a rectangle, with a strong chest, lean muscles and a broadly developed chest.

The Spanish Hound has a beautiful straight topline, broad and powerful, its back is stocky with well rounded ribs. The head is proportional to the rest of the body, very long, the skull is massive and the stop not very marked. The coat is short and dense, covering the whole body, up to the interdigital spaces. The colour of the coat is a mixture of white and orange, with lighter or darker shades.

His character is gentle and loyal to his owners, endowed with great adaptability, he is a remarkable hunting dog for big and small game (hare, wild boar, deer, bear), courageous and reckless, he never backs down from a challenge.

It is not really an indoor dog, but it appreciates very much the company of man and will intervene if it senses the slightest danger to its relatives. He is not very demonstrative, but he remains a good companion dog and is very attached to his family. Rather independent, especially when working, he will show obedience in the various tasks entrusted to him.

He will naturally thrive in a rural environment, but can be a joy to many urban families as well.

Adult: The Spanish Hound will weigh approximately 25 kg (55 lbs) and will be approximately 52-57 cm (20.5-22.5") in height for males and 48-53 cm (19-21") for females.