THE CHART POLSKI

         The breed is likely to originate from the ancient Asian Saluki, however, its final appearance is an outcome of many crosses of greyhound types found in the Polish territory.

         In the hunting literature of 19^th century, the name of “the Polish greyhound” or “our greyhound” or “a common greyhound” is frequently mentioned. The dog was supposed to be larger, stronger and with slightly longer hair than the English Greyhound. The Polish greyhound was used to hunt different game, mainly hare but also foxes, wolves and even deer. When hunting, the old time hunters would often apply the so called “leash” i.e. two or three cooperating greyhounds on the move.

A detailed description of the Polish greyhound including information on its upbringing, training for hunting, hunting methods as well as the dog’s picture can be found in a Warsaw magazine Sylvan (1832/2). The writing of this first real monograph on the breed is attributed to Wiktor Kozlowski. A few artists of the 19th century portrayed dogs of the Polish greyhound type in their paintings, including J. Kossak, J. Brandt and A. Wierusz-Kowalski; sketches of the dogs by J. Norblin and L. Siemierski are preserved as well.

         With the impoverishment of the Polish nobility, confining hunting with greyhounds to large game preserves only and levying high taxes on greyhound owners, the number of Chart Polski’s continually declined. At the end of the 19^th century, the dogs could be hardly spotted. They managed to survive in the Eastern part of the country and the Ukraine, where the were bred under the name “chortaja borzoja” of “poskaja borzaja”. In the Southern region of Poland,  Chart Polski’s were used for hunting as long as the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1971, Maciej Mroczkowski managed to obtain information about Chart Polski’s living in the territory of the USSR, in the Rostow region. After the October Revolution, the dogs were moved from large private land estates to collective farms where, thanks to their hunting qualities, they were pure bred. In 1972 Maciej Mroczkowski placed in a popular Przekrój weekly an article about the greyhounds from Poland nowadays domiciled in Ukraine and used for hare hunting by the soviet hunters. According to soviet dog fanciers, the dogs numbered from several dozen to several hundred specimens. In view of the game law banning hunting with greyhounds wich, at the time, was about to be introduced in the USSR, the dogs faced extermination. Maciej Mroczkowski’s article included an appeal addressed to the Przejkrój readers asking for help to recreate the breed in our country. Luckily, the price for a dog was relatively low, one dog could be purchased by as little as 30 or 40 rubels. Fifty readers responded, including Stanisław Czerniakowski from Wrsaw who managed to purchase and bring to Poland two bitches named Tajga and Striełka as well a dog called Elbrus. Tajga and Elbrus became parents of the first puppies born in Poland.

         The first breeders of Chart Polski’s, Małgorzata and Izabella Szmurło and Helena Jenczyk-Tołłoczko, put in their efforts to obtain the dogs who survived in the South of Poland. It was quite a tough task, though, because admitting to owning a greyhound automaticly meant admitted to poaching, hunting with greyhounds in Poland is forbidden by law. Chart Polski’s used to have many enemies, but also a large group of canine specialists who favoured the breed. Commitment to popularise the breed was made by among others, Hana Lipińska, a group of judges, including Lubomir Smyczyński, Kazimierz Ściesiński and the re-discover of the breed Maciej Mroczkowski. Owners of the first pedigree Chart Polski’s must be mentioned as well, by presenting their dogs at shows they made it possible for everybody to get familiar with the breed. Based on the relevant literature and iconography, Hanna Lipińska and Małgorzata Szmurło developed a draft standard of the breed. On opening the Chart Polski Pre-register Book of 1981, 30 dogs were enrolled. The same number of dogs entered the 1^st Chart Polski National Specialty Show witch was held in Poznan in 1981 and during witch three generations of the dogs were exhibited. A year later, the Pre-register Book included as many as 60 dogs. The breed received a preliminary approval of FCI at the Federation General Congress held in Helsinki in 1989. The Chart Polski breed standard is listed under the number 333, it is not eligible for CACIB yet. A year later, first dogs of the Chart Polski breed were exhibited at the international show in Switzerland. Because of the ban on hunting with greyhounds, the dogs are not used for hunting purposes any longer, nevertheless, they are very popular with track racing and coursing. When running, the Chart Polski is as speedy as the English Greyhound but even more enduring.

The top breediners of the Chart Polski’s are Małgorzata and Izabella Szmurło whose “Celerrimus” Kennel excels in the number of pedigree puppies. The ladies promote the breed inside and outside the country; they are the autors of many specialist articles on the breed as well as of the monograph Chart Polski (The Polish Greyhound)) published in 1993. Other outstanding kennels include “Od Charciarza”, “Z Wielgowa”, “Ranbaza”, “Czereda Kusego”, “Ksenas” and others. The Chart Polski aroused much interest in the USA, Finland, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, where the first litters have already been reported. Individual specimens have been sent to Canada and Sweden. In 1984, the Chart Polski Club was set up; similar clubs operate in France, Belgium and USA.

This is the Sint Hubertus hunt in Poland (2000). The father of Luna Nowy (Harap) and both parents of Łoza (Filutek and Galicja) were competitors.

CHART POLSKI BREED STANDARD (SHORTENED)

        The Chart Polski is a large, strong and muscular dog, whose outline is much more robust and less noble than of other shorthaired greyhounds. In its outline the Chart Polski resembles its ancestor, the Asian Greyhound. Powerful bones, compact body, prominent musculature and strong jaws, evidence that the dog was used in the difficult conditions of the Polish climate for hunting not only hares, foxes, deer and bustards but wolves as well. Eyes are of paramount importance for the breed, their expression should be sharp, alert and piercing. Gaits must be fluid and springy; correct angulation of fore and hind legs allows long, free pace both when walking and trotting. The Chart Polski is eventempered, trusting, reserved and brave. When in chase, the dog is fast, very agile and rentless; his reactions are quick and ruthless.

        Height at he withers: bitches 68 –75 cm, dogs 70 – 80 cm. Specimens taller than the optimal height are desired, provided thir typical exterior is maintained. Body leght to height at the withers ratio should be that of 102 – 105%.

Head: strong, lean and long; the leght of the muzzle to the leght of the skull should be that of 1 ; 1 (slightly longer muzzle is permitted); the skull cranial region should be flat, stop scarcely perceptible, suproarbital ridges, frontal furrow slightly pronounced; the topline of the muzzle and the skull should be slightly diverging; the frequently found feature of a Roman nose is desired; the muzzle strongly tapering towards the tip of the nose should not give an impression of being pointed but blunt; tip of the nose black or dark, large, protruding past the line of the lips; jaws and teeth strong positioned in a scissors bite, level bite permitted.

Eyes: dark coloured eyes are valued; depending on the coat colour, the iris colour can range from dark brown to amber; eyes clear fairly large.

Ears: of medium size, quite norrow, when extended, their tips easely reach the inner eyecorner; set on at the eye level.

Neck: long, muscular and strong, oval in cross section; rising gently from the withers line, head carried rather gigh.

Body: withers small but well pronounced; topline straight above the chest and slightly arched above the loins; chest very deep and capacious, seen frontally, moderately broad, ribs should be well sprung but not rounded; belly tucked up; loins broad and muscular; croup moderately sloping, long and well-muscled.

Tail: long, thick at the base; in repose, carried low with the tip curled upwards to form a sickle or a wheel; when alert, the tail can be carried slightly higher.

Forequarters: long, lean and muscular limbs set apart fairly narrowly; when seen frontally, the limbs should be parallel; long forearm; metatarsus slightly slanting in relation to the ground; feet oval, toes tight.

Hindquarters: long and muscular limbs, fairly well angulated; positioned slightly backwards and sideways but to a lesser degree than with the English Greyhound; when seen from the rear, the limbs should be parallel; lower thigh long, strong hock, feet oval but more elongated then forefeet.

Coat: the hair is springy to touch, quite hard, neither wiry nor silky; hair of different length; usually longer on the withers and shorter on sides, the shortest on sterum and limbs; backside of the tights and backside of the tail are covered with the longest hair.

Colour alle colours are permitted.