Day Four – Terriers and Hounds
It is already the final day of Crufts, and there are now group winners for the Toy, Utility, Gundog, Working and Pastoral groups waiting to compete for ‘Best in Show’ this evening. The last two groups to be decided are the Terrier and Hound Groups.
Terriers were bred to go to ground to drive out fox, game or vermin. With the decline of hunting and the development of other methods of vermin control, terriers ceased to be kept primarily for their working ability and became more popular as companion dogs.
Terriers are generally British breeds, many of which are named after the region from which they hail. Some are extremely popular, such as the Border Terrier – 256 are expected here today. The Glen of Imaal Terrier, which originates from County Wicklow in Ireland, is far fewer in number. Only 35 will be present at Crufts.
The Hound Group is made up of breeds traditionally used for hunting. There are hounds which hunt by scent and were used in packs, such as the Beagle and Basset Hound. Within the group there are also breeds which hunt by sight, running down their prey and therefore longer limbed than the scent hounds. From the east come the breeds of the Bedouin tribes, the Afghan and Saluki, and the Borzoi from Russia. From England, one of the most ancient hound breeds, the Greyhound.
Dachshunds, with their six varieties, could be seen as another sub-division and in Europe they constitute a group in themselves. All six varieties have gained great popularity in the UK as family dogs, although they still retain a strong hunting instinct.
- Author:
- Caroline Hallett
- Publisher:
- The Kennel Club
- Date:
- 09-Mar-08
- Last updated on:
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Comments (4)
I forgot to add we have a 7 year old EBT called Vincent and he is special to us and very much loved.Great show long may it continue-seems to get better each year
I love to see that we are all obsessed by our breed.As a family we are obsessed by EBT and in recent years I feel that the breed has dropped into the background in favour of more exotic long coated breeds and I am saddened by this as I want the full crufts program to feature the EBT at al times(I realise that I need help but expect other owners are the same). It was good to see a staffie in the judging for best of breed and I am saddend by recent news of the number of abandoned staffies. Please could we consider a feature next year of the EBT or the staffie in order to re-establish the profile. I have deep respect for all breeds and the efforts of all breeders but think maybe this is an area which needs a highlight at this time in view of recent developments
I have 2 SBT 10 & 8 years & would also like to see a Breeders video of these breeds, as thro no fault of their own they are getting bad press, I just would like to see a Borzio as you never see them in the flesh. I also have a pug 10 months old.