Sighthounds

Speed Strength and Agility

Sighthounds are not the ideal family pet. This is reflected in the registration statistics for the Kennel Clubs in 2006. Not one of the 30 most popular breeds registered by the US Kennel Club was a sighthound. In the UK Kennel Club, only the whippet featured in the top thirty places, at number 21. 

Due to their centuries-old breeding, they are fast, athletic and strong. Many of the sighthounds are large, strong dogs, bred to hunt and bring down prey such as deer and even wolves. For those reasons, sighthounds can be difficult to handle and train, since many of them have an independent nature.

These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, and overpowering it by their great speed and agility. Sighthounds have extremely keen, stereoscopic vision to detect movement and then pursue and capture their prey. Most members of this breed have a lean, wiry body and a large heart and very efficient lungs which gives them their explosive sprinting speed to run down the quarry.

Some of the sighthounds have very impressive and beautiful looks, due to their size and extravagent coats, such as the Afghan Hound. Within this breed there are many different temperaments and it is a question of selecting the breed most suited to your home and circumstances.   

Afghan Hound   American Staghound    Azawakh    Borzoi    Chart Polski (Polish Greyhound)
Chippiparai    Galgo Español (Spanish Greyhound)    Greyhound    Hortaya Borzaya (Chortaj)
Irish Wolfhound    Italian Greyhound    Kangaroo Dog   Kanni   Khalag Tazi   Longdog
Lurcher    Magyar Agar (Hungarian Greyhound)     Mudhol Hound   Rajapalayam
Rampur Greyhound    Saluki   Scottish Deerhound   Sloughi  Taigan  Tasy    Whippet