The Spanish Hound, by its Spanish name “Sabueso Espanol”, is a scent dog has been used mainly for hunting games in the mountainous regions since the middle ages. This working breed can face any kind of prey: from small ones like hare, foxes, chamois and deer, to big game like wild boar, wolf and even brown bear. Another great quality of this breed is blood tracking for large game; a quality discovered centuries ago when hunters had only crossbows for hunting, which would not succeed in killing the animal with the first shot.
Nowadays, another "area of expertise" of this scent hound is drug and bomb sniffing for the police and customs. The exact origin of the breed is not clear. Some believe the breed has been brought by the Celtics to the Spanish peninsula during the middle ages. There are some Spanish books telling hunting stories where the breed is being mentioned all through the 15, 16 and 17th centuries. The earliest written word mentioning the breed was in the 14th century during the reign of a Castilian king.
After the diminishing of the large game population, the Spanish hounds have been used for small games and as a pet dog. In 1982 the standard of the breed has been decided and with the increasing numbers of wild hunting animals the breed has been revived to its hunting status.
The Spanish Hound is a medium size dog with a rectangular shape and a solid bone structure. The body shape is similar to other scent hounds': short solid legs, long ears that can reach past their noses and a whip-like tail with a splash of fur.
Their height is around 20-22 in (52-57 cm) in males and 18-21 in (48-53 cm) in females. Their skin is loose and can form wrinkles on their forehead when the dogs are lowering their head. The body is covered by a dense and short coat which should be smooth when touched, short and glossy. The color is a base white with orange patches. The orange color can range from lemon to almost brown.
Although, generally, they are healthy dogs, they may suffer from various diseases like hip dysplasia, spinal conditions and ear infection or hearing issues. Pay special attention to their bathing, as most of the hearing problems will occur due to the improper drying of the inner ear (their long ears will keep the humidity inside).
This is an active breed, therefore it is not really suited for apartment living unless - you are willing to put in the time for the daily exercises. They need to spend time outdoor, to pick up scents, to play games like fetch, and to roam and run freely. They thrive on strong relationships with their owner and although they are intelligent dogs, sometimes they can be really stubborn and independent. Successful training can be established with an owner and/or trainer that is patient, experienced and a confident handler, which will establish dominance, trust and respect from the very beginning.
Take good care of your Spanish hound and you will have a loyal friend and a hunting buddy always eager to please you.
