home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!dreaderd!not-for-mail
- Message-ID: <dogs-faq/breeds/harriers_1082200966@rtfm.mit.edu>
- Supersedes: <dogs-faq/breeds/harriers_1079601013@rtfm.mit.edu>
- Expires: 31 May 2004 11:22:46 GMT
- X-Last-Updated: 1997/11/10
- Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu
- Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs.info,rec.answers,news.answers
- Sender: tittle
- Organization: RPD FAQ auto-posting
- Followup-To: poster
- From: auborn@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us (Donna Smiley-Auborn)
- Subject: rec.pets.dogs: Harriers Breed-FAQ
- Originator: faqserv@penguin-lust.MIT.EDU
- Date: 17 Apr 2004 11:26:34 GMT
- Lines: 262
- NNTP-Posting-Host: penguin-lust.mit.edu
- X-Trace: 1082201194 senator-bedfellow.mit.edu 569 18.181.0.29
- Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.pets.dogs.info:14561 rec.answers:86505 news.answers:269749
-
- Archive-name: dogs-faq/breeds/harriers
- Posting-frequency: 30 days
- URL: http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/harriers.html
- Last-modified: 10 Nov 1997
-
- =======
- There are nearly 100 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
- listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs". This article
- is posted bimonthly in rec.pets.dogs, and is available via anonymous ftp
- to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
- the Web at http://www.zmall.com/pet_talk/dog-faqs/lists/faq-list.html, or
- via email by sending your message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with
- send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
- in the body of the message.
-
- This article is Copyright 1997 by the Author(s) listed below.
- It may be freely distributed on the Internet in its entirety without
- alteration provided that this copyright notice is not removed.
- It may NOT reside at another website (use links, please) other
- than the URL listed above without the permission of the Author(s).
- This article may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in other
- documents without he Author(s)'s permission and is provided "as is"
- without express or implied warranty.
- ==========
-
-
- href="http://www.eff.org/">Protest Censorship
-
- Harriers
-
- Author
-
- Donna Smiley-Auborn, auborn@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us
- Copyright 1995 by Donna Smiley-Auborn.
-
- Table of Contents
-
- * Description
- * History
- * Temperament
- * Care/Maintenance
- * General Health
- * Availability
- * Resources
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Description
-
- Harriers are a type of scent hound bred for hunting hares and foxes in
- large packs. They are one of the few truly medium-sized breeds of
- dogs. Harriers stand between 19 and 21 inches at the shoulder, and
- weigh 45-60 lbs. They have short hair, hanging ears, and come in a
- variety of color patterns. A humorous, yet fairly accurate short-hand
- description of a Harrier is "a Beagle on steroids."
-
- Harriers should have lots of bone and substance for their size -- they
- should appear willing and able to work all day long, no matter the
- terrain. The muzzle should be square, of good length, with a
- well-developed nose and open nostrils. Eyes should be dark, alert and
- intelligent. Since pure speed was not part of their job description,
- their front and rears are only moderately angulated, which is better
- suited to providing stamina for long hours of work. The ribs should be
- well-sprung and extend down past the elbows to provide lots of heart
- and lung room. The feet on the Harrier should be tight cat-feet with
- well-developed thick pads that will hold up to rough terrain and lots
- of work. The tail is set on high and carried up; a brush of hair
- should be seen on the underside. The hair on the rest of the body is
- short, and on the ears is fine and soft. Dewclaws are removed from the
- front feet, and from the rear if they happen to be born with them.
-
- Coat color is not regarded as important in Harriers, so no color is
- preferred over the other. The typical Harrier is tan, black & white,
- with a black saddle blanket, tan on the head, ears & legs, and white
- on the feet, muzzle, chest, underside, blaze and on the end of the
- tail. However, tan, brown & white, or open-markings with lots of white
- are also fairly common.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- History
-
- In the UK
-
- Harriers were developed in England as a scenting pack hound. The
- earliest records of a pack of Harriers dates from the 1200's.
- Originally, they were used to hunt hare with the hunters on foot, so
- used to be a much slower, more methodical hound more reminiscent of
- the bloodhound type. Eventually, when foxhunting became the fashion,
- Harriers were adapted to hunt in front of mounted riders. Harriers are
- still used today in the British Isles, Australia and Nwe Zealand, with
- most packs hunting both fox and hare.
-
- In the US
-
- Harriers first came to the US in colonial days. There were even
- several Harrier packs in the US through the early part of this
- century. General George S. Patton (then a Colonel) was Master of the
- Cobbler Harriers from 1936 to 1938. The last US Harrier pack
- disappeared in the late 1960's when the hunt changed over to
- foxhounds.
-
- Harriers were one of the first breeds admitted to the AKC Stud Book in
- 1885. Two Harriers were exhibited at the very first Westminster Kennel
- Club show in 1877. Never a popular breed in terms of numbers, Harriers
- consistently rank at or near the bottom of yearly AKC registration
- statistics.
-
- In the US today, the vast majority of Harriers are first and foremost
- housepets. Some also have careers in the show ring or obedience ring.
- A few are also used by rabbit hunters, as they are outstanding on
- snowshoe hare and other game too fast for most Beagles.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Temperament
-
- As with most dog breeds, due consideration must be given to their
- original purpose when looking at a Harrier as a companion. A true
- hound, they are energetic, independent, self-willed and persistent.
- Harriers were bred to work absolutely all day long (covering 20-40
- miles) out in front of hunters, to think things out for themselves, to
- never give up the chase no matter what happened. Harriers perform
- their function remarkably well; hares and foxes are known to collapse
- from sheer exhaustion when pursued by the tireless Harrier.
-
- Because of their naturally independent, sometimes stubborn, nature,
- obedience training is highly suggested for Harriers. If you are
- looking for a dog to be constantly underfoot demanding attention with
- a tennis ball in their mouth or waiting on your next whim, then
- Harriers aren't for you. They love being with you, but are not
- dependent on you for entertainment. Because they will entertain
- themselves, care needs to be taken to see that Harriers are not
- allowed to get into unsupervised mischief!
-
- Harriers are full of energy, but are not hyperactive! They are ideally
- suited to participating in your athletic activities such as jogging,
- bicycling, hiking, horseback riding, etc. In the home, they are
- generally very sensible about their activity level, and love to share
- a lap, wrestle with the kids on the floor, or lay on a rug and chew on
- toys. However, Harriers are generally not recommended as apartment
- pets for most people; except for those willing to put forth the extra
- effort to provide adequate training and lots of daily exercise.
-
- Developed as a working pack hound, Harriers are by nature a
- gregarious, friendly hound that gets along well in large numbers. They
- should never be aggressive to either people or other dogs. They
- usually fit in nicely with other pets - dogs, cats, horses, etc.
-
- Harriers have a truly outstanding temperament - friendly, outgoing and
- fun-loving. And they seem to innately love children; they are sturdy
- and patient enough to put up with endless play, grasping fingers and
- clumsy feet with hardly a complaint, although of course dogs and young
- children should never be left together unsupervised. They are very
- affectionate, sweet and loving hounds that tend to view every stranger
- as just an old friend that they haven't yet met. As such, they do not
- make good guard dogs. Harriers are, however, good watch dogs. They
- will most certainly notice anything unusual and will sound the alarm
- with a loud, alert voice.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Care/Maintenance
-
- Harriers are generally sturdy, healthy, happy, low-maintenance hounds.
- But of course, as it is with all dogs, proper veterinary care is
- required.
-
- Because they are a short-coated hound, Harriers require only a minimum
- of grooming -- a good brushing and nail-trimming once a week should be
- sufficient. Their long hound ears also require an occasional cleaning.
- Like all short-haired dogs, Harriers do shed, but the majority of this
- tends to be seasonal.
-
- While Harriers are independent (with an occasional stubborn streak),
- housebreaking should not be a problem as long as consistency and
- positive reinforcement are used. Unfortunately, quite a few all-breed
- reference books put forth the mistaken idea that Harriers are
- difficult to housebreak - NOT TRUE! In fact, quite a few people who
- have had other breeds prior to Harriers have commented on the ease
- with which their Harriers were housebroken as opposed to their other
- breeds.
-
- Harriers can also be vocal -- some love to howl, as they were bred for
- centuries to do when trailing after game. Some also love to dig (under
- fences, into flowerbeds, etc.) Training and proper care are needed to
- keep both of these traits in line, especially if you have close
- neighbors.
-
- A securely fenced yard is essential. If given the opportunity (such as
- an open gate or broken fence), most Harriers will not think twice
- before taking off in pursuit of any interesting scents that they
- chance upon. While they will usually return home if they are able, a
- secure yard will prevent them from getting lost, injured or killed.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- General Health
-
- The scarcity of Harriers has helped to make the breed as healthy
- genetically as it is. Because there has never been a high demand for
- Harriers, breeders have always had to give careful consideration to
- their breeding decisions, and normally only breed the very best to the
- very best.
-
- Hip dysplasia is very rare in Harriers, but has been found on two
- occasions. Those two were diagnosed through routine OFA exams, not
- because the hounds were lame. Most Harrier breeders are careful to OFA
- prior to breeding. CERF testing is also highly encouraged among
- breeders, and so far no eye problems have ever been found. Prospective
- buyers should ask for OFA & CERF certification.
-
- In the past, several Harriers were known to have epilepsy. Currently,
- however, as a result of careful breeding, epilepsy has not been seen
- in many years.
-
- Genetic shyness ("squirrelly-ness," for lack of a better term) is
- occasionally seen in Harriers. Hounds with this problem will usually
- be normal at home in familiar surroundings. But they can "freak out"
- over silly things - a stranger with an umbrella, the garden hose, a
- white for-sale sign, etc. This is not caused by lack of socialization,
- because this has occurred even in hounds that were extensively
- socialized from a very young age. Prospective buyers should check the
- pups to see how they react to strange stimuli - they should be
- outgoing, curious and confident.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Availability
-
- As mentioned previously, Harriers are one of the rarest AKC breeds. To
- illustrate this, in all of 1994 there were only four Harrier litters
- born in the entire US (resulting in only 31 puppies). So if you are
- seriously considering a Harrier as a pet, please be aware that you may
- have to wait a while to find one -- you will not be able to go out
- next weekend and get one! There are only a handful of breeders across
- the US, and litters are normally few and far between. If you are
- willing to consider an adult instead of a puppy, sometimes breeders
- have adults that are in need of homes too.
-
- Even though Harriers are a rare breed, you can expect a puppy to cost
- generally $300 to $400.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Resources
-
- If you would like a listing of HCA members and breeders nearest you,
- please contact:
-
- _Harrier Club of America _
- c/o Kim Mitchell, Club Secretary
- 301 Jefferson Lane
- Ukiah, CA 95482
-
- or contact me via email at the address below.
-
- _***NOTE: The Harrier Club of America (HCA) does not recommend,
- guarantee, endorse, nor rate breeders, their kennels, or their stock.
- Individual dogs are not examined by the HCA. Buyers should be certain
- to check all matters relating to AKC registration, health, quality,
- and stud agreements with the breeders, sellers or stud owners before
- making any decision.***_
- _________________________________________________________________
-
-
- Harrier FAQ
- Donna Smiley-Auborn, auborn@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us
-