At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, smooth, hard
A slender, light-footed hunting dog, built somewhere between a scenthound and a sighthound, with a short, hard coat and a long tail that curls into a ring.21
Personality what they are like
Intelligent, noble and eager when hunting, yet gentle and obedient at home. It is devoted to its family and can be reserved with strangers without being unfriendly.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Needs plenty of daily exercise and room to run; it is built for speed and stamina over rough terrain and enjoys scent and chase games in a safe area.21
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Easy care: an occasional brush for the short coat, plus routine nail and ear checks.2
Home where they are happiest
Best with an active owner and a securely fenced garden or rural setting.1
Company who they like around
Forms a strong bond with its family and enjoys being part of daily life.2
The story where it all began
The Cretan Hound is an ancient hunting dog of Crete, and dogs of similar type appear in Minoan art. It has been used for centuries to hunt hare and other game in the island's rugged mountains, using both scent and sight.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is often described as one of the oldest dog breeds in Europe.1
- 2
Dogs resembling it appear in Minoan artworks held at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.1
- 3
Its long tail curls up into a ring when it is active and hangs straight when relaxed.2
- 4
It hunts using all its senses, combining scent work with speed.2
Recognised by the official bits
- Kennel Club of Greece
- Recognised nationally in Greece.1
- VDH (Germany)
- Recognised nationally in Germany.3
- Breed club standard
- Club standard dated 16.01.2019 places it in Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types), section 7.2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Cretan Hound. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Cretan Hound en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, recognition, history, size, fun facts
- Cretan Hound breed standard (cretandog.gr) cretandog.grused for size, weight, coat, colours, tail, temperament, use
- VDH: national recognition of four new breeds vdh.deused for German recognition
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.