Harrier

Posted on 21. May, 2009 by admin in Dog Breeds, Dog Breeds H, English Dog Breeds, Hound Dogs

The Harrier originated in England. They are a mixture of Greyhound, Fox Hound, Fox Terrier, Basset Hound and Blood Hound. Its exact blood lineage is not quite known but a cross of these breeds are what is most commonly agreed upon.

The Harrier has the look of a Beagle but with the body of a Fox Hound. They were bred to hunt foxes but more commonly, rabbits which is where their name comes from: Hare. This breed is a scent hound that relies solely on their noses to find their prey.

The Harrier is a medium sized dog with a square head and floppy ears. They are athletic and muscular giving them great endurance and speed while on the chase. The Harrier enjoys being around people, other dogs, and children. Smaller pets such as cats however will need to be monitored around this dog as they are considered prey due to their size. This breed is a loving and energetic companion that would make a great family pet.

The Harrier is not as well known in the United States as it is primarily used and bred in England for hunting. Like all hounds enjoy, this breed like to bark and when they have caught or located their prey, will even bay like a Beagle.

Breed Group

Hound

Size

Males: 19-21 inches high

Females: 19-21 inches high

Weight

Males: 40-60 lbs

Females: 40-60 lbs

Color(s)

The Harrier most commonly comes in tri-colour, which is tan, white and black. Tan and white, white and red, lemon and white or a mixture of any of these colouring are accepted.

Coat

The Harrier has a shorter yet rigid coat quite close in texture to a Beagle’s. Their coat is perfect for any type of weather as its not long enough to stay wet for hours, but is warm enough for the colder seasons.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

The Harrier is an energetic puppy at heart. They are happy, well tempered and sweet. They are definitely not an independent breed as they need to be around either people or dogs constantly. They should not be left alone often because they prefer company and flourish on attention. When walking this breed, a leash is always necessary. They are known to follow scents and wander off in doing so, therefore exercise in a dog park would be best.

The best living environment would be a family that owns acreage because this dog will need all the room they can get to run around in. Daily exercise will be needed to ensure they don’t become destructive in the home due to boredom.

Care

The Harrier has a short coat making them a low maintenance breed to groom. They should be brushed about once per week and bathed at the owners discretion. This breed is prone to epilepsy and hip dysplasia. Owners should be aware when looking to own Harrier puppies, that the parents of the dog should have their hips checked for hip dysplasia to rule out this disease. They are a generally very healthy breed as genetically inherited diseases are very few in comparison to some pure bred dogs.

Training

The Harrier is a dog that will need very firm and consistent training. They can be absent minded at times when there are more interesting things to do then practice obedience, so their owner will need to keep a positive attitude and training method. Using negative training methods on this breed will not help them succeed in learning anything. The Harrier will need to be socialized around other dogs and people as puppiess for them to grow confidence with these as adults.

Activity

This breed will need at least 2-3 hours of exercise per day. They were bred to run and be outdoors on the hunt, so long walks, or even jogs with the owner would be perfect. Access to an off-leash dog park would be excellent as well so they can run around safely and socialize with other dogs at the same time. The Harrier would not do well in an apartment as they need quite a bit of space to live in. A house with a backyard or acreage would be best so they can run for hours on their own daily.

Tags: dog breed, dogs, harrier, harrier dog, hound dog