Tarsus Çatalburuns

The Tarsus Çatalburun is a Turkish pointing dog with a split nose — one of only a very few breeds in the world with that trait.

History

It comes from Tarsus in Mersin province, southern Turkey, where it has been bred as a partridge dog. Its defining feature is a nose divided down the middle, a trait it shares with the Pachón Navarro of Spain and the Catalburun's few relatives elsewhere; Turkish hunters hold that it improves scenting, which is asserted rather than demonstrated. The breeding population is small and local.

Temperament

The breed is known for being loyal to its handler, calm at home and keen in the field, reserved with strangers.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and work for its nose. The short coat is easy; the long drop ears want routine checking.

Health

A very small closed population carries the inbreeding risk that implies, which is the main documented concern. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.