Overview
The Sarail Hound comes from Brahmanbaria district in eastern Bangladesh, where it has been kept for generations as a hunting and guard dog. It is a lean, deep-chested dog of sighthound type with a short coat, and numbers are reported to be very low even at home.
There is practically no written information on walking or training the breed, and you will almost certainly never meet one in Britain. If you do, treat it as a sighthound from a hot climate and let the owner fill in the rest.
Exercise and walking needs
Around seventy five minutes a day, with a chance to run flat out in a secure space, is a reasonable starting point for a dog of this type. Sighthounds prefer short bursts of speed to long slogs and rest heavily afterwards.
Coming from a tropical climate, the dog will need a coat in British winters and may dislike wet, cold grass.
On the walk
- Chase: A hound built to run down game will go after anything that bolts. Keep it leashed outside fenced areas and well away from livestock.
- Recall: Unknown for the breed and unproven for you. Start with a long line and treat every return as a success.
- Other dogs: Likely to be reserved and possibly wary. Introduce slowly, one at a time, and skip busy group walks.
- Equipment: A narrow head needs a sighthound collar or a secure harness; a standard collar slips when the dog pulls back.
Tips for professional walkers
- Ask the owner to walk with you the first time and show you what the dog does when it spots movement.
- Carry a coat for the dog from autumn to spring.
- Check the pads and thin skin for nicks after any run.
- Keep the first few walks short and on familiar ground to let the dog settle with you.
What to ask the owner
- How does the dog behave around cats, squirrels and small dogs, and has it ever chased one?
- Where has it run off the lead safely, and how did it come back?
- How does it cope with cold and rain, and does it have a coat?