Eurohound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eurohound | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Country of origin | ||
| Scandinavia | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| Not recognized by any major kennel club |
A eurohound is a cross between an Alaskan husky and a pointer. The hybrid first successfully entered the competitive sled dog racing world in Scandinavia. It is one of the most formidable sled dogs in the world, combining the husky's centuries-honed sledding ability and a pointer's enthusiasm an athleticism. Fifty percent pointer crosses are seen on world class sprint racing teams. Their short coats are suitable for sprint races, which don't involve resting or sleeping on the trail. Crosses which contain a lower percentage of pointer can have thicker coats suitable for longer distance teams.
The dogs are referred to as hybrids, because they come from two tightly bred but unrelated gene pools. The Alaskan husky sprint dog has been tightly bred for performance since sled dog racing began in Alaska. The German Shorthaired and English pointer gene pool is restricted by the fact that they are registered breeds, but they too were bred for performance. The Scandinavian pointers from with the first Eurohounds came, had been used historically for sled dog racing and hunting.
Appearance varies, as you would expect of a dog bred for performance rather than appearance, but some fairly common features of fifty percent crosses are half-dropped ears, black with white blazing as shown in the photo, or solid with patches of spots. Some completely spotted dogs appear as well. Once the percentage of pointer drops, the dogs start to look more like Alaskan huskies.
[edit] External links
 |
This dog-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
