Laconian (dog)

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The Laconian (Ancient Greek: Λάκαινα, romanized: Lákaina), also known as the Spartan, is an extinct dog breed from ancient Laconia, in Greece. In antiquity, it was famous for its swiftness and keen sense of smell, and typically used for hunting. Widely depicted in classical art and literature, the breed was about eighteen inches high at the shoulder, typically tawny or black-and-tan, and highly valued for chasing both larger game (such as deer and wild boar) and smaller prey (like hares). Multiple names were used for the Laconian breed, though their exact usage and relationships remain debated. Some controversy exists with the nature of the relationship between the term Castorian and Laconian, with some scholars considering Castorians a subtype of Laconian, and others considering it only possibly related. There is also some debate on the relationship of the term Vulpine and the Laconian with most scholars regarding the Vulpine as a legitimate designation for the Laconian, either as a variety of the breed or as a possible predecessor. Several later sources speculate on the legacy of the Laconian. The modern Hellenic Hound has been suggested as a descendant, and some writers link the breed to the origins of several European hunting breeds. Individual dogs such as Alexander the Great's Peritas and Odysseus's Argos have also been proposed as Laconians, while literary references, including Shakespeare's "out of the Spartan kind," have been interpreted in connection with the breed.