Pharaoh Hound: The Ancient Sighthound That Blushes When Happy
Pharaoh Hound is a medium-sized sighthound from Malta, accepted by the FCI on a definitive basis in 1963 and known for a tan coat, amber eyes and the blush that gives the breed its nickname.
The FCI republished the standard in September 2026, and the current text sets males at 56 to 63.5 cm and females at 53 to 61 cm.
Two things separate reliable information about this breed from the recycled kind. The Egyptian name is misleading, and the famous blush has a simple physical cause. This guide covers both, along with the exact exercise specification the AKC publishes, the health screening that actually exists, and the figures the registries disagree about.
What Is a Pharaoh Hound?
The Pharaoh Hound is a lean, short-coated hunting hound bred on Malta to course rabbits, and the FCI standard describes it as hunting by scent and sight while using its ears to a marked degree when working close. It is affectionate at home, fast in the open, and unreliable off the lead anywhere that is not fenced.
These are the figures worth having in front of you, with the source of each one noted because the registries do not agree.
| Maltese name | Kelb tal-Fenek, meaning dog of the rabbit |
| FCI standard | No. 248, Group 5, Section 6 |
| Origin and patronage | Malta, with Great Britain as patron country |
| FCI acceptance | 1963 |
| AKC recognition | 1983 |
| UKC recognition | 1983 |
| Height | Males 56 to 63.5 cm, females 53 to 61 cm |
| Weight | 45 to 55 lb (20 to 25 kg); not set by the FCI standard |
| Coat | Short, glossy, tan or rich tan, with limited white |
| Lifespan | 12 to 14 years |
| Best for | Owners with a securely fenced space and a taste for training |
How Big Do Pharaoh Hounds Get?
The breed is a medium sighthound, roughly the height of a large Whippet and the weight of a small Labrador. The metric figures below come from the current FCI standard, and the imperial figures from the AKC.
| Sex | Height and weight |
|---|---|
| Male | 56 to 63.5 cm (23 to 25 inches); 45 to 55 lb |
| Female | 53 to 61 cm (21 to 24 inches); 45 to 55 lb |
Three disagreements are worth knowing before you compare sources. The FCI standard sets no weight at all, so every published weight comes from a registry or a breed club rather than the standard itself. Hill’s splits the weight by sex at 50 to 55 lb for males and 45 to 50 lb for females, where the AKC gives one 45 to 55 lb range for both. And Hill’s gives single height figures of 24 and 23 inches, while the AKC gives ranges.
The 2026 revision is the detail that most pages still get wrong. The current FCI text tops the male height at 63.5 cm, and older summaries that quote a round 64 cm are reading a superseded document.
Is the Pharaoh Hound Really Egyptian?
No, and the registries contradict each other on this point in a way that is easy to check. The FCI lists Malta as the country of origin, with Great Britain as the patron country. The dog as it exists today was shaped on a Mediterranean island, hunting rabbits for Maltese handlers who called it Kelb tal-Fenek.
The Egyptian framing comes from resemblance rather than descent. The UKC standard notes a striking resemblance to hounds depicted in Egyptian temples from before 4,000 B.C., and to the god Anubis, then states that the breed has run true on Malta since about 1,000 B.C. Hill’s describes the breed as almost certainly descended from Egyptian hounds traded by sea-going Phoenicians and rediscovered on Malta.
The AKC manages to hold both views at once. Its breed page says in one panel that the Pharaoh Hound originated in ancient Egypt, and elsewhere describes it as the ancient blushing dog of Malta. The more careful version is that Phoenician trade routes carried sighthound-type dogs across the Mediterranean, and isolation on Malta fixed the type.
Modern breed history is well documented and recent. The parent club records that the breed reached the United Kingdom in the early 1960s through Pauline Block, that the name Pharaoh Hound was adopted after that import, and that the first dog reached the United States in 1967. The first American litter was whelped on 13 January 1970.
Malta has returned the favour. The Kelb tal-Fenek is regarded as the national dog, and a silver coin featuring the breed was issued in 1977.
Why Does the Pharaoh Hound Blush?
The blush happens because the breed has no black pigment in its skin. When the dog is excited or happy, blood flow to the face shows through, and the flesh-coloured nose and the inside of the ears turn rosy pink. The FCI standard requires a flesh-coloured nose only, which is the same trait seen from the other direction.
The observation is old. The AKC quotes an admirer from roughly three thousand years ago writing that his face glows like a god, and Hill’s quotes an inscription from the nineteenth Egyptian dynasty describing a red, long-tailed dog whose face glows like a god as it goes hunting at night.
Two practical notes follow. The blush is not a sign of stress, so do not read it as one. And a dog with a black nose is not a Pharaoh Hound by the standard, whatever the paperwork says.
What Does a Pharaoh Hound Look Like?
The standard describes a medium dog of noble bearing with clean-cut lines, graceful and powerful at the same time. The details that identify the breed are specific:
- Ears are set medium high, carried erect when the dog is alert but very mobile, broad at the base, fine and large.
- Eyes are amber and oval, blending with the coat, with a keen expression.
- The nose is flesh coloured only, blending with the coat, and never black.
- The tail is whip-like, reaches just below the hock at rest and is carried high and curved when the dog moves. It should never be tucked, and a screw tail is undesirable.
- The gait is free and flowing with the head held fairly high. A high-stepping hackney action is highly undesirable.
- Dewclaws on the front and hind feet may be removed.
Colour is stricter than most photographs suggest. The coat is tan or rich tan, with white permitted in three places and one more by tolerance: a white tip on the tail, which the standard strongly desires; white on the chest, called the star; white on the toes; and a slim white blaze down the centre of the face. Flecking is undesirable, and any other colour is unacceptable.
What Is the Pharaoh Hound’s Temperament Like?
The FCI uses four words: alert, intelligent, friendly, affectionate and playful. That is five, and all of them describe a dog that wants to be in the room with you rather than guarding the gate.
Hill’s is unusually warm about the breed’s household manners. It calls the Pharaoh Hound calm, quiet and clean indoors, notes an unusual patience and gentleness with children, and says it gets along well with other dogs. The same source is blunt about the working side: nobody ever accused a Pharaoh of being an obedience wiz or of having any ability as a watchdog.
The AKC frames the same animal with more warning. It calls the Pharaoh quick to learn and eager to please, then adds that no amount of training should be trusted to overcome the strong hunting instinct, and that the dog should never be exercised off the lead in an unenclosed area.
Both descriptions fit. This is a biddable dog in a kitchen and a self-employed one in a field.
Shop for Your Breed
Just Food For Dogs – Fresh Frozen
Fresh meals. Gently cooked, then frozen to lock in nutrients. 100% Human Grade Ingredients. Gently Cooked in the USA. #1 Vet-Recommended Fresh Food.
Shop on JustFoodForDogs
Raw Paws Pet Food – Frozen Raw Pet Food
Feeding your pet a frozen raw pet food diet is a simple way to deliver real, whole-food nutrition in its most natural form.
Shop on RawPawsPetFood
Bravecto Chews for Dogs
Bravecto is a long-lasting flea and tick protection option for your dog. 1 dose of Bravecto chew provides up to 12 weeks of powerful protection, which is nearly 3 times longer than a monthly treatment.
Shop on BestVetCare.com
Deworming Treatments for Dogs
BestVetCare offers you a wide range of worm treatments which come in a variety of forms such as oral paste, tablets, granules, and liquid solutions.
Shop on BestVetCare.comHappyPetZone participates in various affiliate programs with brands and retailers. We may receive a commission on purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you.
How Much Exercise Does a Pharaoh Hound Need?
The AKC gives the most precise specification of any source, and it is worth quoting because it settles arguments. A dog that runs itself should get 15 to 20 minutes twice a day in a fenced area of about 50 by 50 feet with a six-foot fence. An owner without that space, or with a dog that will not self-exercise, should walk for at least 20 minutes twice a day.
Hill’s gives a simpler figure of more than 40 minutes a day and rates the breed’s energy as average. Both are describing a sighthound that sprints hard and then sleeps, rather than a dog that needs hours of steady mileage.
Three rules matter more than the total:
- Fence height is a design decision, not a detail. The AKC specifies six feet for a reason.
- Off-lead exercise belongs inside an enclosure, because the hunting instinct outranks training.
- Sprint sessions need a warm-up walk, since a cold sighthound asked to turn at speed is a soft-tissue injury waiting to happen.
On wet days, indoor work keeps the routine intact. These ways to tire out a high-energy dog translate well to a sighthound.
Can You Train a Pharaoh Hound to Come Back?
Mostly indoors, and rarely at distance. The AKC states the problem plainly: most Pharaohs, however obedient, will not come when called once they find themselves in a free situation. That is not defiance. It is a dog selected for centuries to work out of sight of its handler.
Training still pays, and these steps give the best return:
- Reward every check-in during a walk, not only the formal recall, so proximity becomes the habit.
- Practise on a long line in a field where you can see game before the dog does.
- Teach a stop or a hand signal that works at distance, because a stop is more achievable than a turnaround mid-sprint.
- Keep sessions to five minutes and stop while the dog is still winning.
- Never punish a slow return, since the recall you are training is always the next one.
How Do You Groom a Pharaoh Hound?
Grooming this breed is close to a non-event. Hill’s calls Pharaoh Hounds wash-and-wear dogs and jokes that anyone who enjoys grooming is out of luck. The routine that keeps one in condition fits on a card.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Brushing with a rubber glove or soft brush | Light daily, or a longer session weekly |
| Bathing | As needed, not on a schedule |
| Ear cleaning | Weekly, and the AKC singles this out |
| Nail trimming | Often enough that the nails do not tap on the floor |
| Dental care | Daily brushing where the dog allows it |
The AKC’s nail test is the most useful line in any grooming guide: if you can hear the dog coming across a hard floor, the nails are too long.
What Health Problems Do Pharaoh Hounds Have?
The breed is genuinely healthy, and the evidence for that comes from the people screening it. The AKC quotes the chair of the parent club’s health committee saying the Pharaoh Hound is not plagued with any significant disorders, and that the majority of screening results are normal.
The screening list for a CHIC number covers hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation and eye disorders. Note that the AKC’s own recommended-test list on the same page omits the elbow and adds a thyroid evaluation, so ask a breeder for the whole set rather than one label.
Two findings from the veterinary literature are worth more than a generic list. A 2010 case report in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation documented severe zinc-responsive dermatosis in a litter of Pharaoh Hounds, with three of five puppies affected and one dying of renal failure at three years.
Skin and coat problems in this breed deserve a proper workup rather than a shampoo.
The second is a laboratory caution. A 2013 study in the Australian Veterinary Journal compared blood values across eight sighthound breeds and concluded that applying the Greyhound laboratory profile to other sighthounds is not recommended.
If your vet treats a Pharaoh Hound as a small Greyhound on a blood panel, ask for the breed-specific interpretation.
The AKC also names hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumour and mammary cancer as the most common cancers in the breed, while noting that some of these are age-related conditions seen across dogs generally.
Lifespan is usually given as 12 to 14 years, with Hill’s more cautious at 11 to 14. Any dog that collapses, struggles to breathe, bleeds heavily or shows sudden severe pain needs a vet immediately. This guide is educational and does not replace veterinary advice for the dog in front of you.
Lemonade Pet Insurance
Explore customizable pet insurance coverage and learn whether Lemonade is the right fit for your dog or cat.
- Customizable coverage options
- Online policy management
Pharaoh Hound vs Other Sighthounds
The breed is often grouped with the other lean hunters, and the differences that matter to an owner are coat, size and how much running space the dog needs.
| Breed | What separates it |
|---|---|
| Saluki | A Middle Eastern sighthound built for endurance, with feathered ears and tail and a longer coat to manage |
| Whippet | A smaller sighthound, and the easier fit for a household without a large fenced garden |
| Borzoi | A large Russian sighthound with a long silky coat, and a much bigger appetite for space |
For the closest comparison in coat and build, the Saluki guide covers the endurance side of the family. If space is the constraint, the Whippet is the realistic alternative, and the Borzoi guide shows what happens when the same body plan is scaled up.
Is the Pharaoh Hound the Right Dog for You?
The breed suits an owner with a fenced garden, a tolerance for a dog that thinks for itself, and an interest in training as a daily habit rather than a puppy course. It is sociable, clean indoors and easy to live with when those conditions are met.
Choose another breed if any of these describe your situation:
- You want a dog that can run free on open ground and come back every time.
- Your garden fence is four feet high, or shared with a neighbour who leaves gaps.
- You keep rabbits or other small pets indoors and expect them to be safe together.
- You want a watchdog, because this breed will greet the intruder.
If none of those apply, the Pharaoh Hound is a genuinely easy dog to keep and a difficult one to contain, which is a fair summary of the whole breed.
Before you commit, compare it against the alternatives in our Dog Breeds hub, and ask any breeder for the screening results on both parents rather than a verbal assurance.
