The appearance of a horta greyhound, appearance, characteristic behavior and health, how to look after: walking, which includes diet, training, interesting facts. Puppy cost. Horty are real working dogs. They are very simple in their manifestations. On the one hand, dogs are gentle, sophisticated and beautiful. On the other hand, they are distinguished by anger towards the beast. They can hunt not only a hare and a fox, but a wolf and a wild boar.
There are a great many greyhounds in the world, but on the territory of the Russian Empire, and later the USSR, three varieties of greyhounds are most widespread. In Central Asia, these are tazy. In central Russia, Russian canine sighthounds. On the Don, Kuban and Stavropol Territories, South Russian greyhounds. But, in the south of Russia and in Ukraine, of course, the bad ones prevailed.
The emergence of the Hortai Greyhound breed
Horty greyhounds or Horticultural hounds, for some time were widespread in Central Russia, and to be more precise in the principality of Muscovy. It was at the very beginning of the 17th century, when the army of False Dmitry I set out from Poland on a campaign against Moscow.
Polish nobles were accompanied by their favorite short-haired greyhounds. After the enemy army was defeated by the militia of Minin and Pozharsky, the winners received hunting dogs as a trophy. But, in all likelihood, they could not stand the harsh Russian winters.
Subsequent mentions of these dogs can be found from the middle of the 19th century. Don Cossacks, brought hortyhs from Ukraine. These greyhounds were in their honor. Cossacks gave them more preference than other dogs.
And all because the hortyes differed from other greyhounds in their endurance to long boarding and prolonged baiting in the vast steppes of the Don. Their paws are less prone to injury on hard ground, between the pads, hard snow and mud are less packed.
Studying the history of this breed, it is difficult to imagine how the Horty have survived to our time. These animals have gone through wars and revolutions. At certain time periods, their livestock disappeared almost completely. But, nevertheless, it was revived and resurrected again.
In 1943, the Rostov region was completely liberated from the Nazi invaders. Almost immediately after these events, Horty lovers began to restore the breed. The thing is that in the years of famine, these dogs fed more than one family and therefore were at a great price.
It so happened that purebred horty were mated with mongrels and, unfortunately, many workers, high-quality blood was diluted. In the future, dog handlers had to put in a lot of effort to restore these priceless lines of hunting dogs. The first breed standard was approved in 1951.
The return again, horty hounds to Ukraine, happened from the South of Russia. At this time, there is a conditional difference between the two types of these greyhounds. Rostov specimens are distinguished by a stronger bone and larger size, and Stavropol specimens have a dry, chiseled structure and have a smoother coat.
Greyhounds of the Crimean Tatars and Polish hardy are close relatives of the Horty, which are classified as eastern greyhounds. This is confirmed by scientists who have conducted DNA studies of these greyhounds. The peculiarities of the eastern greyhounds include the fact that these dogs are prone to being sorted. That is, they can not only catch up with the game, but also bring it to the owner.
In the mid-nineties, the horty were very popular in Ukraine. But, with the appearance of Greyhounds at the competitions, which made a splash with their colossal agility, many greyhounds began to give preference to English dogs, forgetting about their breed.
At this time, the largest chort livestock is located in Ukraine, in Kharkov. But, this livestock consists of only eleven individuals. Breeders try to take horty out to the fields as often as possible in order to hunt or so that the pets just run around. These canines should be, first of all, on the move.
Greyhounds, when they chase a beast, are in the air seventy-five percent of the time, only slightly touching the ground with their paws. Therefore, about their running, they say that the dogs literally soar in the air.
Hortaya must be sharp-sighted, fast and very dexterous in hijacking, otherwise the beast will leave her. In the steppe, on the contrary, the dog is required, besides all other qualities, also endurance and perseverance. She often needs to go in pursuit with the beast, which has risen 300-400 meters from her.
When chasing, it seems that the Horty have not four, but sixteen legs and invisible wings. No wonder the German artist Hugo Anevito depicted them in his paintings. These canvases are preserved to this day in Leipzig. Visitors to the gallery probably think that this is some kind of German breed, but no, they are bad ones.
Description of the external standard by hortoy greyhound
Hortaya is a dog of strong and dry constitution. Height at the withers in males 66–76 cm and females 62–73 cm. Weight in males 18–25 kg and bitches 16, 5–22 kg.
- Head rather narrow, slightly wide in the skull. All its lines flow smoothly. The frontal furrow and superciliary arches are not pronounced. The occipital protuberance is slightly manifested.
- Muzzle narrow, long, tapering towards the nose. The bridge of the nose is slightly convex. The stop is smooth. The jaws and teeth are strong and strong, and they join like scissors.
- Nose dogs well-developed with dilated nostrils. Its color depends on the color of the coat.
- Eyes chorty greyhound large, preferably dark, almond-shaped. The look is lively, attentive.
- Ears must be planted below the level of the eyeballs. The cartilage is thin, laid back.
- Neck - Set on high, long, cone-shaped.
- Frame - long, stretched, strong, dry. The chest is well developed. Ribs stand out. The back is slightly arched. The loin is wide. The croup is spacious. The bottom line is very raised. The belly is flat from the sides.
- Tail - low placement, long, curved saber.
- Front limbs - long, parallel to each other, with oblique shoulders. Hindquarters - Parallel, strong, with well-developed hips and good angulation.
- Paws - medium size, oval. Arched fingers.
- Coat chorta 2.5 cm long. The outer hair is rather coarse, tightly fitting to the skin.
- Color - various. There are white, black, red, sexual, muggy, solid piebald, and brindle individuals. The speck is combined with the main tone, there may be a thickening of the color to the face, ears, and paws. A tan of a reddish or grayish color is allowed. The nose is mostly black, but flesh-brown is acceptable with light coat.
The characteristic behavior of a hortai greyhound dog
These dogs are ideal for both urban and rural hunters. They have a crazy greed for the beast. If they raised the prey, they will chase it until they drop. These dogs feel great in apartments. They can live well in open-air cages, but under the condition of mild winters.
Sometimes, the horty can seem antisocial. But, they are very gentle and affectionate animals in manifestations with people. Greyhounds put their front paws on the shoulders of the owner or fall asleep in his lap. Pets simply adore children, and such love is mutual. They will never bother a person. If pets are shown signs of attention, then they are happy to respond to them.
But, all the aristocracy and affection passes at the sight of prey. That is, we can say that they are horty, two-faced creatures. They are characterized by a quick change of mood. Now they are energetic, athletes, and in a few minutes they are absolutely lazy. They love people, but they will not give mercy to the beast. In the apartment, these are very calm dogs. They don't bark or run around like crazy. Having come from a walk, the horty, after washing their paws, rest on their bedding. They are very fond of warmth and home comfort.
Horta greyhound health
Representatives of this breed, throughout their life, practically do not give their owner problems with constant visits to the veterinarian. Some of the poor live for seventeen years. But still, some flaws are inherent in them.
For example, a predisposition to bloating. The problem is quickly eliminated with the right diet. And the pet will not have dysplasia or dislocation of the patella if you keep it well from an early age. Consuming a balanced diet, vitamins and minerals on a regular basis will strengthen his bones, ligaments and tendons.
There may be eye problems such as cataracts. You need to be careful and consult an ophthalmologist in time. The veterinarian will prescribe therapy or surgery to preserve your dog's eyesight.
Greyhound, first of all, when chasing, reacts to a moving object, but does not notice the rest. Hunting accidents are very common when the dog bumps into an object at high speed, such as a log or a twig.
How to care for a horta greyhound?
- Wool in hortykh it is not difficult to care for. It has a self-cleaning structure and the dogs practically do not get dirty. Upon arrival from the walk, they dust themselves off and are already clean. In the house, of course, there are hairs from the pet, but during the molting period. Then, you will need to brush your dog often. Do all procedures on walks to avoid excess hair in the house. For short-haired dogs, slickers will not work. It is best to purchase fixtures made from elastic, rubber, rubber, or silicone materials. Brushes can be of various configurations. In the form of a glove, with long handles, worn on the hand, with teeth of different lengths. Special configurations and soft materials allow you to effectively remove dead hair and also massage the dog's body. Hortykh are not often bathed. All washing concentrates should be selected according to the type of pet's coat and diluted with water, so as not to disturb the PH-balance of the skin. By applying pure shampoo, you can greatly degrease the skin and coat. The skin will become sensitive and dandruff or even eczema will appear, and the dog's "coat" will lose its luster.
- Teeth the greyhound is her weapon. For a hortaya to hunt for a long time, they must be in excellent condition. After all, if the teeth hurt or the gums bleed, the dog is unlikely to want to catch a hare, even if it catches up with him. The first sign of diseases in the oral cavity is a pungent smell from the pet's mouth. It means that there is a stone on the teeth, in which there is a large accumulation of bacteria. The products of their vital activity create the stench. If stones are found, they must be removed quickly by the veterinarian. Do not pick yourself in the mouth of the animal, especially with metal objects. First, the instrument is not disinfected. You can not only damage the enamel, but also scratch the gums, which can bring in dirt. The veterinarian gives the dog an immobilizing injection and removes calculus using ultrasound. Don't run your dog's teeth. Teach to clean it from childhood with flavoring pastes for animals, which also have bactericidal properties, remove odor and plaque. Prevention of plaque will create special "chewing" for dogs. These can be edible, pressed seeds.
- Ears your pet will be in excellent condition if you take good care of them. First, there are regular checks. Secondly, cleaning is needed only when they are dirty. There are herbal remedies for this. They will perfectly soften stagnant dirt, create a disinfecting effect and have a beneficial effect on the skin. Basically, they are buried in the ears, and after a short period of time they are wiped off.
- Eyes after going on a hunt or in the nature, check if grass, earth, sand have fallen into them. The dog runs at high speed and can run into branches, thorns. Therefore, mechanical injury is possible. If the eyes are irritated by foreign particles, they should be rinsed. Take a bactericidal, sedative and soak a cotton pad thoroughly with it. Further, with light movements, towards the inner corner, wipe the eye, each time changing the disc to a clean one. Mechanical injuries should not be left to chance and treated personally, so as not to deprive the pet of sight. The complexity of the situation can only be determined by a veterinarian ophthalmologist and prescribed procedures.
- Claws active greyhounds almost always grind down themselves. But, if they are more than expected, shorten the length with clippers or a file.
- Feeding both natural and ready-made is acceptable. How to prepare and select the composition of a natural diet, the best way to tell you is your veterinarian or the breeder of the nursery where you bought your pet. But, we can say for sure that natural food is mostly beef meat. You can feed the dog with ready-made food, but it must be of professional production. Greyhounds should not be over-fed. Can you imagine how such a mobile dog can run with extra pounds? What a heavy load on the heart, ligaments and joints!
- Walking horty greyhounds this movement and movement again. If you walk with your pet for an hour or two a day, then on weekends, you need to take it out to the field for several hours, regardless of the weather. There, the animal will be able to frolic and run around to its fullest. Remember that while running, he will not listen to your commands. Therefore, before you let your dog go to "free swimming", make sure that nothing threatens it.
When kept in an apartment, horts do not need a lot of space. Indoors, they behave calmly, preferring to peacefully rest on the sidelines.
Horta greyhound training
Before releasing the dog, it needs to be warmed up a little. The dog should never go right over the beast. In a real hound hunt, first there is a chain of hunters with hounds. They will have to find the beast by smell. An animal, for example, a fox, will come out of the reeds and a hunter who will be nearby must count to three so that the prey will move further than thirty meters. If the person releases the dog earlier, then the attempt to the owner and the dog will not be counted. After that, the greyhounds will begin work, the so-called board.
Why should the beast move no further than 30 meters? The fox must not return to the reeds. Horty, versatile dogs. They can work both in supports and in reeds. But, nevertheless, it is believed that for greyhounds their natural habitat, wide spaces - fields and steppes. Horty greyhounds need about half an hour to recover from the chase.
On the one hand, anger towards the beast is valued in the Hortykh. On the other hand, the dogs have to work locally. In no case should they tear the beast, because a torn fox coat will lose its value. Horty are very smart. Hunters claim that dogs are able to calculate the behavior of an animal even before it takes any action.
Interesting facts about Horta
It is believed that all greyhounds are native to the Middle East, Arabia and Egypt. Interestingly, the subjects of the pharaohs were convinced that the god Anubis accompanies the souls of the dead to the kingdom of the dead. The Egyptians depicted him with a human body and a head similar to the head of a jackal or a greyhound dog.
According to the second version, the greyhounds were pets of a very mysterious people. The ancient Greeks called them Scythians. Traces of the presence of the Scythians are found in vast territories, from Altai to the Danube. On the gold jewelry of the Scythians, dogs were depicted very similar to modern horts. Greyhound breeders have their own language. It is replete with terms that at first glance seem not entirely clear. For example, a special rope such as a leash is called a "pack". It can be used to hold several greyhounds. And the fur of the greyhounds is called "psovina".
The cost of a horta greyhound
Starting a hortuyu, you will have to radically change your lifestyle. You will run, go hunting, docking stations, often go to the fields. The price of puppies is 2000-5000 $.
More about horta greyhound in the following video:
