Conformation of a Hound 63 



back to front, and from inner to outer side. The 

 elbows must never turn outwards, a slight inward 

 turn not being objectionable, the best position being 

 elbows looking directly backwards. The wrist to 

 the knee-joint must be a good breadth from back 

 to front, and from side to side. Pasterns — the region 

 that corresponds to the back of the hand — broad, 

 especially at the junction of the wrist and toes, 

 and with a moderate degree of obliquity. The hind 

 pasterns are always longer than the fore ones, the 

 maximum of length being obtained in the Greyhound, 

 and the greatest degree of strength in the Boarhound 

 and the Foxhound, while shortness of pastern is found 

 in Bassets and Dachshunds. The chest must always 

 be deep, in fact great depth of chest is one of the most 

 important points about a hound, such depth being 

 measured from the brisket to the withers. 



A broad chest is objectionable, as it hampers speed. 

 A chest of medium width is the best for general 

 purposes, and should for preference be rather fiat 

 behind the shoulders. The conformation of the back 

 and loins varies in accordance with the breed, but in 

 every hound it must possess two attributes, i.e., 

 be broad and muscular, with a slight rise from front 

 to back, but never to such a degree as to confer the 

 title of " roach " or " wheel " back, as such is very 

 detrimental in a hound. The muscles of the loins 

 should be well defined in their outlines, and pass 



