Australian Staghound

Australian Staghound
Other names Staghound
Origin Australia
Traits
Height Male 68 - 76cm
Female 65 - 73cm
Coat rough, smooth
Color All colors
Litter size 8-10 pups
Life span 12-15 years
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Australian Staghound is a type of dog used in Australia for various kind of hunting, for example hunting for boars or kangaroo. They are also used for rabbits if needed. The Staghound is not regarded a race as much as a type of dog much like the Alaskan Husky, as is the case with several other native 'breeds' of Australia, and some other 'breeds' in the rest of the world. I.e, the Staghound have not been recognized as a distinct regarded breed, nor is there efforts of trying to make it recognized as such.[1][2]

Description

The staghound is best described as a dog resembling the Greyhound and the Scottish Deerhound. The Australian Staghound is a distant cousin of the American Staghound, with a distinct bloodline that's native to Australia. The Staghounds would be regarded as "lurchers" in the United Kingdom. This cross is properly known as a long dog, but the term is not widely known.) As the dogs were - and are - bred for function over looks, the dogs may differ much from different bloodlines, but may still be regarded a 'staghound'.[3]

History

The staghound were used for hunting in Australia dating back to the late 18th century. The first dogs to be bred as staghounds were brought to Australia by European settlers. The general consensus is that the 'breed' was a Greyhound and Scottish Deerhound hybrid. From then on, the breeding of the dogs have differed depending on what the breeders was trying to achieve. The original purpose is regarded to have been primarily to hunt predators and rabbits, as well as bigger prey. As the original purpose was to be a good Hunting dog, there were probably infusion of different breeds as well, partly to make it a better dog for hunting, but also because one used what was available at the time. Therefore, some lines of today may be infused with foxhounds, bloodhounds and other breeds of dogs. That is often more obvious in older pictures of the dogs, as today's bloodlines are often infused with newer additions of sighthound breeds.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Boardogs Staghounds". boardogs.com. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Pig Hunting Australia". ozziedoggers.org. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Hunting Pig Dogs of Australia". huntingpigdog.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Home of the kangaroo dog and staghound". kangaroodog.org. Retrieved 10 February 2014.


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