Hungarian Greyhound

		Hungarian Greyhound
		FCI standard Nº 240

Origin		Hungary
Translation		Brought up to date by Dr. Paschoud and Mrs Elke Peper
Group		Group 10 Sighthounds
Section		Section 3 Short-haired Sighthounds
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Friday 29 March 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Thursday 06 April 2000
Last update		Wednesday 13 September 2000
En français, cette race se dit		Lévrier hongrois
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Ungarischer Windhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Lebrel húngaro
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Hongaarse windhond
In his country of origin, his name is		Magyar Agard

Usage

Hunting and coursing dog which hunts the game by sight. His nose is nevertheless noteworthy. He is especially skilled in coursings and race tracks, yielding good results particularly in longer distances. He is a very good companion and a loyal watch dog.

Brief historical summary

The Magyar Agar is an original hunting breed. His origin goes back to the times when the Magyars conquered the country. This is proved by archeological findings of skull bones. To increase the dog's speed the breed was crossed with different sighthound breeds in the 19th century.

General appearance

Gives the impression of strength; bone structure and musculature very strongly developed. Elegant.

Important proportions

. The length of the body sligthly exceeds the height at the withers.
. The length of the muzzle is approximately half of the length of the head.

Behaviour / temperament

Untiring, full of stamina, fast, tough and robust. Excellent on the race-course; he is on some distances faster than the Greyhound. Somewhat reserved by nature, but not shy, sensible, intelligent and faithful. He is watchful; his instinct to protect people and their houses and property is developed, yet he is not aggressive or vicious.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Wedge shaped with a rather broad base, seen from above and in profile.
Skull		Moderately strong, broad; the forehead fairly wide.
Stop		Pronounced.

Facial region
Nose		Relatively large, well pigmented; with large, wide open nostrils.
Muzzle		Strong, elongated, not too pointed.
Lips		Close-fitting, tight, well pigmented.
Jaws and teeth		Jaws powerful, strong; well developed, strong and complete scissor bite, according to the dentition formula.
Cheeks		Strong, muscular.
Eyes		Of medium size, dark. Neither deep-set nor protruding. The expression is keen and intelligent.
Ears		Rather large; their texture is distinctly thick; set on at medium height, well carried rose ears clinging to the neck. When the dog is alert, they are raised up. The heavier ears are more desirable than the light ears. Permanently pricked ears are faulty.

Neck

Medium long, yet elegant, dry, muscular. Without folds.

Body
Withers		Well developed, muscular, long.
Back		Broad, straight, firm, very well muscled.
Loin		Very broad, straight, strongly muscled.
Croup		Broad, slightly sloping, strongly muscled.
Chest		Brisket deep and distinctly rounded for providing adequate room for the heart and the big lungs. Ribs well arched, extending far back.
Underline and belly		Moderately tucked up.

Tail

Strong, thick, set on at medium height, tapering only moderately, slightly bent, reaching to the hocks. The underside is covered with wiry hair. In repose carried hanging down; in action it may be raised up to the level of the topline.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Forelegs strong and sinewy; seen from the front and the side, they are straight and parallel.
Shoulders		Shoulder blade moderately oblique, mobile, muscular, long.
Upper arm		Long, slightly slanting, muscular.
Elbows		Fitting flexibly to the chest, mobile, neither turned in nor out.
Forearm		Long, straight, of strong bone structure and with lean muscles.
Carpal		Broad and strong.
Pastern		Short and vertical.
Forefeet		Relatively big, elongated; strong pads; strong nails kept short.

Hindquarters
Generality		Hind legs well angulated, though not excessively so; strongly muscled, with plenty of bone. Seen from behind, standing parallel.
Upper thigh		Powerfully muscled, with muscles rather longish in shape.
Lower thigh		Long, with lean muscles.
Stifle		Moderately angulated, strong, neither turned in nor out.
Metatarsus		Viewed from behind parallel, when standing and moving.
Hock		Strong, well let down.
Hind feet		Relatively large, slightly elongated, with strong pads and nails.

Gait and movement

Ground covering, elastic trot; viewed from front and behind the limbs move in parallel planes.

Skin

Relatively thick, fitting well all over, without folds or dewlap.

Coat
Hair		Short, dense, coarse, smooth. In winter time a considerable amount of dense undercoat may develop.
Colour		All colours and combinations known in sighthounds are admitted, except the colours or colour-combinations mentioned as "Eliminating faults".

Size and weight
Height at withers		Ideal height at withers for dogs : 65 to 70 cm. Ideal height at withers for bitches : 62 to 67 cm. The size measured in centimetres at the withers is less important than the overall balance of the dog.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy.

Atypical head.

Undershot or overshot mouth, wry mouth.

One or more missing incisors or canines or premolars 2-4 or molars 1-2.

More than two PM1 missing; the M3 are disregarded.

Entropion, Ectropion.

Colours: blue, blue-white, brown, wolf-grey, black and tan; tricolour.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Additional information from visitors

Relatively unknown outside Hungary and Romania, the calm and intelligent Magyar Agar is descended from early herding dogs like the Kuvasz and working sighthounds of Asian heritage, such as the Saluki, Azawakh, Transylvanian Hound and English Greyhound, among others. This ancient breed has traditionally been used as a racing dog, large game hunter and also for the sport of hare coarsing, the roles it successfully maintains to this day. Quiet, friendly and trainable, the Hungarian Greyhound makes an excellent pet, although its tendency to chase may sometimes prove troublesome in urban surroundings. Lightly built and muscular, this is a very fast and athletic breed. The short smooth coat gets longer in the wintertime and is usually white with patches of various darker shades. Average height is around 27 inches.

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 27 January 2024; Hits: 517

Hungarian Greyhound