The term, “sighthound” can be misleading when describing certain hounds from the Mediterranean region. Why? Because these dogs use sight, scent, and hearing while hunting. They don’t necessarily have the appearance of traditional sighthounds like the Greyhound or Saluki, in large part because they have such large, upright ears that are more common with primitive breeds.

Some folks may think they know precisely how these certain breeds got to where they’re now found, but honestly, the topic is still being debated. Breeds like the Cirneco de Etna, Pharaoh Hound, Italian Greyhounds, and Podencos are found across islands and the mainland, from the Canaries to Sicily, but we have no calendar to tell us who got where, and when. Genetic studies have proved that so-called “Primitive Dogs” and Sighthounds were the first breeds – or at least the first group. They are genotypically and phenotypically homogeneous (alike), and it was these dogs who likely watched man progress from being a hunter/gatherer to one who farmed and grew livestock. Some cynologists believe these dogs descended from the now extinct Tesem of ancient Egypt, but most scientists believe that the oldest purebred in the Mediterranean Basin is the Kρητικός Iχνηλάτης (oh wait, that’s the Kritikos Ichnilatis). Ok, one more time: The Cretan Hound. Many of this breed’s characteristics are found in other Mediterranean primitive breeds, and there are some experts who now think this might be the main ancestor of them all.  We wouldn’t be “dog people,” however, if we didn’t pick apart, examine, and dissect opinions. There is a school of thought that suspects some primitive breeds evolved independently, and that any similarities they have to sighthounds are because of something science calls “convergent evolution:” An occurrence that happens in different geographic areas characterized by similar environment.

Unlike some of our other posts, this one isn’t about a particular breed, but rather, a group of breeds. It might even be bigger than that – – – that it’s about an idea. We know our readers, and we know some of you love this stuff. This post is written to encourage you to keep digging, keep learning. There are so many wonderful sources for you to explore. Consider starting here.

We are indebted to Lisa Quibell-Ware for her terrific and well researched website from which we borrowed, and which we encourage you to read. 

Image of a Cretan Hound from Wikicommons.