Plate 150 · British Isles
Harrier
哈利犬
“England's hare-hunting pack hound.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- England
- Country of origin
- An English breed; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the United Kingdom's reference point.
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Packs recorded from the 13th century
- Today
- Pack hound · Hunting dog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
England
A medium-sized pack hound between the Beagle and the English Foxhound in size, bred to hunt hare.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunting hare in packs, followed on foot or horseback.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Its origins are disputed: it may come from early hounds crossed with Bloodhound or Talbot, or be a bred-down Foxhound. Reportedly, it was in the first Kennel Club stud book (1874), was not shown at Kennel Club shows after 1915, and was recognised again by the Kennel Club in 2020 and shown from 2021.
04 · Today
Pack hound · Hunting dog
A pack hound for hunting, and a companion.
Personality
- Friendly
- Outgoing
- People-oriented
- Vocal
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Bred to run for hours: ample daily exercise.
- Grooming
- Minimal: a weekly brush or hound glove.
- Training
- Amiable but independent: consistent, patient training.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Short, hard, glossy coat in any hound colour
Field note
The AKC dates England's first Harrier pack, the Penistone, to 1260.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Hound Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 6, standard 295)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Hound Group, recognized 1885.
Among the AKC's rarest breeds. AKC registrations: ranked 199 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Harrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/harrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Harrier (dog breed) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrier_(dog_breed)
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Conflicting origin stories, use on hare and fox, Irish pack numbers, the 1874 stud book, and Kennel Club showing (last in 1915, resumed in 2021).
- Harrier — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/HARRIER-295.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Great Britain; Group 6, section "Scent hounds"; accepted 1974.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: An English breed; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the United Kingdom's reference point.
