The Harrier is a medium-sized dog breed of the hound class,
used for hunting hares by trailing them. It resembles an English Foxhound but is slightly smaller, though not as small as a Beagle. The breed has been used since the mid-13th century.
Contents
Description
Appearance
The Harrier is similar to the English Foxhound, but smaller. Harriers stand between 19 and 21 inches (48-53cms) at the shoulder, and adults weigh between 45 and 65 lbs (20-30kgs). They do shed, have short hair and hanging ears, and come in a variety of color patterns. A humorous description of a Harrier is that of "a Beagle on steroids", despite its resemblance to an English Foxhound. It is a muscular hunting hound with a small, hard coat. It has large bones for stamina and strength. The Harrier is slightly longer than tall, with a level topline. The tail is medium-length, carried high, but is not curled over the back. The skull is broad with a strong square muzzle. The rounded ears are pendant, and the eyes are either brown or hazel. The wide nose is black. The expression is mellow when the dog is relaxed and alert when he is excited. The teeth should meet in a scissors or level bite. The feet are tight and cat-like, and the front toes may turn inward.
Temperament
The Harrier is cheerful, sweet-tempered, tolerant of people, and it is excellent with children. This pack dog is good with other dogs, but should be supervised with non-canine pets unless it is raised with them from puppyhood. It prefers life in a pack with people, dogs, or both. This active dog likes to go exploring, sniffing, and trailing, so be sure to keep it on a leash or in a safe enclosed area. Some Harriers like to bay.
Health
This breed's lifespan is generally 12–15 years. Hip dysplasia is known to occur in this breed.
Care
The coat needs only occasional brushing to remove dead hair.
Exercise
The Harrier requires daily exercise, such as long vigorous walks or runs. Without appropriate exercise, the Harrier can become hyperactive, overweight and/or destructive. While this dog was bred to run and work all day long and cannot be satisfied by a completely sedentary lifestyle, they adapt very well to the average home.
History
Sources have widely conflicting stories about the origins of this breed. According to one, the earliest Harrier types were crossed with Bloodhounds, the Talbot Hound, and even the Basset Hound. According to another, the breed was probably developed from crosses of the English Foxhound with Fox Terrier and Greyhound. Yet another regards the Harrier as simply a bred-down version of the English Foxhound.
In any case, today's Harrier is between the Beagle and English Foxhound in size and was developed primarily to hunt hares, though the breed has also been used in fox hunting. The name, "Harrier", reveals the breed's specialty - compare "harehound". The Harrier has a long history of popularity as a working pack-dog in England.
The Harrier is the most commonly used hound by hunts in Ireland, with 166 harrier packs, 37 of them mounted packs and 129 of them foot packs, spread throughout the country. In Ireland it is used to hunt both foxes and hares, with some packs hunting mainly foxes.
Harriers in UK
In the Victorian era, the Harrier was included in the original Kennel Club Studbook (1874) as one of the only 40 breeds recognised by the document. The last time Harriers were shown at a Kennel Club show or entered in their Studbook was in 1915. The last time they were shown at Crufts was 1898.
In 1891, the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles (AMHB) was founded and registered 107 Harrier packs.
From the First World War until after the Second there was a significant decline not just in Harriers but in most breeds, working dogs and pet populations. Only Foxhounds received government support for food in order to manage the fox population. At the same time many privately owned Harrier packs hunted by the owners of large estates were disbanded. In the sporting Gazette of 1898 we read of the ‘Annual Leicester sale of Harriers’ at which the entire pack of 34 couple (68 hounds) belonging to the late Mr Carleton-Cowper was sold for a total of £550.10s. A further sale only a week later offered for sale 39 couple of hounds from three different packs. Such Harrier sales continued until soon after the WWII.