Cretan Hound
Outside FCI
56 cmAdult male
at the withers
at the withers
- Mass
- 16–22 kg
Cretan Hound — size comparison
The Cretan Hound, or Kritikos Lagonikos, has a slender body, long legs and short hair. Large mobile ears and a curved tail distinguish it from many hunting dogs
Silhouette comparison
Height
Ground withersReference values · details in the profiles
HeightScale in cm
0204060
56 cm
The scale compares the named dimensions. View direction and measurement points are given for each animal.
Cretan Hound — size comparison — facts and sources
The Cretan Hound, or Kritikos Lagonikos, has a slender body, long legs and short hair. Large mobile ears and a curved tail distinguish it from many hunting dogs. Light and agile, it suits uneven, stony ground. Colours vary within the population; practical ability mattered more than uniform colour.
It descends from local Cretan dogs used chiefly for hare hunting. Hunting ability long determined breeding choices. Dogs had to locate quarry on difficult ground and pursue it using both smell and sight. Accounts linking it to Minoan art belong to breed tradition but do not provide complete documentation of ancestry.
It watches attentively and reacts quickly to small movements. While following scent it can act independently without awaiting further commands. It may be calmer in familiar surroundings and cautious around strangers. Attachment to its owner coexists with a clear interest in events beyond home.