Cretan hound
The Cretan Hound or Cretan Tracer is the oldest hunting breed of dog in Europe, with more than 4000 years of history on the island of Crete. It is believed to originate from the ancient breed of hound Basentzi in Egypt, introduced to the island’s particular conditions. By the middle of the last century, only a few purebred dogs were remaining, mostly in east Crete, but today the situation has improved considerably.
Historically Cretan dogs were represented in many Minoan inscriptions, and there is a clear reference by Xenophon. Particularly important is the discovery of a Minoan statuette depicting a dog with a curled tail, a typical feature of the Cretan tracer.
The Cretan Tracker in these 4000 years has evolved into a great resistant hunting breed, developing in parallel a strong scent and tracking ability. This has thin and long head, pointed muzzle, large chest and retracted legs. It is very intelligent, careful, flexible, fast and suitable for all rough terrains. The coat color ranges from white or blonde, to black.
More about the Cretan Hound (German)
