An hour ago, we challenged you to name the breed or identify the type of dog whose picture we showed you; many of you correctly identified the dog as a hound, but not everyone mentioned why. The Borzoi is a hound. So is the Bloodhound, but the two have few characteristics in common. Why are they both hounds?

The answer, of course, lies in how these dogs work. The hound group includes sighthounds who typically have long legs, a deep chest, a narrow waist, elongated middle toes that make the foot look longer and helps with footing, and wicked good eyesight.

Scenthounds, meanwhile, tend to have large noses that have deep, open nostrils, with lips that are loose and moist to attract scent particles. Their ears are long which also traps and concentrates odor molecules on the nose. They are built for endurance to enable them to follow a scent trail.

This dog is the kind and gentle Polish Hound, also known as the Ogar Polski, a breed that was highly prized in the last few centuries for its superlative tracking and melodious voice. Like many European breeds, this one was little known outside its borders, and was nearly wiped out by war. It made a post war comeback and achieved FCI recognition in 1966, but sadly, is struggling once again. These dogs are now considered to be quite rare.

Image from Wikicommons