Introducing: CH Sunnystone Spirit of Seventy-Six our Harrier!

Eagle Beagles and Harriers

Introducing: CH Sunnystone Spirit of Seventy-Six our Harrier!

Best of Breed, Harrisburg Kennel Club, Harrisburg, PA.

The first pack of Harriers in England was the Penistone, which was established by Sir Elias de Midhope in 1260.

· Harriers have been known in the United States as long as any of the scent-hound breeds, and they have been used for hunting since the Colonial times.

Among major dog show organizations, Harriers are registered with the FCI, AKC, and CKC. A few small groups like SKC, and ARHA also register Harriers. Notably absent is the Kennel Club in the Harrier's primary country (England) although they originally did recognize Harriers from 1851-1971. The last known Harriers to be shown at a Kennel Club show or entered in their stud book were in 1915. In England Harriers are owned only by Hunting organizations and are registered with the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles (AMHB). Generally Harriers must be "entered" into a pack, hunting with them for a season, to be registered with the AMHB.

Harriers and the AMHB

Harriers have a long history in England with detailed records of individual packs existing from 1260 to the present. In March of 1891, the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was formed and published a Stud Book. Harriers were at that time much more popular than Beagles. The 1891 - 1900 volumes list 107 registered packs of Harriers. They also began to run the Peterborough Harrier and Beagle Show in 1892. Records of Peterborough Shows and photos of the winners are published annually in the Stud Book. The foundation stock for the 1891 edition were admitted based on individual pack records or by committee. Hounds continued to be added by committee for several years. Harriers can also be registered in the appendix of their stud book if only one parent is registered. Offspring of appendix hounds appear in the regular stud book. Many of these "foundation" Harriers were in fact small Foxhounds with parents from recognized Foxhound kennels. Some of these foundation Harriers appear in top winning Beagle pedigrees, so "Harrier" often defines type of hunting and size of hound rather than pedigree in AMHB packs. The practice of breeding to Foxhounds still occurs in England and is reflected in the pedigrees which follow later in this Volume.

Early US Harriers

Several sources mention "colonial" imports of Harriers. The first specific reference I can find is from the first entry of the Craven pack in the first AMHB Studbook. The Craven history mentions Harriers being shipped to America in the 18th Century (unfortunately they did not specify where). Several organized packs of Harriers hunting in the English style were established early in this century. Some were recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America and at least two joined the AMHB in England. Many Harriers still hunt in various styles in this country, but the days of large packs with mounted riders appears to be over.

AKC Harrier Breed Standard

General Appearance
Developed in England to hunt hare in packs, Harriers must have all the attributes of a scenting pack hound. They are very sturdily built with large bone for their size. They must be active, well balanced, full of strength and quality, in all ways appearing able to work tirelessly, no matter the terrain, for long periods. Running gear and scenting ability are particularly important features. The Harrier should, in fact, be a smaller version of the English Foxhound.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Size--19 to 21 inches for dogs and bitches, variation of one inch in either direction is acceptable. Proportion is off-square. The Harrier is slightly longer from point of shoulder to rump than from withers to ground. Substance--Solidly built, full of strength and quality. The breed has as much substance and bone as possible without being heavy or coarse.

Head
The head is in proportion to the overall dog. No part of the head should stand out relative to the other parts. The expression is gentle when relaxed, sensible yet alert when aroused. Eyes are medium size, set well apart, brown or hazel color in darker dogs, lighter hazel to yellow in lighter dogs, though darker colors are always desired. Ears are set on low and lie close to the cheeks, rounded at the tips.

The skull is in proportion to the entire animal, with good length and breadth and a bold forehead. The stop is moderately defined. The muzzle from stop to tip of nose is approximately the same length as the skull from stop to occiput. The muzzle is substantial with good depth, and the lips complete the square, clean look of the muzzle, without excess skin or flews. A good nose is essential. It must be wide, with well opened nostrils. Teeth meet in a scissors bite or they may be level. Overshot or undershot bites faulted to the degree of severity of the misalignment.

Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is long and strong with no excess skin or throatiness, sweeping smoothly into the muscling of the forequarters. The topline is level. Back muscular with no dip behind the withers or roach over the loin. Body--Chest deep, extending to the elbows, with well sprung ribs that extend well back, providing plenty of heart and lung room. The ribs should not be so well sprung that they interfere with the free, efficient movement of the front assembly. The loin is short, wide and well muscled.
The tail is long, set on high and carried up from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock, depending on attitude. It tapers to a point with a brush of hair. The tail should not be curled over the back.

Forequarters
Moderate angulation, with long shoulders sloping into the muscles of the back, clean at the withers. The shoulders are well clothed with muscle without being excessively heavy or loaded, giving the impression of free, strong action. Elbows are set well away from the ribs, running parallel with the body and not turning outwards. Good straight legs with plenty of bone running well down to the toes, but not overburdened, inclined to knuckle over very slightly but not exaggerated in the slightest degree. Feet are round and catlike, with toes set close together turning slightly inwards. The pads are thick, well developed and strong.

Hindquarters
Angulation in balance with the front assembly, so that rear drive is in harmony with front reach. Well developed muscles, providing strength for long hours of work, are important. Endurance is more important than pure speed, and as such, the stifles are only moderately angulated. Feet point straight ahead, are round and catlike with toes set close together, and thick, well developed pads.

Coat
Short, dense, hard and glossy. Coat texture on the ears is finer than on the body. There is a brush of hair on the underside of the tail.

Color
Any color, not regarded as very important.

Gait
Perfect coordination between the front and hind legs. Reach and drive are consistent with the desired moderate angulation. Coming and going, the dog moves in a straight line, evidencing no sign of crabbing. A slight toeing-in of the front feet is acceptable. Clean movement coming and going is important, but not nearly as important as side gait, which is smooth, efficient and ground-covering.

Temperament
Outgoing and friendly, as a working pack breed, Harriers must be able to work in close contact with other hounds. Therefore, aggressiveness towards other dogs cannot be tolerated.

Approved December 13, 1988
Effective February 1, 1989

The Difference in the small Beagle package and a Harrier.

Happy go lucky Harrier.

Splash made the Top 20 of her Breed!

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Big Harrier Kisses to Us All!

What is Harrier Rescue?

Harrier Rescue is a volunteer service offered by the Harrier Club of America. We take responsibility for Harriers that have fallen through the cracks.

Our rescue hounds come from a variety of places, the main one being irresponsible breeders who have sold puppies into homes not really prepared or able to care for a Harrier. The irresponsible breeder also does not take any responsibility for the Harrier when the new owners need help or need to return the dog. A good breeder will always take back a dog he/she has bred, no matter the age or circumstance. When owners contact HCA rescue, we first try to help them through and/or solve the problem(s). If that does not work, then Rescue takes possession of the dog.

Another source of rescue hounds come from Puppy mills. Detestable Puppy Mills in the Midwest have occasionally produced litters of Harriers that were then sold to pet stores for resale at exorbitant prices. Many of these people who bought that adorable puppy had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Please do not purchase a puppy of any breed at a pet store!

If we cannot help the owners solve their problem(s) with their Harrier, we generally take the hound out of the situation they are in, place him/her in a qualified foster home, rehabilitate them if necessary, have them spayed/neutered, evaluate their needs and requirements, and adopt them into a suitable permanent home when the right one comes along.