One question came to me: do sight coursing hounds have better vision than other dogs? I mean, they course (chase, hunt) by sight so that sight should be better than other dog breed’s eyes.

So I did some Googling. At first I couldn’t make sense of what I read. The quote below is from a forum but matches all the other sources I read:


Quote:

Who has the best eyesight of any breed of dog? According to Canidae, sighthounds, like Greyhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Basenjis, have the best peripheral vision out of all dog breeds. It has to do with their long, thin noses and the position of their eyes. Some sighthounds have a field of vision of 290 degrees.

https://www.quora.com/Who-has-the-best-eyesight-of-any-breed-of-dog

So the sight of a sight coursing hound isn’t keener—they can’t see finer detail than any other mutt—but they have better peripheral vision. How does that help?

Peripheral vision is excellent at detecting movement! So when the hare/fox/deer etc changes direction sharply the better peripheral vision of a sighthound helps it locate where the prey animal/artificial lure has moved to.


Not what I was expecting to find!

Posted the above on the lure coursing website, see if any interesting responses are made there.

Some more info re sighthounds with special reference to Socks:

The sighthounds we see at our meets have some characteristics in common: shape of the head, a deep chest and long legs. The most common sight hound at the meets is the whippet. My hound Socks is a staghound with a little admixture of, probably, Great Dane. She has a deep snout, unlike the sharp snout of a whippet but it is pretty narrow for her size.
So I did a bit of searching:


Quote:

“ Appearance 📷The [dolichocephalic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolichocephaly) head proportions of a typical sighthound. These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, and overpowering it by their great speed and agility. They must be able to detect motion quickly, so they have keen vision. Sighthounds must be able to capture fast, agile prey, such as deer and hares, so they have a very flexible back and long legs for a long stride, a deep chest to support an unusually (compared to other dogs) large heart, very efficient lungs for both anaerobic and aerobic sprints, and a lean, wiry body to keep their weight at a minimum. Sighthounds have unique anatomical and physiological features, likely due to intentional selection for hunting by speed and sight; laboratory studies have established reference intervals for hematology and serum biochemical profiles in sighthounds, some of which are shared by all sighthounds and some of which may be unique to one breed. The typical sighthound has a light, lean head, which is dolichocephalic ) in proportion. This shape can create the illusion that their heads are longer than usual. Wolves and other wild dogs are dolichocephalic or mesaticephalic, but some domestic dogs have become brachycephalic (short-headed) due to artificial selection by humans over the course of 12,000 years. Dolichocephalic dogs have a wider field of vision but smaller overlap between the eyes and therefore possibly poorer depth perception in some of their field of view than brachycephalic dogs; most, if not all, dogs have less visual acuity than their antecedent, the wolf. There is no science-based evidence to confirm the popular belief that sighthounds have a higher visual acuity than other types of dogs. However, there is increasing evidence that dolichocephalic dogs, thanks to a higher number of retinal ganglion cells in their “visual streak”, retain more heightened sensitivity than other dog types to objects and rapid movement in the horizontal field of vision.

—wiki

My previous dogs were an Australian Terrier, a chihuahua and a Jack Russell/Maltese terrier cross. I did want a little bigger dog this time. As recommended by the RSPCA where I adopted Socks I took her to my vet for a general checkup. Socks weighed 12Kg at the time and was 19 weeks old (or 19 weeks when she was received at the shelter?) and the vet told me she wouldn’t get much bigger. Socks is now 26Kg, 10Kg more than the combined weights of my three previous dogs! If she was a full breed staghound she would be a bit bigger.

Sometimes I get a little bit sad, thinking it was such a pity Mum and my favorite aunt Daisy could not see her. I remember Daisy was here after Dad died and a niece gave Mum the chihuahua and they got along like a house on fire “Tiffy, would you like. . . ” and Tiffy DID like.

Staghounds used to be called “Kangaroo dogs” back when hunting them was legal. Henry Lawson mentioned them briefly in his hilarious short story “The Loaded Dog.”

Staghounds were formed by the cross of a greyhound and a Scottish deer hound. The breeders loved the sturdier legs of the staghound which was bred, quite frankly, to be a poacher’s dog!

Risky running really fast through scrub and rough country, so sturdy legs, even perhaps at the expense of some speed were preferred.

Socks has a short, smooth coat. This could be the greyhound or even Great Dane heritage? Most staghounds have the shaggy deerhound coat. Some breeders and owners prefer that, the thicker shaggy coat gives some protection when running through scrub. Socks is not used for hunting or poaching so her coat is fine by me, seems to keep her warm enough.

Staghounds are used in pig hunting today in Australia. In the US they are called Coyote Dogs and are used to hunt that species.

Breeders try to improve the staghound by adding terriers to the line and more recently they are trying Salukis to improve the breed.

Staghounds are not lurchers but long dogs.
Lurcher—deep chested dog formed by a cross of sight coursing hound and a non sight coursing dog.

Long dog or longdog—deepchested hound formed by a cross of two sight coursing hounds.

The staghound is not a recognised breed by the Australian, American or English Kennel Clubs despite the cross that formed the breed being older than most other breeds!

Hmmm found something interesting.

I had told someone at the club that Socks had outrun a whippet. “Bullshit!” came the response  ;D

Nevertheless, it was true. I did a bit of searching.

Staghounds are taller than whippets so they have a longer stride.

Well, what I read:

Staghounds can run as fast as your average greyhound, 40mph, and has a longer range, i.e. can keep running for longer, like 100Km longer.

Whippets are not quite that fast, 35mph.

So Socks IS faster than whippets! That second run at the last fun run last year showed just how amazingly fast Socks can run while keeping the lure in sight.

A short video on sighthounds:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OqfhpXmOOak?feature=share

Hunting coyotes in Ohio with greyhounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHl1m2QivX0&ab_channel=OutdoorFever

Look at the shape of their heads, especially the placement of the eyes, the key to sight hunting hounds.

Greyhounds hunting hares, see the speed, see also the jinking by the hare not fooling the sighthounds—as described earlier in this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yD9NH1FADDQ?feature=share

An unofficial—none of the kennel clubs setting breed standards recognise the breed—description of the staghound:


Quote:

STAGS 'R' US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN STAGHOUND: The Staghound is originally a Greyhound and Scottish Deerhound hybrid. In 1790, Australia’s first European settlers brought with them Greyhounds and Scottish Deerhounds that were then cross bred, and are now known as the Australian Staghound or Kangaroo Dog. The Staghound is known as a Lurcher in European countries. [Wrong, the staghound, product of two sight coursing hounds, is a long dog or longdog. The original purpose of the staghound was for hunting rabbits and game such as kangaroos, emus and wallabies. They also protected the settler’s flocks of sheep from dingos. (Hunting Kangaroos, emus and wallabies with staghounds is now illegal.) The staghound has since been bred to suit each owner’s individual purpose. To hunt rabbits, foxes and pigs as well as being great pets. [True, Socks has the sweetest temperament any of my dogs. Many different types of hounds are crossed[sic] bred to create the modern day staghound. Some of these breeds may include but are not limited to the Greyhound, Wolfhound, Deerhound, Whippet, Borzoi, Pharaoh Hound, Ibizan Hound, Terriers and Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Blood Hound, Beagle, Coonhound, Catahoulas, Bull Arab, Bull Mastif and Pit Bulls. Any number of combinations can be used. We have come across all types of staghounds with a hint of this or that in them. At this point in time, there is no such thing as a ‘purebred’ staghound. There are no fully recorded ‘lines’ to our knowledge which is a requirement to register the breed as a pure/pedigree, so it is not recognised as a breed, although it has been around for longer than some modern recognised breeds. We like to use the term ‘Original Staghound’ when talking about the original staghound cross of a Purebred Greyhound with a Purebred Deerhound. This is what most people are referring to when using the term ‘Purebred Staghound’. These two breeds are crossed to create a hound who has speed and agility, enabling it to chase and catch fast game and pests such as rabbits and foxes as well being more robust, with tougher feet and thicker skin to help minimise injuries such as skin tears and broken legs. It also has sturdier legs than a greyhound, great for a dog chasing prey through rough country! This was the objective of making the original cross. A staghound has long legs, a deep chest and strong muscles. It has sharp vision and some are bred for their scenting ability. Staghounds come in all colours with three coat types: the “shag," which resembles the Scottish Deerhound; the "slick," which resembles the Greyhound; and the “broken,” which is in between the two. Some can be as fast as a greyhound but tend to have more endurance. Due to the diversity of the breeds crossed to create a Staghound today their height and weights vary greatly but these are an average: Height To The Shoulder: Males 21 - 36 inches Females 20 – 33 inches Weight: Males 25 - 41 kg Females 20 - 40 kg Socks is 26Kg. Still on the small side. Staghounds are generally a very calm and composed dog when near home. They are affectionate and they enjoy attention from their owners. Although the staghound is primarily used for hunting, this dog makes a wonderful companion, great family pet and most are good with children, but its size can pose a problem with young children. NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN AND DOGS UN-SUPERVISED! A young child running and screaming excitedly sounds like prey. If the child falls it is like prey being killed. Do NOT have dogs at a child’s party! Most Staghounds do not make good guard dogs or protectors but most will bark at visitors while happily wagging their tail. Mature staghounds can have a lazy nature, enjoying all day on the couch but also enjoy a good free run, and pack runs. Dogs should NOT be allowed on the furniture—height is dominance to a dog! The Staghounds coursing instinct is unrivalled, so if it runs, they will chase it. Oh yes! The life expectancy of a staghound is 13-15 years if cared for properly. If you have a staghound that you no longer have time for, please contact us.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1597844057098167&id=1497465607136013&set=a.1498162303733010

Comments in red are mine.

There was a staghound bitch sometimes at the big dog park back in Adelaide. She was a bit taller and a bit faster than Socks.

Now? Be interesting when I return to Adelaide for a week this year, see if that bitch is there and compare heights and speeds of our stags. Socks, from runs on the beach here—great beach with long lengths of kelp thrown by the sea onto the beach here and there.


Talking about the ferry Geelong–Devonport. Best if you want your own car and car rentals here are limited. A couple of caveats:

1. Buy and eat food on shore. Food on the ferry is not good IMHO and is expensive.

2. Might be cheaper to take a day ferry in the morning, sleep in a motel or caravan cabin or your own van that night. Renting a cabin on the ferry is expensive!

If heading south from Devonport to Launceston or Hobart etc the Elizabeth Town Centre is a 24 hour cafe catering to the ferry trade. I buy a coffee in the morning drive to ETC and breakfast there.

I used to rent a bunk in a male shared cabin. That was cheap. covid put an end to that, I have to rent a twin cabin. $$$