Quick Facts

• Weight: 60 to 75 pounds
• Height: 27 to 32 inches

The Look of a Chart Polski

With its long muzzle, soulful eyes, height, and elegant stance, the Chart Polski looks a bit like a Saluki with short fur. The tail is long and hangs down with a curve. Its neck is strong and it carries its head high. The Chart Polski’s coat is short, with longer hairs on the tail and legs and is acceptable in any color, though a shade of tan is most common. It is a double coat with smooth and harsh hairs; the undercoat gets thicker toward the cold seasons.

The Chart Polski is a large, formidable dog, more substantial in stature than most other greyhounds. Its strong frame and powerful jaws support its original purpose as hunter of wolves.

Traits

• Almost-floating gait
• Appearance of “marching” (also called “lacing”) when quickly walking
• Companionable personality
• Skills as a hunting dog, as well as a guardian
• Impressive stature

Ideal Human Companion

• Homes without other small pets
• Active owners
• Suburban or country dwellers
• Families with children
• Those who seek an intelligent, loyal dog

What They Are Like to Live With

The Chart Polski is an enjoyable, intelligent companion when well-trained. They are very affectionate pets who love to be with their family. They are protective of their human pack and usually restrained with strangers. However, at home the Chart Polski is a fun and lively companion who is gentle with children and loyal almost to a fault. The Chart Polski needs a good amount of exercise, preferably in a large enclosed area. Grooming consists of weekly brushing and bathing when needed.

Things You Should Know

Training a Chart Polski can be tough. It is essential that you define yourself as the alpha, because this can be a stubborn breed.

Because its original role as a hunting dog required it to be relentless, the Chart Polski may also focus too intently on its new job as companion animal by chasing a toy or the family cat. Training should be firm but positive; any use of harsh training techniques will likely make a Chart Polski shy or aggressive.

The Chart Polski has a few known health issues including cardiomyopathy as well as hip dysplasia, bloat, and muscle injuries.

Chart Polski History

The Chart Polski is also known as the Polish Sighthound and the Polish Greyhound. While the English were creating the English Greyhound in the Middle Ages, the Polish were creating the Chart Polski. Each breed is descended from the ancient Asian Greyhound. The “C” is silent in the breed’s name.

The Chart Polski began as a dog owned by the privileged classes, bred to hunt prey including foxes, deer, and wolves. But, after the destruction wrought by WWI, most Chart Polski packs were made homeless and so Polish peasants adopted them for their own work. Unfortunately, the dogs were soon hunted down by radicals, who viewed them as a symbol of repression.

The breed saw a resurgence in the 1970s. Today, the Chart Polski is more and more popular as a companion dog and is still used for hunting in Poland.