In English, the breed is referred to as ‘Pharaoh Hound’.
Malta’s national dog, il-kelb tal-fenek is popular amongst animal lovers and farmers alike. Not only does it make an excellent pet, but it’s also a great rabbit hunting companion.
The latter fact is where the breed got its strange name from.
This dog was specifically bred for hunting, in fact, the breed’s colours vary from yellow to dark red to help it blend in with Malta’s relatively dry landscape.
In English, the breed is known as ‘Pharaoh Hound’ as it bears resemblance to early depictions of Egyptian life.
This name was given by the British during their time in Malta but extensive studies at the ‘Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’ in the United States have shown that there is no connection between the Maltese dog and the Egyptian hounds.
The dog is most likely a descendant of the prick-ear hounds that were commonly found across many different communities in the Mediterranean.
Up until a few years ago, il-kelb tal-fenek was only found here in Malta, which is one of the reasons as to why in 1974, the Maltese government made it the national dog of Malta. The dog was even printed on the Maltese Lira coins!
Although the Kelb tal-Fenek had only been found in Malta for many years, the British transported the breed all over the world as soon as they discovered its incredibly capable hunting abilities.
Because of this, this breed can now be found in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the USA.
Have you spotted any 'klieb tal-fenek' recently?