Russian Harlequin Hound

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Russian Harlequin Hound is also known as Anglo-Russian(formerly), Harlequin Hound or simply Harlequin. It is a medium size Russian Hound breed that is believed to have originated from cross between the Russian Hound and English Foxhound in the late 19th century. Primarily developed as a superior hunter of fox and wolves with excellent tracking, sighting and scenting abilities, its exceptional temperament makes it a very loving companion of the family as well.

The Russian Harlequin Hound stands between 22-27 inches and weighs about 40-70 lbs. It comes with strong head, dark eyes, small pendant ears and medium size muzzle. The nose is black or self-coloured. Neck is strong and thick. The strong body of this able hunter has level topline, deep and broad chest, strong legs and short tail. The coat is short and very thick and comes in tricolour with white as predominant colour, sometimes with a black saddle and/or small white markings.

This breed is NOT recognized by AKC or any other major kennel club.

Color

The Russian Harlequin Hound comes in yellow and red colouring. Some dogs may have black saddle and small white markings.

Coat

The coat of Harlequin is short, thick and dense.

Personality

Bred to be an avid hunter of foxes and wolves, the Harlequin is also a very loving and gentle family companion with its even temperament. It is an obedient and eager to please dog that will be easy to train. The dog is very playful and considerate of children and gets along well with other dogs in the house. It has a strong prey drive that makes Harlequin unsuitable and untrustworthy around small non-canine pets.

Being a hunter, the dog is accustomed to working hard in large open areas. As such, it has high exercise demands to use up its high energy levels. For this purpose, the Harlequin needs large open spaces to run and play. Daily walk is a must.

This dog is very loving and affectionate, devoted and loyal to its family and makes not only a great family pet but also a great hunting companion.

Care

Not much grooming is required for this short-coated dog as once a while brushing of its coat will be suffice to keep it shiny and clean.

Training

As an obedient and intelligent breed, the Harlequin is not a difficult dog to train. It is a bright dog that will learn basic commands very quickly and is able to learn more complex tricks and commands if the owner has time to teach. As is the case with all dogs, the trainer should be confident and strong, use positive training methods and provide training with consistency.

Activity

The Harlequin is a very energetic dog that is always on the go. It has high energy levels which call for high exercise needs. This dog will need to be taken on daily leashed walk and provided amply playing time in an open area. The Harlequin will be happiest when assigned some task to do.