Harrier Dog Breed A Hunting Dog History
The Harrier is a swift hunting hound with an excellent nose and superior stamina in the field. Sources have widely conflicting stories about the origins of this breed. According to one, the earliest Harrier types were crossed with bloodhounds, the Talbot Hound, and even the Basset Hound. According to another, the breed was probably developed from crosses of the English Foxhound with Fox Terrier and Greyhound. In a third source, the Harrier is said to be simply a bred-down version of the English Foxhound. In any case, today's Harrier is between the Beagle and English Foxhound in size and was developed primarily to hunt hare, though the breed has also been used in fox hunting. The name, Harrier, reveals the breed's specialty. Neither hare nor Fox can escape its exceptional sense of smell, its cunning, and its unequaled boldness. Prey chased by the inexhaustible Harrier have been known to collapse from sheer exhaustion. Records show an established pack of Harriers was owned by Sir Elias de Midhope as early as 1260. The Cotley Pack of Somerset was organized by Thomas Deane in 1796, with many Harriers brought to the "colonies" during that time. Their original capacity was for following the large, slower European hare in front of their masters who hunted on foot. Later hunters on horseback followed the packs. Like the English Foxhound, most Harriers were raised by specialized hunt clubs for use by their members. Many of these packs were renowned, their fame continuing for several generations. The Quarme Harriers, which have a distinctive pale color, were disbanded following the last World War, after a long and illustrious history. The Minehead Harriers still hunt in the County of Somerset. Other packs have been bred and hunted continuously for more than a hundred years. Pack Harriers in England are registered and regulated by the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles, This group's stud books have two sections—one for the English Harrier and one for the West Country Harrier, recognizing differences in type. The sport of hound trailing is very popular in the Lake district and the area bordering England and Scotland. The hounds, following a drag track, are run for speed only; the first one arriving at the finish line is declared the winner. Since the sport attracts as much betting as the racing dog tracks, formal rules and regulations have been passed. For this activity, they use crossbred hounds that are basically Harrier, but with various surreptitious additions to create the necessary speed. Harriers as a pure breed have subsisted in the United States although never in large numbers.
