Laconian

Laconian

He is not recognized by the F.C.I.

Origin

Translation

En français, cette race se dit

Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar

En español, esta raza se dice

In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd

This breed is also known as

Spartan
Castorian

The Laconian is an extinct dog breed that originated in ancient Laconia, Greece. In antiquity, it was renowned for its speed and keen sense of smell, and was primarily used for hunting. These dogs were highly valued for pursuing large game (such as deer and wild boar) as well as smaller prey (such as hares). Laconian dogs were very fast hounds, famous and highly prized for their hunting abilities.

Two main surviving sources describe the breed: Xenophon (c. 350 BC) and Aristotle (c. 350 BC).

Both sexes reached sexual maturity at eight months of age and remained sexually active throughout their lives. Gestation lasted from sixty to sixty-three days. A litter typically consisted of eight puppies. The puppies usually opened their eyes after twelve days. On average, males lived for ten years and females for twelve.

The coat was generally either fawn with white markings on the face, throat, chest, legs, and rump, or black with tan markings in the same areas. Based on artistic depictions of the breed, the Laconian is estimated to have stood about 46 centimeters at the withers and weighed between 13.6 and 18 kilograms (30 to 40 pounds)—a size comparable to that of a "very large Beagle or a small Harrier".

The head was light, the eyes dark, and the neck long; the ears were small, fine, and sparsely haired; the chest and shoulder blades were broad with sloping ribs; the forelegs were shorter than the hind legs; and the tail was long, straight, and prominent.