The Pharaoh Hound or Kelb-tal-Fenek or Pharaon Hound, native of Malta's island, owes its name to the resemblance of Tesem of the ancient Egypt, represented in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs. Some carvings found in different locations of the Sahara show that this dog was known in the Neolithic period; the Tesem could therefore descends from an African greyhound living in Sahara more than seven thousand years ago, this greyhound African spread throughout the Mediterranean basin and it is still in North Africa, Spain, the Canary Islands and also in France. The Cretans, the Phoenicians and then the Carthaginians led him in the Balearics in Malta, Sicily.
The English name PHARAOH HOUND is a construction of the twentieth century. The first litter of this breed was born in England in 1963 and only after eleven years (1974) the standard of the breed was recognized by the English Kennel Club. It arrived in the United States in 1967 and three years later the first litter was born in America.

Its original name is Kelb-tal-Fenek which means hound rabbits. His attitude of fieldwork classifies it as belonging to the hound group FCI Group 5 Spitz and primitive types - Section 6 Primitive type.
Contrary to the greyhounds, the Pharaoh Hound uses all the senses: acute sight, well-developed sense of smell and hearing, fine qualities that make him a very skilled hunter of wild rabbits, prodigious jumper who flies above the bushes to chase the game. It is equipped with extraordinary agility it is able to perform narrow radius curves, jumping from rock to rock with an excellent fatigue resistance. In addition to being a skilled hunter it has a very affectionate but independent temperament.
Its size is 65-70 inches at the shoulder and it does not exceed 20 kg in weight. The hair is short and smooth with reddish hues admitted. The muzzle is longer than the skull and has a slight stop, amber eyes, long erected and thin ears, the tail is long whip-like.

The Pharaohs' Dog needs to do much physical activity, should be occupied in hunting or in activities that allow it to demonstrate the remarkable ability to work that it possesses innately. It 'a very intelligent dog, which ripens slowly, while remaining playful for the whole life, cheerful, energetic and curious.