Harrier

Packs of harehounds are recorded in England from the medieval period, and the Penistone pack in Yorkshire is traditionally dated to 1260, which would make organised Harrier hunting one of the oldest continuous canine traditions in the country. The poet William Somervile described hunting with harriers in The Chace in 1735, by which time the type was firmly established.

The Harrier developed as a hound that ordinary people could follow on foot. Faster than a Beagle so the hunt did not drag, slower and steadier than a Foxhound so followers could keep up, he was the practical middle option and packs were maintained across the West Country, Wales and the Midlands. Different regions kept their own strains, and the West Country Harrier survives as a distinct and very scarce type.

The American Kennel Club recognised the Harrier in 1885, one of its earliest registrations, though the breed has never been numerous in the United States. In Britain The Kennel Club withdrew separate recognition in the early 1970s, when almost all Harriers were pack hounds registered with the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles rather than kept as pets, and restored it in January 2020. Estimates in the early 2020s put the population at well under a thousand in the UK, with the West Country strain numbering only in the hundreds.

A Harrier stands about 19 to 21 inches at the shoulder and weighs roughly 45 to 65 pounds, so he reads unmistakably as a smaller, lighter Foxhound rather than an oversized Beagle. The standard asks for plenty of bone for the size, a deep chest, well-sprung ribs and strong, straight legs with round cat-like feet, all of which point at a working hound expected to run for hours over uneven ground.

The coat is short, dense, hard and glossy, lying flat and shedding rain and mud easily. Almost any hound colour is acceptable, but the classic pattern is tricolour in black, white and tan, with lemon and white, red and white and various pied combinations also seen.

The head is in proportion, with a good stop and a broad muzzle giving plenty of room for scenting apparatus, and low-set drop ears that lie close to the cheeks. The expression is gentle and interested. Movement is the giveaway with a good Harrier: an easy, economical, ground-covering trot that he can keep up all day.

Harriers are famously sweet-tempered. Generations of living in kennels in large packs selected hard against any dog who could not get on with other dogs or who was difficult with people, and the result is a breed that is genuinely tolerant, cheerful and outgoing. They are excellent with children, patient about handling, and delighted to meet strangers.

They are also, unavoidably, a pack breed, which means they are poor at being alone. A Harrier left on his own for long days will bay, dig, chew and generally make his feelings known. Many do best with another dog for company. Small non-canine pets are a different matter: a hound bred to chase hares needs careful introduction to cats and should not be trusted with rabbits or small furry animals at all.

The voice is a real consideration. Harriers bay rather than bark, and the sound carries a long way. So does the nose: this is a determined, resourceful escape artist who will find the weak point in a fence, and once he is out and on a line he will not hear you calling. He is not remotely a guard dog; his likely response to an intruder is a wagging tail.

The Harrier's job was hunting hare in packs, working a cold line patiently and giving tongue steadily so followers on foot could stay with the chase. Some packs also hunted fox. The breed's defining working quality is stamina rather than speed: he was expected to keep going for a full day and be fit to do it again later in the week.

For a modern owner without a pack, that stamina makes him a superb partner for running, hiking, canicross and long-distance walking, and the nose makes tracking, scent work and mantrailing obvious and satisfying activities. He can do agility and rally well enough, though a Harrier's enthusiasm for a course is always competing with his enthusiasm for whatever he can smell beyond the ring.