Old Croatian Sighthound
Encyclopedia
The Old Croatian Sighthound, regionally known as the hrt, is a breed
of dog
from Croatia
. Originally developed as a sighthound
, the greyhound
-like breed was almost exterminated during Croatia's time as part of Yugoslavia
; however, its continued existence was confirmed in December 2008..
This recent (Bauer & Lemo, December 2008) report containing a record of a preserved nucleus of a regional Old World sighthound, the hrt, or Old Croatian sighthound, is a notable cynological and veterinary contribution to sighthound history. It is one more confirmation of the mechanism behind the extinction of sighthound varieties, where the loss of "aristocratic", landed hunting rights (pursued mainly by horse, and hound) gave place to "universal", licensed hunting rights (pursued mainly on foot, by gun) which tended to literally outlaw sighthounds. Sighthounds, which by definition require large open tracts of land, became an object of suspected poaching, and were often actively persecuted. Consequently the regional and national varieties, which for ages had been prolific across Europe, were eradicated or allowed to die out. The Chort, Magyar Agar and Chart, for example escaped this fate, the Frisian sighthound did not. Where national breed and Kennel Clubs actively encouraged sighthound studbooks, and where a strong coursing culture was present sighthounds such as the Galgo survived. In some cases, as with the latter, and as Bauer and Lemo report in connection with the hrt, regional sighthound identity could be compromised by crosses to Greyhounds or other breeds.
Historically the breed has been confirmed as a sighthound through its use in coursing, and preserved to the present day with occasional cross-breeding with English Greyhounds, other sighthounds and other breeds.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Originally developed as a sighthound
Sighthound
Sighthounds, also called gazehounds, are hounds that primarily hunt by speed and sight, instead of by scent and endurance as scent hounds do.-Appearance:...
, the greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
-like breed was almost exterminated during Croatia's time as part of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
; however, its continued existence was confirmed in December 2008..
This recent (Bauer & Lemo, December 2008) report containing a record of a preserved nucleus of a regional Old World sighthound, the hrt, or Old Croatian sighthound, is a notable cynological and veterinary contribution to sighthound history. It is one more confirmation of the mechanism behind the extinction of sighthound varieties, where the loss of "aristocratic", landed hunting rights (pursued mainly by horse, and hound) gave place to "universal", licensed hunting rights (pursued mainly on foot, by gun) which tended to literally outlaw sighthounds. Sighthounds, which by definition require large open tracts of land, became an object of suspected poaching, and were often actively persecuted. Consequently the regional and national varieties, which for ages had been prolific across Europe, were eradicated or allowed to die out. The Chort, Magyar Agar and Chart, for example escaped this fate, the Frisian sighthound did not. Where national breed and Kennel Clubs actively encouraged sighthound studbooks, and where a strong coursing culture was present sighthounds such as the Galgo survived. In some cases, as with the latter, and as Bauer and Lemo report in connection with the hrt, regional sighthound identity could be compromised by crosses to Greyhounds or other breeds.
Physiology
The type is of greyhound-conformation with rose-ears, short-coated, predominantly white body color, with black, or dark brown to yellowish spotting. Males reaching 60-70 cm in height, females 5-10 cm shorter.Historically the breed has been confirmed as a sighthound through its use in coursing, and preserved to the present day with occasional cross-breeding with English Greyhounds, other sighthounds and other breeds.