Rache Hound

Rache Hound

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

Racch
Rach
Ratch

The term *rache* refers to a type of hunting dog—now extinct—used in Great Britain during the Middle Ages. It was a scent hound used in packs to pursue and kill game, or to hold it at bay. The word predates the Norman Conquest.

In medieval hunting in England and Northern Europe, the pursuit of deer or wild boar involved the use of a "limier" (a dog held on a leash or "lyam") to track the animal—using footprints or droppings—to the spot where it was grazing or resting. This process was known as "harbouring" (or *quête*). Once this stage was complete, the huntsman would report to his lord, who would then bring in the pack of *raches* to pursue the beast on a hot scent after it had been flushed out or roused. Sometimes, pairs of *raches* were stationed at strategic points along the game's likely path, ready to be unleashed at the huntsman's signal or upon the animal's approach. The Bloodhound was typically used as the tracking dog (*limier*), while the *raches* were usually smaller dogs. A lord's pack generally consisted of one or two tracking dogs for every twenty or more *raches*.

After approximately 1530, the term "rache" fell largely out of use in England, replaced by "running hound" or, more simply, "hound"; however, the word remained in use for some time in Scotland, where the Bloodhound was referred to as a "sleuth hound." It is evident that scent hounds (*raches*) far outnumbered Bloodhounds within the medieval canine population; they undoubtedly displayed great diversity, depending on the type of game they were intended to hunt. With the evolution of hunting practices and the decline in the use of the Bloodhound, packs were generally used on their own to hunt all types of game. Although the name itself fell into disuse, these scent hounds certainly continued to be employed in this manner. It is reasonable to assume that the various pack-hound breeds—such as the English Foxhound, English Staghound, Harrier, and Beagle—developed from these dogs rather than from the Bloodhound. Clearly, the 16th and 17th centuries saw significant regional variation in the size and type of scent hounds, allowing a prospective master of hounds to make a selection and combine these different elements to form a pack.