Shoulders long and sloping and well laid back. Strong without being loaded. Elbows well tucked in. Forelegs straight and parallel. Pasterns strong. Dew-claws may be removed. Feet neither cat nor hare but strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded.
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DISCUSSION

FRONT ANGULATION

front angulationThe importance of properly angulated shoulders is reflected in the dog's gait. Not every Pharaoh Hound will have the shoulder blade and the upper arm joining at an angle of 90 degrees, and an angle of slightly more is acceptable. An angle of 110 degrees results in an extremely open and straight or upright shoulder and is a fault. The proper construction of the shoulder can best be described as when a line drawn through the shoulder blade at an angle of 45 degrees, would meet a line drawn through the length of the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees. The length of the shoulder blade and of the upper arm should be equal. Correct distinct withers are those with a small space between the tops of the shoulder blades. Shoulder blades which are too short have a wide space between them resulting in low withers, which are undesirable.

The muscles of the shoulders should be long and flat. Bulging or "loaded" shoulders are unpleasing to the eye and detrimental to proper gait. They are an indication of faulty shoulder construction.

The height from the elbows to the withers should be approximately equal to the height from the ground to the elbows. When the dog is in normal stance and when he is gaiting, the elbows should lie close to the brisket.
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FORELEGS

ForelegsFrom a frontal view, the forelegs should be parallel to each other, the feet toeing neither in nor out, but pointing directly forward. The front legs should be perpendicular to the ground when viewed either from the front or the side. There is a very slight bend to the pasterns, allowing the Pharaoh Hound some "give" when leaping or coursing. However, this does not permit the dog to be down in pastern, which is a weakness and a fault. When the dog toes out below the pastern the fault is called "French front" and that same terminology can be used for the fault in which the entire leg below the elbow turns outward. The most extreme example is when the elbows themselves turn out. It is absolute malformation of Pharaoh Hound front, but it is not uncommon. All of these problems of faulty fronts, from the slightest to the most extreme are detrimental to sound locomotion.
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FEET

feetThe feet of the Pharaoh Hound have been a most important factor in the survival of the breed. The foot is used like a hand, gripping harsh terrain. The grasping toes and nails are necessary for climbing. Often, when reaching for an object, the Pharaoh Hound will spread the toes, using his foot as though it were a hand. On certain surfaces, such as sand or gravel, the Pharaoh Hound foot will spread slightly to give him sure control on an unstable surface. It is essential to the character of the breed that the nails be kept as natural as possible and not mutilated by clipping or excessive filing. We must accept the foot as it is, remembering the cat-footed Pharaoh Hound could not have survived, nor a weak, flat-footed or hare-footed one, in its countries or origin. It is not required that front dew-claws be removed, but it is preferred that it be done. Dew-claws on hind legs are an abnormality and should be removed.