The Pharaoh Hound is an elegant, ancient sighthound and the national dog of Malta, where it has hunted rabbits over rocky terrain for thousands of years under its Maltese name, Kelb tal-Fenek, the "rabbit dog." Despite the Egyptian-sounding name and its resemblance to dogs in ancient art, it is a Maltese breed through and through: lithe, athletic, and built for speed, with a warm amber coat and a uniquely charming habit of "blushing," its nose and ears flushing rose-pink when it is happy or excited. It is a friendly, playful, affectionate dog at home and a single-minded hunter the moment it spots movement.
That sighthound nature is the key to training one. The Pharaoh Hound is intelligent but independent, bred to hunt at a distance and make its own decisions, so it is not a reflexively obedient breed. It has a powerful prey drive, real speed, and a sensitive disposition that cannot tolerate harsh handling. Work with those realities, keep training gentle and motivating, and manage the prey drive with secure containment, and you get a delightful, devoted companion. Expect retriever-style obedience or rely on corrections, and you get a stressed dog and a recall you cannot trust.
This guide covers what works with a Pharaoh Hound, week by week, built around how an independent, sensitive sighthound actually learns.
What Makes Training a Pharaoh Hound Different
Four breed traits shape your approach.
1. Independent by design. Sighthounds were bred to spot, chase, and dispatch game on their own, far from the handler. The Pharaoh Hound therefore weighs requests rather than obeying on reflex. This is not stubbornness or low intelligence; it is a hunter's mind, and it means training must be genuinely rewarding to compete with the dog's own agenda.
2. A powerful prey drive and real speed. A fleeing rabbit, cat, or squirrel triggers an immediate, committed chase, and a Pharaoh Hound is fast enough to be gone before you react. Recall around moving animals is the hardest skill you will teach, and off-leash freedom in unfenced areas is genuinely unsafe.
3. Sensitive and soft. Behind the independence is a sensitive dog that shrinks from harshness. Corrections, raised voices, and pressure produce a worried, shut-down hound. Gentle, upbeat, reward-based training is the only approach that works, and many Pharaoh Hounds are also noise-sensitive.
4. Athletic and needs secure containment. This is an energetic breed that needs real exercise and a chance to run, ideally in a securely fenced space. Because it will chase and can jump, tall, secure fencing is essential, and a long line is your default outdoors.
Week-by-Week Training Plan for Your Pharaoh Hound
Below is the framework we use at TailorPup for a Pharaoh Hound-specific 12-week plan. Run it at home; the order and emphasis are the point.
Weeks 1 and 2 : Foundation and Socialization
Build engagement with high-value, gentle rewards and socialize broadly, including positive exposure to everyday sounds, since the breed can be noise-sensitive. Run three to four five-minute sessions a day: name, mark eye contact, reward warmly. Keep everything low-pressure, because this sensitive hound forms its view of training early. Our puppy basics guide covers the foundations.
Weeks 3 and 4 : Core Commands
Lure sit and down, mark, reward, and add cues once reliable, expecting an independent learner who needs a real reason to comply. Keep sessions short, varied, and genuinely rewarding, and train before meals when food value is highest. End on a success.
Weeks 5 and 6 : Loose Leash Walking
Use stop-and-stand for pulling and a comfortable, secure harness, since sighthounds can slip flat collars. Reward checking in and allow scheduled sniff and look breaks. Keep early walks in calmer places where the prey drive is less likely to fire.
Weeks 7 and 8 : Recall (Manage Expectations)
Build recall on a long line in low-distraction areas, jackpot every success, and never call the dog for anything it dislikes. Be realistic: even a well-trained Pharaoh Hound is not a reliable off-leash dog around prey in open spaces. Treat the long line and secure fencing as permanent tools, not temporary aids.
Weeks 9 and 10 : Channeling Energy and Drive
Give the breed's speed and chase instinct legal outlets: lure coursing, a flirt pole, fetch, and free running in a securely fenced area all suit it perfectly. A Pharaoh Hound that gets to sprint and chase a sanctioned target is calmer and less fixated on the neighborhood cat.
Weeks 11 and 12 : Generalization
Prove the skills in the real world: calm loose-leash walking past distractions, recall inside fenced areas with mild temptation, and settling at home, which sighthounds do beautifully once exercised. A Pharaoh Hound that listens indoors but not outside is only partly trained, and these two weeks consolidate the gentle, realistic progress.
Common Pharaoh Hound Training Mistakes
Three mistakes show up repeatedly with this breed.
Mistake 1 : Trusting off-leash recall. This is the dangerous one. The prey drive and speed make an unfenced Pharaoh Hound a real risk; many are lost this way. Treat open spaces as long-line or securely fenced only, and accept that reliable off-leash freedom is not realistic for the breed.
Mistake 2 : Using harsh handling. The sensitive Pharaoh Hound shuts down under corrections and pressure. Yelling or heavy-handed methods damage trust and stall training. Keep everything gentle and reward-based without exception.
Mistake 3 : Expecting reflexive obedience. Owners who treat this independent sighthound like a biddable retriever grow frustrated. Adjust your expectations, make training worth the dog's while, and reward generously. The full list is in our Pharaoh Hound training mistakes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Pharaoh Hounds easy to train ? They are among the more challenging breeds for obedience, being independent and sensitive sighthounds. They are intelligent, but they need genuinely rewarding, gentle training to compete with their own agenda. Recall in particular takes patience and realistic expectations.
Can I let my Pharaoh Hound off-leash ? In a securely fenced area, yes. In open, unfenced spaces, no; the prey drive and speed make recall unreliable and the breed can be lost quickly. A long line and tall secure fencing are essential parts of owning one.
Why does my Pharaoh Hound blush ? Blushing is a charming, harmless breed trait: the nose and ears flush rose-pink when the dog is happy or excited. It is one of the Pharaoh Hound's most endearing and distinctive features.
How much exercise does a Pharaoh Hound need ? Around 60 minutes of activity daily, including a chance to run in a safe, enclosed space. The breed is athletic and needs a real outlet, after which it is famously calm and happy to lounge at home.
Is the Pharaoh Hound related to ancient Egyptian dogs ? Despite the name and appearance, modern genetics show it is a Maltese breed, not a direct descendant of ancient Egyptian dogs. The resemblance is striking but the lineage is Mediterranean.
Is positive reinforcement effective for Pharaoh Hounds ? It is the only approach that works well. The sensitive breed shuts down under harshness, while gentle, motivating, reward-based training earns cooperation from an otherwise independent dog.
Are Pharaoh Hounds good family dogs ? Yes. They are friendly, playful, and affectionate with their families, including children, and clean and quiet indoors. They simply need secure containment, gentle training, and management of the prey drive around small animals.
Why TailorPup Was Built for Pharaoh Hounds
A generic plan ignores what defines this breed: the independence, the prey drive, the speed, and the sensitivity. That mismatch is why standard advice produces frustrated owners and unreliable recalls.
TailorPup builds a 12-week plan around your specific dog: its sighthound nature, its age, and the behaviors you are seeing. For a Pharaoh Hound that means gentle reward-based methods, a realistic recall approach with long-line and fencing built in, legal outlets for the chase instinct, and patience with an independent mind.
Daily 12-minute sessions plus weekly adjustments based on your dog's progress. Free for 7 days, no card required.
Start your Pharaoh Hound's plan free at tailorpup.com →
Related: Pharaoh Hound Training Mistakes · Recall Training · Leash Pulling · Puppy Training Basics