Polish Greyhound

The Polish Greyhound — the Chart Polski — is a large, powerfully built sighthound from Poland, heavier and more robust than the English Greyhound.

History

It coursed hare, fox and wolf across the Polish plains and was kept by the nobility for centuries. Sighthound ownership was banned under communist rule as an aristocratic pursuit, which nearly finished the breed; it was rebuilt from the 1970s from surviving rural dogs.

Temperament

The breed is known for being confident, self-possessed and loyal to its own household, reserved with strangers and considerably more assertive than most sighthounds.

Care and training

It needs room to gallop and very secure fencing; the prey drive is strong and recall fails against it. Training requires respect rather than repetition. The short coat needs little.

Health

Sighthound anaesthetic sensitivity applies; the deep chest carries a bloat risk. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.