What to notice is how the greyhound types dominate at first-- I used to say that if a hare was caught at or before a quarter mile it was my late Plummer lurcher-- but gradually the salukiformes' endurance wins out-- a catch after a mile needs tazi genes I think.
Please double or right click-- these are worth enlarging!
UPDATE: a friend thought I meant tazlukis are superior coursers, or that longdogs have no stamina. Not at all-- I think that a mixed pack is the way to go., and ran one in my and my hounds' time. Good grey crosses regularly take jacks closer than most "oriental sighthounds"; if a course goes to four miles, which happens in this country, they will still be in the race, but their Asian relatives may well be ahead. I have never owned a dog of either type to quit, though for all I know some may. These longdogs catch plenty of hares and one has tazi genes; they have speed and stamina.
(Track greys are still another story-- very fast and very quick to burn, run like hell in a straight line, and break easily. Many don't have the wits to come back. Great crosses, sweet pets, dumb as a bag of rocks...)
4 comments:
I like to watch hounds chasing quarry. My old dog did that with roe deer and wild boar -- never caught anything because he would yodel in excitement before starting with deer (not that smart) and hold back (not that stupid after all) with boar. I plan on getting a galgo at some point, and hunt her (had a *dog*, learned my lesson).
But I count 6 hounds and one hare here. Ahem, fair play?
More than you may think, Federico! In my experience two or three good dogs are the most efficient-- that many often just get in each others' way. Any more than that never gets the quarry-- too distracting.
This was actually an exercise run with two people's dogs that accidentally became a hunt, but the pix and what they illustrated were irresistible.
To be honest I am joking -- all my coursing was exactly that, a walk that turned into a hunt. And yes, the pictures are ace.
FANTASTIC photos--yeah, you REALLY need to do a SPECIFIC book on sighthounds Bodio! Illustrated with such photos! And yes, Federico, that's how all my "hunts" start, too-just me taking the dogs for a run! And we rarely catch or kill anything(although I could, if, with the proper weapon, if I wanted too)--but just try and tell that to aggressively territorial landowners or woods-cops! Better to remain as elusive as the resident coyotes--you'll get no quarter from anyone, as they will advise you!(if you get in a conversation with a coyote, that is....) One thing I've learned the hard way(coursing running hounds in dense forest--not ideal for their function I know), is that the shorter smooth coats of the more true greyhound types(and my super smooth Azawakh!)--much as I LOVE the smooth look and feel of these coats--tend to get ripped and torn frequently! Even the only slightly thicker coats on the Saluki/Tazi types I've had are SOOOOOOOO much more resistant to getting such wounds!!! And ditto(actually, double-ditto that) for a good wire coat!....L.B.
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