I know it’s been a while since I asked this “Identify the breed” question.
I did say that these puppies are technically lurchers, but they are of a particular sort of lurcher that now has a specific name.
These puppies are “Tudor hounds’– whippet/Cavalier King Charles spaniel crosses.
I remember that A&E did a series on dogs many years ago, and the Tudor hound was featured as one of the solutions to the “problems of breeding.” One woman in England had a big problem with rabbits raiding her garden. She had a Cavalier, but it wouldn’t chase the rabbits.
So she thought she could get a rabbit coursing Cavalier if she bred one to a whippet.
The result were dogs that looked very similar to those in paintings from the Tudor period.
Of course, the size is a bit off. These Tudor dogs appear to be fighting a wolf, and a Cavalier/whippet is much smaller.
But she called her crossbred puppies “Tudor hounds,” and the name has been applied to all whippet/Cavalier crosses in England since then.
It’s a designer dog of sorts.
However, I think these dogs are better rabbit coursers than pure Cavaliers have ever been.
It’s hard to tell if it’s a fox or a wolf due to the lack of scale, even with the horses’ legs in the background.
Those would be tiny dogs if that is a fox…
But the scale is weird.
Hey, don’t take it out on me. I just recalled the Welsh have words for sheep-slaughtering foxes! (Sarcasm)
Is the picture a crop or the painting itself is much larger?
I couldn’t find any pictures of adults.
The F2 and later generations should be …interesting.
Sounds like an interesting mix! Google didn’t bring up any adult pictures that I could find, though.
If you can find that old A&E series on dogs, they are featured on the “A Question of Breeding” episode. I think that was the ttitle.
The dogs, if I recall, looked like smooth cavaliers with whippet ears and much longer muzzles.
Whippets are known to have MVD so I wouldnt think this particular cross would have long-term viability
Considering the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels is highly inbred, the outcross to a Whippet might actually be more beneficial than the actual danger of MVD. Actually, crossing out probably means MVD rate in the crossbreed probably will be lower than the parents’ population over multiple generations.
Cross an older (10+) male Whippet who is clear, and whose parents remained clear at the same age, to a six or seven year old Cavalier bitch, whose parents remained clear until at least eight years old, preferably older. Both dogs should have grandparents that were clear until an ‘older’ age as well.
Shouldn’t be too hard to find the whippet. The Cavalier may be a problem.
Well, there are numerous papers in the UK where one can freely advertize whatever “rare ancient breed” to gullible buyers…
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/marketplace/classified/12-details-dogs-for-sale_212123.htm
A genuine reputable breeder trying to keep alive “an ancient Tudor hound breed”? :)
I met a chihuahua whippet cross last week and he was the sportiest little dog and acted like a big dog instead of an ornament. Very friendly and smart, too.
I dont know how to post a pic on here but I have a tudor hound, she is 5 months old. Looks a lot like her father who is the whippet but you can tell she isnt full blooded due to her slightly broader build. She’s gorgeous and sure is fast! When the cavalier was pregnant I was like oh my these are gonna be some funny looking puppies but I was wrong, I love to find a way to post a pic. Her father was black and white, and her mother the cavalier was the red rusty color, so she ended up with her mothers color and her fathers color pattern, she’s really cool.
Just send me a photo. I can then upload it.
We have a Tudor Hound – Cavelier Whippet cross – now aged 15. He has been a wonderful dog, easy going & good natured but also very fast and a good hunter of rabbits and squirrels in his day. He is brown and white with a very silky coat. Being a cross has also made him low maintenance and healthy – only visit to the vet other than routine was for an injured paw. I can recommend them highly.
I have a whippet x cavalier pup, nearly 1 years old now! He’s the sweetest, friendliest, happiest dog in the world. We get stopped everywhere we go with him, people ask what he is because he is unique. I’m not sure how to post a photo of him on here but there are photos of him on my Instagram: http://instagram.com/amandaeckart