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The Tarsus çatalburun or Turkish Pointer is a native hound of Turkey most recognizable for its split or bifid nose. The word "çatalburuns" means forked nose. It is a very rare breed with only a few hundred specimens. The Tarsus çatalburun is not recognized by any kennel club.

History

The breed is associated with the town of Tarsus, in Mersin Province, which is located on the Mediterranean coast where they have been bred for hundreds of years to hunt upland game.

Due to the shared split nose trait as well as conformation and hunting style, it is theorized that the Tarsus çatalburuns and Pachón Navarro share a common origin in the 8th century when southern Turkey and Spain were both under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate and Abbasid Caliphate. There is considerable debate if the Tarsus çatalburuns is the ancestor to the Pachon Navarro or vice versa.

Features

Tarsus çatalburuns have a split nose, a rare genetic trait shared by two other breeds: the Spanish Pachón Navarro and the Bolivian Andean Tiger Hound. The left and right nostrils are separated by a deep indentation or cleft, often creating the illusion of having two noses with one nare each.

The coat is short and comes in a variety of colors, brown being the most common followed by brown and white, liver and white, black and white and black. Tarsus çatalburuns are medium to large sized dogs, around 48–50 centimetres (19–20 in) in height with a deep chest and an athletic build. They have drooping ears that frame the face, and a long, straight tail. They weigh 20–25 kilograms (44–55 lb).

The Tarsus çatalburun has a very acute sense of smell, which is thought to be accentuated by the particular structure of the nose. They are able to track scents on both the ground and in the air, with studies finding that most Tarsus çatalburuns use both styles concurrently. They are particularly skilled in scent hunting as a pointing dog, especially in partridge and francolin hunting. In recent years, Tarsus çatalburuns have been trained as detection dogs for narcotics, explosives and search and rescue. Tarsus çatalburuns begin training to hunt by 6–7 months, with puppies as young as two months displaying pointing ability.

Tarsus çatalburun are highly intelligent and obedient dogs, calm and quiet at home but energetic in the field.

Health

The Tarsus çatalburuns can suffer from hip dysplasia, allergies and hypothyroidism.

See also

• Pachón Navarro

References

1. ^ Oğrak, Yusuf Ziya; Urošević, M.; Drobnjak, D. (2012). "Tarsus Çatalburun Breed of Turkish Hunting Dog (Turkish Pointer)". DirgiPARK Akademik (in English and Turkish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
2. ^ Wright, Michael (30 June 2021). "Split Nose Dog Breeds: Rare And Mysterious Dogs". The Goldens Club. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
3. ^ Yilmaz, Orhan; Ertuğrul, Mehmet; Wilson, Richard Trevor (1 August 2012). "The domestic livestock resources of Turkey: breed descriptions and status of guard and hunting dogs". Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Sciences. 63 – via ResearchGate.
4. ^ "Cryptozoology and the Double-Nosed Andean Tiger Hound". Ærchies Archive - Digital Detritus. 14 March 2007. Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
5. ^ Oğrak, Yusuf; Yoldas, Atila; Urosevic, Milivoje; Drobnjak, Darko (21 October 2013). "Some morphological traits of Tarsus Çatalburun breed of Turkish hunting dog". Eurasian Journal of Veterinary Sciences (in English and Turkish). 30: 25. doi:10.15312/EurasianJVetSci.201415912 – via ResearchGate.
6. "REGIONAL ORDER 270/2006, OF AUGUST 14, OF THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND FOOD, RECOGNIZING THE BREED AND FUNCTIONAL STANDARD OF THE PACHÓN NAVARRO CANINE BREED". www.lexnavarra.navarra.es. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
7. "Double-nosed dog not to be sniffed at". BBC News. 10 August 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2023.

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