Dog breed · Spain
English name: Spanish Scenthound
The Sabueso Español or Spanish Hound is a scenthound breed with its origin in the far north of Iberian Peninsula. This breed has been used in this mountainous region since hundreds of years ago for all kind of game: wild boar, hare, brown bear, wolf, red deer, fox, roe deer and chamois. It is an exclusive working breed, employed in hunting with firearms.
Character: There are many Sabuesos in Spanish shelters, usually with little chance of ever being adopted, because of the misconception that they do not make good family pets; however, they have a very affectionate, calm, amenable character and would do well with an active family in a rural home.
Appearance: The Spanish Hound is a medium-sized dog, with a body that is longer than it is tall. Its total height should be a maximum of 52–57 cm (20-22 inches) in males, and 48–53 cm (18-21 inches) in females. It has very long ears similar to other hound breeds bred for tracking scent; the ears when stretched out should reach past the tip of the nose and commonly twirl away from the head in a slight corkscrew. The legs and feet that are compact, but strong, similar to the Beagle. The eyes should be amber, with a dignified, baleful expression. The tale should be tapering and whip-like, often with a white splash of fur at the tip. Typically the coat should be smooth, short, and glossy; it should have a white base with any combination of lemon, orange, or red-brown patches painted on it without any mottling or merle patterning, like a Paint Horse. The overall temperament is gentle and easy going, but relentless in tracking and brave when faced with a large animal like a male boar.
History: The first description of Iberian scenthounds appears in chapter 39 of Libro de la Montería de Alfonso XI or The Hunting Book of Alfonso XI, a medieval tome of the 14th century for a Castillian king. After that, diverse descriptions of Iberian scenthounds appeared in various Spanish hunting books of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries: two examples include Tratado de la Montería, or A Treatise on Hunting and Molina's late Renaissance book Discurso de la Montería, or A Discourse on Hunting, written in 1582.
During these centuries Spanish scenthounds of the type that would become the Sabueso were used mainly in brown bear and wild boar hunting. Also they were very often used to track wounded game by hunters called Ballesteros (because they used crossbows). Of course these hounds have been used since very ancient times in "caza a traílla" (leashed hound-hunting) to know previously of the hunt the resting location of bears, boars and wolves.
When firearms were becoming common in northern Spain and big game populations decreased, hunters diversified their quarry and began directing their hounds to hunt rabbits, called "caza de la liebre a la vuelta", although the hunting of wild boar and roe deer continued in other areas.
