Overview
The Sabueso Español is an old scenthound from northern Spain, used singly or in pairs to track boar and hare across rough mountain country. It is low and long for a hound, with loose skin, enormous drooping ears and a sad, dignified face. The voice is deep and carries.
Few have come to Britain. Those that have are often ex-hunting dogs rehomed through Spanish rescues, which means a walker may be dealing with an adult that has never lived in a house or walked on a pavement.
Exercise and walking needs
An hour and a half a day of real work is the minimum for a fit adult. These hounds were made to trail for a whole day, and a brisk lead walk around the block does nothing for them. Time on a long line through fields and woods, following whatever the nose finds, is the heart of the walk.
Rescued dogs may arrive unfit and underweight. Build up slowly and let the body catch up with the drive.
On the walk
- Scent: Head down, tail up and gone. A Sabueso on a line will not hear you call, so your control is the lead and nothing else. Fifteen metres on a harness gives the dog freedom and you a hold.
- Pulling: Steady and powerful once it has a line. A padded harness and a lead with a comfortable handle matter more than any training cue.
- Other dogs: Pack hunters, so most are untroubled by other dogs and mildly sociable. They are not natural players and may ignore invitations.
- Ears and skin: Those ears drag through mud and water and collect everything. The skin folds on the face and neck need a quick wipe after a wet walk.
Tips for professional walkers
- Treat the long line as the walk, not a stopgap: it is how this breed gets its exercise.
- Carry a towel and check inside the ears at the end of every outing.
- Reward glances back with strong-smelling food so the dog learns you are worth checking on.
- Choose routes with a scent-rich middle section and quieter lead walking either end.
What to ask the owner
- Is the dog a former hunting hound, and how long has it lived as a pet?
- Has it ever gone off on a trail and been lost, and how far did it get?
- How does it cope with traffic, stairs and other things it may not have met before?
- Any ear or skin problems the vet is treating?