Cretan Hound vs Chart Polski - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Although the Cretan Hound or the Kritikos Lagonikos is recognized in both Greece and Germany, the hunting dog breed is from the island of Crete, Greece. The dog’s history goes back thousands of years. It is an ancient breed and some believe it is one of the oldest hunting breeds in Europe.

The Cretan Hound has been bred as a working dog, combining sight and scent to track down their prey. Today it is still a rare dog breed that you won’t easily find outside of Crete.

Greece kennels recognize this dog as well as some European kennels, but it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The Chart Polski dog is a member of the Greyhound family and comes from Poland. He is an old dog breed dating way back to the 1600s.

The dog also goes by other names such as the Polish Sighthound and the Polish Greyhound. The dog looks quite similar to the English Greyhound and has been used as a hunting dog. With his exceptional speed, he has been able to run down prey.

The Chart Polski has always been seen in privileged classes, and after dying out to some extent, it became popular again in the 1970s. It is looked upon as a companion dog essentially while also still being used for hunting in Poland.

Today, the Polish Kennel Club as well as the Federation Cynologique Internationale, and the United Kennel Club recognize the breed.

Known for its extraordinary scent abilities as well as its speed, this dog has always been used as a hare hunter because of these skills.

It’s a slender dog of medium to large size and stands at about 60-68cm in height and weighs between 20 – 30kg. It is lean, strong, muscular and swift with a body that is inclined to be longer than tall.

He is slightly heavier than other scenthounds and his ribs aren’t seen. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears drop down, are folded back or can be semi-erect. The eyes are dark and the tail is long and curves upwards with longer hair being found on the tail.

The coat is short and smooth, and coat colors of the dog are varied and can be fawn, sandy, grey, white, black or brindle, and it can be tri-colored too.

Temperament:

The Cretan Hound is alert to sight, sound and scent and when it senses prey, the tail moves in a circular way and the dog becomes rigid for a while before he is off on the hunt.

He is a gentle, intelligent dog, reserved around strangers but making an excellent family pet as he gets on well with all his human family members as well as pets in the house. With good training and socialization, the dog becomes more relaxed around strangers.

He isn’t an aggressive dog, and while he is alert to sounds and smells, he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

The Chart Polski looks similar to other sighthound breeds, and is a large breed, standing at between 68-80cm and weighing between 26 and 32kg. He is well muscled, slender and lean.

The face is typically long and narrow, although the muzzle is somewhat blunter than most sighthounds. His coat is short and sleek and can be in colors such as white, tan, black or a combination of these. His eyes are large and dark brown, the ears medium sized and narrow and usually folded back while the tail is long and curved at the tip.

Temperament: 

The Chart Polski’s temperament is somewhat different to most sighthounds and he is thought to be more gentler and evenly tempered. He is loving and affectionate and will form a close bone with his human family.

He is confident, stubborn and strong-willed, and because he has been used for hunting, he has also got some aggressive tendencies towards other animals. He will need training and socialization to ensure he is good around other pets in the home as well as with children.

He becomes obedient and responsive with this training and socialization. He is a territorial breed, being protective around what he considers his own property and will make a good watchdog.

The Cretan Hound is an energetic, curious dog, but when it comes to being a family pet, he is affectionate and gentle.

He is a reserved dog around strangers. He likes to be busy and will love his walks and games with his human family members. He is smart so is readily trained and he likes to be obedient and to please.

The Cretan Hound will live in harmony with other dogs in the home and they’re also patient and good around disciplined children who have learned to respect animals.

Provide your Cretan Hound with his fair share of love and attention and he will go out of his way to be a loyal and loving family friend.

Your Chart Polski or Polish Greyhound promises to be a loving, devoted pet that fits in well to a family that will give him good exercise and look after him well.

He isn’t as gentle as other hounds and can therefore make a good watchdog too. He is territorial and wants to protect all those he regards as his own.

Train him and socialize him, and you will see that this intelligent, independent and self-confident dog can become obedient and also relaxed around people as well as other pets in the home, making him a splendid pet for those who admire these tall, slender dogs.

The Cretan Hound is a healthy, robust dog breed, but even so, he can suffer from some common health problems that other dogs are also susceptible to. Some of these are hip dysplasia , cancer, ear infections, bloat and cherry eye.

Remember that if you don’t want your dog to have puppies, they can actually benefit health-wise from being spayed or neutered. Doing this for your pet can prevent a number of health issues later on down the line.

Make sure too, that your puppy receives his vaccinations in a timely fashion so as to avoid terrible, life threatening illnesses such as parvo and rabies.

The Chart Polski can live to be 10 – 12 years when he gets his full quota of care in terms of good diet, exercise, love and care and a nice dry, warm place to sleep.

He isn’t known to have any specific health issues that could shorten his life, but by knowing about some of the common dog ailments there are, you can watch your pet and even prevent some risks.

Periodontal Disease:

People often think that bad teeth can’t do much harm, but tartar build-up can progress to gum disease, to the roots of the teeth and to damaging other parts of the body such as kidney-, liver- and heart.

Infections:

Bacterial and viral infections are a threat to any dog, and rabies and parvo for instance can take your pet’s life. Remember that terrible diseases such as these can be prevented through having your dog vaccinated.

Parasites:

Dogs are open to getting all kinds of parasites inside- as well as outside on the skin. Hookworm, roundworm, fleas and ticks are examples of these parasites that can get into your pet’s system through dirty food,water and bites from mosquitoes. Some of these parasites can even be transmitted to you.

If your pet is in any way run down, get him to a vet immediately as there is an effective treatment.

You’re certainly not going to have to do too much grooming with the Cretan Hound as he is a low maintenance breed.

The dog is a short haired breed and an average shedder, so a good brush twice a week will keep the coat free of loose hairs and maintain the condition of the hair.

As with all dogs, the nails as well as the ears must be checked and attended to. The veterinarian can advise you on how to keep his ears clean and free of infection, as prodding around without knowing can damage his ears.

Exercise:

This Cretan Hound has high activity needs. He is energetic and also hard-working, and you’ll need to be taking him on long walks and providing him with some highly energetic playing sessions. Throw ball for him and take him with you when you go jogging or cycling.

The Chart Polski was bred as a hunting dog and to run at top speed to bring down its prey. Today, he is tall and lean and still loves to run, and will therefore require a good deal of exercise.

Don’t let his slender build deceive you because he is powerful and will need a walk every day and be given the opportunity to run. He will happily accompany you when you go running or cycling. Left un-exercised, he will become frustrated and aggressive and even destructive, so as a responsible dog owner, it is up to you to ensure he is well exercised.

Diet:

The Chart Polski is a large breed puppy and they tend to grow fast at first. You want to make sure that he doesn’t put on weight too quickly as this puts them at risk for skeletal development problems later on such as hip- and elbow dysplasia. Speak to your veterinarian about feeding your puppy correctly so that he grows slowly, allowing his bones and joints to develop strongly and healthily.

Your adult Chart Polski will also need a special diet that caters for his size and energy levels. Remember to include some raw meat into his diet occasionally as well, as this will help him steer clear of dry, allergic skin conditions. Always ensure that he has access to fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

As a hunting dog, you’ll find the Chart Polski to require little grooming. No trimming or stripping is required for his short coat and you’ll simply need to brush him down twice a week.