Page 78 - ShowSight Express, June 8, 2020

Breeding
WITH INTENTION
Last month we began the discussion about the natu- ral tension that exists between how we view show dogs, field/working dogs and dual-purpose (show and work/field) dogs. The dog grouping discussed
was the scent hounds. How does the evolved morphological form relate to past and/or current function? How and why is it that some breeds have developed different types for field/work and show? What are the actual or perceived similarities and differences between the purebred show dog and field/work dog? What have breeders done to breed dogs that can do the job for which they were intended, if it still exists, and if not, what simulations exist that are as close to the original intent as possible? This month, we will explore those questions for the sighthounds.
Before standards were written for the sighthounds and multi-sense hounds we recognize today, dogs were already being used and selectively bred to perform certain work. Multiple factors impacted the develop- ment of these breeds and their continued evolution, including geography, climate and terrain, culture and customs, as well as types of game avail- able. The term “multi-sense” is taken to mean those breeds that hunt by a purposeful combination of sight, scent, and/or hearing.
The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) has interestingly divided this grouping of dogs found in the AKC Hound Group mainly into two distinct groups, that of Sighthounds (FCI Group 10) and that of Spitz and Primitive Types (FCI Group 5) which includes the multi- sense hounds. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is characterized within FCI Group 6 (Scent hounds and Related Breeds) along with the Dalmatian, both as “related breeds.” We find the Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Borzoi, Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, and Whippet within FCI Group 10 (Sighthounds). However, there are other hounds not recognized by either the AKC or FCI that still inhabit and work in various areas of the Middle East and the sub-continent of India.
SECOND IN A SERIES
BY CELESTE M. GONZALEZ