The Pharaoh Hound is a breed of dog, a hound which has at times been classified as a member of the sighthound group, yet its fieldwork description clearly determines it as a hound.

It is the national dog of Malta, where it is called the Kelb tal-Fenek (plural: Klieb tal-Fenek), meaning "rabbit hound". It is indigenous to the island and remains rare outside of Malta.


At first glance, the Pharaoh Hound should appear both graceful and elegant as well as powerful and athletic. Its build should be one of strength without bulkiness or excessive musculature. Its head is elegant without being fine or extreme.

The skull should resemble a blunt wedge, and is long and chiseled with only a slight stop and a muzzle of good length. Its eyes are oval with a keen, noble, alert, and intelligent expression. It has a long, lean, and muscular neck that is slightly arched.

Its body is slightly longer than its height at the withers. It has a deep chest that extends down to the elbows and a moderate tuck up. Its shoulders are long and well laid back. Its front legs are long and straight.

The back legs are moderately angulated, parallel to each other, and must be in balance with the forelegs. It has a long, fine, straight tail that should reach down to a bit below the point of the hocks. The tail is carried down when relaxed but must not tuck between the legs.

When the dog is in motion or is excited, the tail is carried up; either level with, or loosely curled above, the back. Its dewclaws may be removed.

It stands between 21 to 25 inches at the withers and weighs between 40 to 60 lbs. Males are typically larger than females.

The coat is fine and short with no feathering. The texture varies from silky to somewhat hard and it must never be so profuse as to stand away from the dog's skin.

The only color accepted by most kennel clubs is red; though the shades of red color varies, and accepted shades range from a tan to a deep chestnut and all shades in between. White markings on the chest, toes, tail-tip, center of forehead, and the bridge of the muzzle are accepted, but not required.

A white tail-tip is desired by some kennel clubs. In contrast, any white markings on the back of the neck, the sides, or the back of the dog are unacceptable by most standards. Pharaoh's eyes are always amber, and should compliment the coat color.

They are born with blue eyes, which change to a light gold or yellow color during early puppy hood and then begin to darken well into adulthood. The nose, whiskers, nails, paw-pads, and eye-rims should also be the same color as the coat.

Pharaohs also have a unique trait of "blushing" when excited or happy, with their ears and nose becoming bright pink.

The Pharaoh Hound is an intelligent, trainable, playful and active breed. It is sociable with other dogs and with people, however it can be aloof/reserved with strangers. It is typically very open and affectionate with its family and those it knows.

It is an independent-minded, occasionally stubborn breed, yet can be very trainable when appropriate positive training methods are used. It has a strong hunting instinct, and caution should be observed when it is around small pets such as cats, birds, and rodents. It is not a demonstrative breed but rather is quietly affectionate.

 It is a vocal breed without being yappy or barking just for the sake of barking. It makes a good watch dog; however, it is not well suited as guard dog as it is rarely aggressive with people.

This is not a breed suited for kennel situations due to its intelligence and activity level. The breed tends to bond deeply with its people and thrives best when it feels included as a member of the family.
 

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