#Greek Harehounds

[cycas]

The plastic bag rescue puppies, 29/12/2023. Crossposting, on the remote offchance that I know anyone in the Netherlands who might be looking to adopt a pup from Greece. I adopted my Harehound Theo from this rescue to the UK so adoption to the UK may also be possible if you are interested in that. Details:

Six nice pups, all males, all have a wonderful and very gentle character. They love to run, climb and chase each other. Love cuddling and get along great with other dogs, big and small. They were rescued from a plastic bag when they were just 2 days old, fortunately the mother could be found and could feed and raise the pups herself. They are purebred Hare Hounds and each one is beautiful to see. They are used to people from day 2 of their lives and love them, children love them too.

Gino is one of the six Hare Hound pups of Lefkas. They are all very social, happy pups, full of energy. They are now ( 29-12-2023 ) 10 to 12 kilos and 33 cm shoulder height. They love walking with a leash and on a leash. They love people and hugging. They can't wait to be with their own families in 2024!

Date of birth ( not estimated ) : 09/22-2023

Origin : Lefkas

Currently staying in: Greece

More information about this relief project at http://www.dierenhulpzondergrenzen.com/projecten-van.../

Would you like more information? Are you interested?

You can fill in a form via this link https://www.dierenhulpzondergrenzen.com/adoptieformulier/

Or you can call for more information with an employee of our telephone service:

José 06 508 677 01 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 16:00 to 22:00.

Marijke 0223-722294 06-15593949 Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 14.00 - 16.00 h

Rita 0299-439774 Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 17.00 - 20.00 Tuesday and Wednesday 14.30 - 18.00

Anne Marie 06-15064902 Saturday and Sunday 11:00 - 18:00 o’clock

Ineke 06-58957412 Friday 10:00 a.m. to 16:00 h

[bigduwu]

Day 13 The Hellenic Hound

Today is the day when I don't know which dog is next in line. So now I'm just going to try and catch up with the dogs that have been left behind and try to finish Doggust in time. 😅 For the 13th dog I found Steve, the Hellenic Hound (or Greek Harehound). Another water-loving dog I could not resist drawing as he sprinted down the beach, his ears flopping in the wind and water splashing everywhere. (I may have exaggerated the size of his ears, but he looks too cute with them. 😄) You can find Steve and his owner on Instagram: @steve_from_greece

If you have a dog breed from the list, and would like to see them in my style write me message here or any of my platforms! :]

"Brave, outgoing, intelligent and sometimes impatient, this breed is a passionate hunter but it is never vicious. Friendly, affectionate and extremely playful." - dogbreedinfo.com

[loracarol]

SO uh IDK if you were actually serious about this or not but?? I would cast a Greek Harehound/Hellenic Hound, and here's why:

According to this link (and yes that link starts with "penelope.uchicago.edu" so that's fun) it's thought that Odysseus's dog was probably a laconian:

Speed was an essential quality of a hunting dog, for which the most common epithet in Homer is Argos ("swift-footed"), the name of Odysseus' own hound. Indeed, Argos is the only dog in Homer to have a name (XVII.319ff). Trained as a puppy to chase after wild goats, deer, and hares, no quarry ever escaped him. This faithful dog, unable to move and thumping only his tail, dies at the shock of recognizing his master, returning home after twenty years. [...] Odysseus praises Argos for his speed and strength and beautiful appearance, but the breed is not mentioned. Given that Argos chased after less ferocious game, such as deer and hare, and emphasis is made of his swiftness, he very well may have been a Laconian.

Now that species of dog is extinct, but we know that they were:

[...] large, with a small head, straight nose, upright ears, a long and supple neck, and eyes that are black and sparkling. It should either be tan with white markings on the face, chest, legs, and rear; or black with tan markings

There is some speculation that the Greek Harehound may be a descendant of the laconian, and they look like this:

(image source)

They're also described as "originally bred as a scenthound for tracking and chasing hare in Southern Greece." (From the wiki page), which implies to me, at least, that they need to be at least someone "swift-footed."

And honestly, even if they're not, I feel like that description kind of matches? The only thing that doesn't is the ears being "upright", and in the picture I see on wiki of the laconian, the ears are broken off:

(source)

All of this is to say, given that the laconian dog doesn't exist anymore, if I had to cast Argos, I would cast a Greek Harehound. IMO the only real difference is the ears. Otherwise I feel like they work? It's a rare breed, admittedly, but if this is in animation, for example, I think it could work?

(source)

More random stuff under the cut:

Another source claims that the laconian may have resembled the greyhound (sort of? It quotes one source that says yes, and another that says no, they were "slow", and this source claims them as two different breeds.)

(Then this website claims that Argos was a "Greek Shepard" dog, though I disagree given that Argos was supposed to be a hunting dog & they don't actually provide proof of why that is + they're a "very hardy and strong breed and do not hesitate to defend themselves against larger and stronger animals such as wolves or bears" while Argos was a swift attacker of deer and hares.)

once again i am kindly asking to see a casting of argos in epic the musical. pretty please.

[wolfythewitch]

I'm listening to the odyssey rn and i was curious if you have a design for argos, Odysseus's dog? I started wondering what kinds of breeds would have been common at the time but idk much about the topic :0

I don't remember whose post it was, but I saw someone say a Greek harehound so that's what I based it off of!

[pandakong]

Doggust Day 12 - Hellenic Hound! Greek harehound! I accidentally did #13. But happy to get a hang of the linoleum a bit (ironed it hot before carving)

[apenguinbird]

Animal familiars in NRC: Ignihyde and Diasomnia edition.

(A continuation of this, this and this)

Ignihyde

Idia: Dog

Dang it, he wanted a cat. 

Still, he recognizes dogs are cute.

Let’s call him Cerberus for now. I think it would be a dog breed like a Cretan Hound, Greek Harehound, Molossus of Epirus, all big dog breeds from Greece.

Cerberus is very loyal to Idia and loves to sit by his side when he is playing games.

Scary dog privileges heck yeah. Idia hopes it will keep the extroverted students away from him (spoiler: It doesn’t work)

When working at STYX Cerberus works as a guard dog, not really necessary but Idia likes the feeling.

Cerberus is one of the few reasons why he goes out and takes him on walks. Although Ortho is usually the one taking him out, for Idia’s safety, the last time Cerberus basically dragged him across campus.

Makes memes with his dog.

“Oh Cerberus, we're really in it now.” 

Ortho

(Light spoilers for chapter 6, nothing mentioned though)

Unfortunately, Ortho is not able to have a familiar in the traditional way.

He loves Cerberus though!

Usually the one in charge of taking him on walks.

Cerberus is so careful around Ortho even though he is made out of metal.

Ortho has millions of files about taking good care of dogs.

Idia is/was planning on building a familiar for Ortho but the idea makes him sad.

Diasomnia.

One of the best examples of how the bond between mages and familiars works. Some familiars can become really really old.

Silver: Snow Owl

(Reference for chapter 7)

Yeah.

Honestly Silver was probably the youngest when it came to finding his familiar, with the number of animals close to him it was predictable.

He took a nap somewhere and woke up with the owl looking at him.

Lilia felt happy for Silver, although he felt like life was being a bit passive-aggressive with him.

If Silver is sleeping his familiar is somewhere watching over him.

Silver uses the owl to look for Malleus when the latter is nowhere to be found.

Special alarm, aka the familiar will peck Silver until he wakes up.

Sebek: Hawk

The perfect look for a knight, Sebek likes the respectable image they have going on.

LOUD DUO.

“WAKA-SAMA!” *hawk noises.*

Sebek is training it to attack people. Plus he trains with silver to use their familiar as trackers.

One time Sabek almost hits him with a lightning bolt and has been apologizing ever since.

The hawk once sat in one of Malleus’ horns which he found amusing, Sebek not so much.

Lilia: Bat

I know it was a really obvious choice but it was the best one for Lilia.

Same energy. Let me tell you that bat is old.

“Aren’t we cute?”

They both like to hang from the ceiling.

Silver’s babysitter was back when he was a kid. From making sure baby Silver was safe while Lilia was busy and/or adapting to parenthood, making sure he was safe in the woods as a kid, up to this day it makes sure Silver fell asleep somewhere safe.

Has saved the young one from Lilia’s cooking, the reason why sometimes Lilia finds kitchen ingredients or tools gone missing, is for a greater cause.

Will screech to get your attention.

Has had to drag Lilia by the ear to bed when he stays up too much time.

He and Lilia enjoy having tomato juice together.

Sometimes he joins Lilia in the music club, it doesn’t sound great but it is the passion that counts.

Malleus: Crow

A bit of an odd case because Malleus passed centuries without a familiar, they found each other rather recently.

He finds it rather interesting how it fits the story of the Witch of Thorns and her crow companion.

Malleus can and will tell you a lecture on what makes ravens and crows different creatures.

A good company, a bit of a one side conversation but the two look happy in the process.

“And that’s why gargoyles are often carved out of marble or stone and are attached to buildings.” “Caw.” “Interesting indeed.”

Malleus’ grandmother has a crow familiar too, maybe it’s a Draconia thing.

His familiar also enjoys old builds and statues which Malleus finds endearing.

Sometimes the crow disappears and reappears at random times. Malleus will never admit it but he’s rather bitter at the idea of not being invited.

Loves shiny things and has a nest of things it has collected around the school.

No, the crow doesn’t sit on Mallues’ horns but sometimes you can find it on his shoulder.

That crow is in the top 5 of those who Sebek respects.

The most respected and feared bird in all of the school. Some students are sure there must be something fishy with that bird.

[osoipoiitailegousin]

Did you have a childhood pet?

I did! *looks at them, before showing them his gallery* Look those are my dogs! I'm glad you asked about them! They are very affectionate, one is a golden retriever, one is an english shepherd, one is a Schnauzer, and the last but not least a greek harehound *smiles, before looking at his phone sadly* They were cute

[pelideswhore]

argos’ breed is a greek harehound!!

i found odysseus’ and telemachus’ dogs’ breeds. i am literally a genius. the descriptions fit and everything and THEYRE ORIGINALLY GREEK

[iicraft505]

Greek harehound

[petnews2day]

Determination of the effect of collars containing 10% w/w imidacloprid and 4.5% w/w flumethrin (Seresto®) on the incidence of Leishmania and other canine vector-borne pathogen infections in Greece | Parasites & Vectors

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/4kh7n

Determination of the effect of collars containing 10% w/w imidacloprid and 4.5% w/w flumethrin (Seresto®) on the incidence of Leishmania and other canine vector-borne pathogen infections in Greece | Parasites & Vectors

Study population A total of 479 privately owned dogs were enrolled in the study (206 in Heraklion and 273 in Leros). Most of the included dogs were mongrels (n = 289), followed by dogs identified as Pointer (n = 36), Setter (n = 23), Greek Harehound (Geka; n = 21), Cretan Hound (n = 14), Beagle (n = 12), Kurzhaar (n = 10) and several other breeds. Of these […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/4kh7n #PetTravelNews

[cycas]

Theo the Greek Harehound in a tiny blackthorn woodland, carpeted with celandines. It's exactly the right height for him to walk under the tiny trees.

[cyanocoraxx]

lesser-known dog breeds

majorca shepherd (spanish herding/guard dog), greek harehound (greek scenthound), carea leonés (spanish sheep herding dog), cane di oropa (italian cattle/sheep herding dog), donggyeongi (korean breed), sapsali (korean breed, believed to dispel ghosts and evil spirits), cão de castro laboreiro (portuguese livestock guardian), liangshan (chinese generalist hunting dog), xiasi hound (chinese guard, hunting and boar-baiting dog)

[trickstersartist]

These are for @odiko-ptino !

Artemis and Ares with their corresponding celestial bodies. I had a lot of fun working on these. I had some inspiration for @erinye ‘s work, especially with artemis. Please click on the images for better quality. 

[rocadog]

The Greek Harehound is an affectionate, outgoing and courageous dog breed. In this video i will tell you all you need to know about the #greekharehound

[katerinaaqu]

Aww I know! Although I do cry in movies still animals hit in a new level of deep! 😭😭

I know right?! And in the book the recognition was almost automatic. Argos raised his ears back and wagged his tail as if his master was not gone for 20 years. It was as if he had gone for a walk and came back and Argos was like "hay welcome back! Let's play" attitude. As if Odysseus was never gone for Troy or took another 10 years to come back and even under the spell of a goddess and dressed in rugs. Argos just casually greeted him like he never left!

Awww girl 🫂 I can imagine. Is like losing family for real...it can never go away because you live with that little thing! I can imagine he must have been such a sweet doggo! 🐶

I know I love those ears and the nose! And the tail is also pretty unique as it is almost shaped like a curved sword which helps this little fellow run faster. He does seem indeed like a guy with so much attitude and the way he is so lean and muscular is also amazing. Perfect for the job indeed. In Greek we call this Ελληνικός Ιχνηλατης aka "Greek Tracker"

Oh yeah! 😭 it wouldn't be a hyperbole to say that this dog was indeed the protagonist of emotional damage in the Odyssey and with just a few lyrics of appwarance he left such an impact! For starters it begs the question why would Homer even feel the need to mention this dog? He was the absolute representative of loyalty in the story. In a way he is there to restore some of Odysseus's faith in loyalty. He starts with Eumeus himself and his son but Argos he is now certain loyalty exists he starts to comprehend. Perhaps he even gains some hope that Penelope is still waiting like Argos that they are both loving him still...

Oh yeah not be able to even show sadness for the poor dog definitely strikes too deep! 😢 and yes Argos only feels like his job is done that the master is back that he saw him one last time and he fell back and died...

Yeah Eumeus mentions how the dog later was trained to hunt and was so fast and agile and was hunting hares and wild goats with the hunting trips and all. Oh gosh that is a good point 😨 boy yeah I mean I am surprised how no more people talk about that! Me included! Man yeah they stopped taking care of him and all which would increase his rage for them indeed!

Yeah in a way Argos was always looking towards the entrance like he was crying at the beach on Ogygia staring at the sea and thinking where his home is...

It is isn't it? Interestingly there is another dog by the name of Argos, a hellhound with 100 eyes who was assigned by Hera to guard Io the lover of Zeus whom Zeus transformed into a cow to averse Hera's suspicions. Zeus in order to save Io he sent Hermes to the spot and Hermes being the little bastard that he is, began talking to the dog and basically the dog died because of the psychological mind games Hermes did hahahaha well at least that is one version. Ironically again Hermes is Odysseus's great-grandfather hahahahaha 😆

Sorry back to the sad part.

Oh yeah for real seeing that dog so beaten up by time while he probably remembered a lively pup that was running around must have been so deep! And again parallel with himself as well. How he left Ithaca a younger man with fierce attitude only to come back beaten up, alone and a beggar in his own home after 20 years of hardship.

Greek harehounds are said to have average lifespan of 11-12 years so potentially poor Argos held onto dear life for double his life!

Yeah and Argos was there...he wasn't drowning or violently dying...he was sitting there...and he couldn't get close...he couldn't even touch him...but yeah that poor baby was just happy to see him...😭😭😭

Yeah finally able to rest poor baby...and he was happy...finally happy...

Yeah because the mind doubts even if the heart knows but Argos had no doubt whatsoever.

Yeah 😭 😭 😭 😭 he was staying alive only to greet him again home!

Awww girl! 🫂 I am sorry it was too short but still couldn't help it! 😢 🐶

Yeah like giving the final goodbye but yes unfortunately I imagined the body would no longer be there...

Oh man for real he would he way over 100 in dog years and man poor baby did wait...a lot! And yeah Odysseus feeling guilty again for the circumstances and all but yeah he thought of it as logical that he wouldn't be there but he hoped till the last moment. And yeah I would assume that he would feel conflicted that he was spared the bad sight of death to the poor dog. But of course not actually seeing him again and have again no body to mourn still hurts deep

Awwww thanks dear and indeed he just wants to be strong and smile for his good boy so he cries the loss but tries to stay strong for him as well in a way and yeah poor Argos will have to wait for a bit longer

Awww thanks! Olive is for eternity and divinity of course but I wanted it to be special so I thought he would bring one from his special tree for his companion! Aww thanks! I was inspired by my grandmother's dog who loved munching dry apricots. That dog was also so clever ans when my grandmother died that poor old lady didn't take it and in a few days she also died...so in a way I wanted to memorize that here.😢❤️

Aww it so is indeed! He has to move on but it is so painful indeed especially with the memories and all!

Girl you are so sweet as always! Thank you so much! 💓

If you bawled your eyes out at Hachiko perhaps you are not ready for Argos 😭😭

Argos (a small analysis) + after note story

So we all know that Odysseus lost more than 600 of his shipmates in total (both at war but most of all to his fateful trip to return to Ithaca) but I believe we must talk more of one last loss Odysseus suffered and that was at his own home; the loss of probably his most loyal companion who recognized him unconditionally even under the spell of Athena; his loyal Dog Argos.

The Dog:

Argos was Odysseus's loyal hound. The dog has been identified by some other brilliant Tumblr writers such as @pelideswhore as a Greek/Hellenic Hare Hound:

A midium-sized ancient dog breed that has been used for millennias in Greece (and after the spread of hellenic culture by the colonies and Alexander the Great etc in most Balkans) as a hound and a tracking dog. These dogs are known for their exceeding loyalty, playful energetic temperament and unique personality.

In the Odyssey:

Argos appears only once in the Odyssey (Hom.17) and that is when Odysseus enters the gates of the palace he notices an old dog covered in flees and parasites at the gates of the palace. The recognition is mutual and immediate. Argos who waited for more than 20 years for his master who raised him from puppy no longer has the strength to move but slowly pushes his ears back and wags his tail softly. Odysseus on the other hand feels his eyes tear up and yet he has to wipe them and hide himself so Eymeus won't recognize him. He has to pretend again that he doesn't know and he has to walk past his most loyal friend. Argos on the other hand just leans back and dies on the spot for he has now the delight of seeing his master back home and now he can die in peace...

We get very little information on Argos story but we know that Odysseus raised him from pup but he didn't have much time to have joy with him ("ουδ' απόνητο" = he didn't use him, he didn't hunt with him) but Eumeus mentions how there was no quicker dog in hunting so in a way Argos at some point did hunt with the younger generation but eventually probably the dog grew older and more and more depressed. When Odysseus was pronounced dead by many the slave women neglected him and bore no respect for him anymore and so Argos withers away but keeps waiting for his master.

Interestingly the term of "use" here is απόνητο which seems to have the hidden essence of "pain" since πόνος stands for "pain" in Greek. So in a way the ουδ' απόνητο might as well have the hidden meaning "not without pain". In a way the dog is not without pain if anything his pain seems to reflect his master.

The name:

In regards to the name "Argos" stands for "swift" or "quick" in homeric Greek (which could be indicative on the dog's speed) but as some people tend to suggest in their headcannons it seems to be an indirect mention of "Argo" the legendary ship that went for the Golden Fleece. Odysseus is linked to the ship in more than one way;

According to some versions, his father Laërtes was one of the men who took part to the legendary quest as an Argonaut

One other member of the Argonauts was the legendary Heracles who, according to some myths, was linked to his grandfather, Autolycus who taught him how to wrestle.

Quite frankly both versions seem possible or if anything they are not mutually exclusive. Maybe the dog's swiftness was also a reason for Odysseus to link him to that ship.

The tragic importance of Argos:

The scene is probably the last death linked to Odysseus and the last death to affect him. Argos is also the first actual living proof that Odysseus gets for the consequences of the passage of time in such a brutal way. Yes he did see Eumeus and heard his tragic story but Argos is basically giving Odysseus the perspective of time; for him 20 years were a lifetime but for his dog it was double as such.

Odysseus faced someone who by perspective endured longer than what he did.

The death is also the slowest and most tragic he had to face; his comrades died violently and swiftly. Argos was there. Odysseus had the chance to say goodbye at least to ONE FRIEND before death and at that moment he was unable to. He had to pretend he didn't know him and he could not say goodbye to him. And yet Argos DIDN'T CARE!

To Argos it didn't matter that Odysseus had to pretend he didn't know him. He was unconditionally happy to see him again, so much that he totally just finally allowed himself to die after finishing his duty and greeting his master back home.

The ending of his life is also described abruptly and simply by Homer

"But alas, Argos received the fate of black death the moment he saw Odysseus upon the 20th year" aka "Death claimed Argos the moment he saw Odysseus again after 20 years). In a way the dog's death is the opposite of his life (his life was long and tormented but his end was swift, simple, happy and sweet)

Argos is an excellent parallel with Telemachus too in order to show how the heart is the one who recognized Odysseus and not eyes or mind. Argos knew Odysseus more than Telemachus due to the fact that he was raised by him but Argos didn't spend so much time with him either and yet he recognized him and welcomed him even under the disguise. Telemachus's first instict was that his brain doubted when he saw his father without a disguise before he was convinced. Argos knew...he always knew.

Odysseus was recognized for the last time by someone else before entering the palace as a beggar aka as a nobody again as someone without identity until he was recognized again by his old nurse.

Argos is in a way a parallel to Anticlea. Anticlea withered and died by waiting. Argos seemed to have gained strength by hope to see his master again for he endured for a life that was already almost double than most dogs and also this death Odysseus was on time to witness. Unlike Anticlea who died before Odysseus could be there in her final moments, he was there for Argos

Argos is yet another death that Odysseus was not allowed by circumstances to mourn.

A tribute to Argos

Odysseus walked slowly outside the door of the palace. After the day he finally spent to his home and the preparation of everything to visit his old father Laërtes, he knew there was something else he had to do...something he believed he owed to a friend. His heart clenched as he walked out of the walls. His sad smile failed. There was nothing there.

That spot he was staring now was the last resting place of one of his friends he never thought to see again; his loyal Argos. Argos had waited for him for two decades; more than double his lifetime and Odysseus couldn't even hug him one last time; If only he could! Even if he was covered in flees. Even if the dog was in terrible condition...he deserved it. And yet he couldn't.

However now there was nothing there.

Odysseus sighed. He had expected that. He had spent at least two days in the palace before he got his revenge. Who would have left a dead dog out there for so long? Odysseus was prepared to face the terrible sight of a corpse full of maggots and flies but apparently he was spared that last horror. He was both sad and grateful for that.

He fell to his knees and touched the spot where the loyal dog met his end and finally he let his tears fall for one last time for real this time.

"Forgive me, boy..." he whispered, "you waited so long..."

He wiped away his tears and forced a sad smile on his lips.

"We could have done so much together, my friend...alas fate had other plans... Perhaps we will get our chance in another life...maybe we can hunt together in the underworld..."

He placed a small lily flower and an olive branch from the tree in his room to the spot. He then left there a dried apricot; it was Argos's favorite snack he remembered.

"Forgive me my boy...you will have to wait for a bit longer...perhaps... Perhaps I will see you waiting for me when Argophontes brings me down the bitter river as a dead soul..."

He heard someone calling him. Yes, it was about time to go and pay his respects to the last person waiting for him...

He stood back to his feet

He slowly walked away.

[whitneypierce717]

Luca – 2 year old male Greek Harehound Cross

Luca is a 2 year old male Greek Harehound cross and is cheeky and adorable. He arrived from Greece 7 weeks ago and has settle beautifully, currently in Foster in North Hampshire. Being food oriented he is easily trained and has learnt basic commands such as sit, wait and down. He is getting better at recall every day and loves other dogs and people, a very sociable pup.

He can be a little boisterous and so would not recommend being homed with young children but would be fine with those aged 8+. He’s not cat tested but would not advise being homed with cats. He would, however, be best suited to an active family and/or a family with another dog for him to play with and learn from.

He’s always on the go and loves to play with toys, especially tug toys. He really is a darling boy and truly deserves a chance to be part of a loving family.

via WordPress https://whitneypierce123.wordpress.com/2019/03/26/luca-2-year-old-male-greek-harehound-cross/