Reply to the article by Mrs. Ginala Maria “ABOUT THE CRETAN HOUND” that was published in the web and which was, unfortunately, removed, thus we are forced to republish it here for you to be better informed.
     
I read the article by Mrs. Maria Ginala in the magazine ‘Kynigesia kai Kynofilia’ and I was really shocked, not because I expected something better, but because I thought that after more than 10 years of efforts that have been made for the Cretan Tracer, (which have helped popularize the dog’s existence with the rest of Greece, even the most distrustful people  would have realised the seriousness of our effort, initially for the rescue of the dog from becoming extinct, as well as its breeding, but also for its hunting abilities and use to become popular among hunters). Results of this effort, even though it is rather early, are already visible and the Greek loving community that got to know and has seriously dealt with this dog realise its big natural talent as well as its primitive beauty.
Since I started my efforts, I had to face the sneer and the malice by many people. I, however, as well as my brother Yiannis, have not been intimidated, as we had already decided never to pay any attention to any negative comments.  All we paid attention to was the splendid, real beautiful and proud Cretan Tracer. We have been trying to fight by our means and resources, and by our personal work. If anyone of the readers is a stock breeder, then they understand what I mean. Unfortunately, however, I was indirectly characterised as a dog dealer whose aim was to earn money from selling Cretan Tracers… all these indicate Mrs. Ginala’s level of education as well as her ignorance. I say this because she addresses to us dog breeders, in Ierapetra, myself -Geneiatakis Evangelos, and my brother Geneiatakis Ioannis, in Saint Nikolaos. Provided that she approves of Geneiataki’s Ioannis breeding, then who is supposed to be the ‘black sheep’ of this case other than myself - Mr. Basourako’s buddy? Unfortunately she is totally out of the subject, because she doesn’t know that all dogs which my brother breeds come from my own dogs which she considers as irrelevant with the Cretan breed. And not only that, but even the dogs which she awarded in Chania – except for one - also come from my own dogs although their owner is obviously unaware of it or he did not happen to mention it to her. You, however, rewarded them and classified them to the sight hound category with a thin sense of smell. And I ask you, provided that you present yourself as an experienced cynologist, how is it possible for the descendant to be good and worthy of an award while its ancestor is considered useless, not pure and belonging to a completely different type. This, of course, is not possible, as essential knowledge is needed which appears to be deliberately ignored or overlooked by you. My dogs of course, are not pure sight hounds with a thin sense of smell, a description which is rather arbitrary, and which was easily adopted.
Another false move by you was related to the morphological type of the Cretan Tracer as drawn by my brother Yannis and which Dr St. Basourakos referred to and had been drawn before the national type of the Cretan Tracer that was published, based on  the existing dogs at that time. Those were the points of reference for my brother and not god Anoubis. 
I consider that you could not create a ‘standard’ for our dog based on Dr. Basourakos’ one, because this would be considered as ‘stealing’ and if you had decided to adopt it, then it would be as if you acknowledged and agreed with Dr St. Basourako’s  standard, whose work you deliberately tend to ignore.  Thus, what is left is to completely counterfeit the “standard” and present the new one as a “thorough cynological study”.
Also, although you admit that you are not a hunter (rather you are against hunting) you do not care if the dog is excluded from the legislation (because legislation prohibits the use of sight hounds in hunting) and you but also the rest of the “scientific team” is deliberately acting thus, so you will have accomplished two things, your own recognition (as a cynologist, and of your association as the “leading and official”) but also the destruction of the most ancient hunting dog of Europe and of the progenitor of all hunting breeds of Europe.
So, you try to show that there is a difference of opinions between the brothers (who are the basic breeders), in order to create the impression to the readers that we do not know what we are doing or that I am unreliable and gullible because I was induced by Mr. Basourakos and that I cultivate a useless dog while my brother is in the right course. Still, you unfairly chose to attack Mr. Babourakis, - you forgot that you did not know the dog’s existence until you got to know Mr. Babourakis, who, for the first time spoke to you about the Cretan Tracer and even showed certain dogs to you). Unfortunately, you keep trying to cause a dispute in order to achieve your aim.
Even more outrageously you propose to all dog lovers not to buy our dogs but to prefer for example a Cocker Spaniel in order to satisfy their hunting need and not a Cretan Tracer which is considered as inadequate for this job. In other words, Mrs. Ginala, you suggest that all of us in Crete, who for more than 4.000 years have been using it in hare hunting, are wrong? So, you choose to suggest a foreign dog to us. Is this how you express your love for the Greek dog breeds? Is it that you are a Cocker Spaniel breeder who wishes to offer dogs instead of selling them?      
I insist to refer to the dog as a ‘Tracer’ for the following reasons: Because it traces excellently not in the plains but in the dry rocky terrain that in Crete is in excess. Also, its persecution is not intense, not because it is not capable of it, but simply because it is smart and well adapted to the harsh reality of the Cretan landscape, following its owner’s order which is never to pursue the hare when the result is doubtful. Of course, your action is justified, up to the point that you are not a hunter yourself, but I can not justify you when I consider that you didn’t even dare to go out on the mountain even with your personal preference ‘Rogalida’. But, still, if you are interested in the breed’s hunting tactic you owe to closely observe many dogs and indeed for a long time and in different terrains and conditions (something that Dr St. Basourakos had done before forming an opinion about its hunting tactic beyond Crete). 
Have you ever seen a Pointer arresting hares in the run?  Perhaps not, and I imagine your puzzlement when you see a Greek Hound in Crete behaving as the Cretan Tracer in hunting and, unfortunately for your standard, to arrest hares after having flushed them out. I do not imagine that you consider it is a sight hound. Still more strange may sound to you if I said that I have given Cretan Tracers in Chalkidiki, in Epirus and Thrace whose persecution is as worthy as that of the Greek Hound. I wonder if these dogs are still considered by you as sight hounds. Please, do not make arbitrary conclusions because you are led to a wrong impression.  Another thing is that it is wrong to say that the Cretan Tracer’s sense of smell is thin and similar to that of sight hounds because it is unthinkable for a dog to track the traces of the previous night, to flush out the hare and still believe that it isn't capable of persecuting the hare by tracing it immediately after it left its hiding place.
Also, I inform you that in Crete, because of the high temperatures especially during the first warm months at the initiation of the hunting era, hunting takes place during the first morning hours and in the afternoon, and I wonder:  Are you aware of any tracing breed that you have in mind that is in the position to trace and flush hares in the afternoon? Ask our colleagues from continental Greece, who will tell you that this is unthinkable.
Still, you owed to know that tracers are not only the ones that have a good sense of smell or the ones that are good in persecution. A tracer is the result of a total of characteristics which the simple dog does not have. This characteristics are: hard work, assiduity, insistence, patience, intelligence and a good sense of smell; unfortunately for you, a pure hound dog does not have any of the above characteristics, while, on the contrary, you think it has great resistance, speed, most excellent sight and hearing, and as long as intelligence is concerned you think it is inferior (because it does not need it). The Cretan Tracer has all the above. 
As long as the Greek word ‘hound’(Λαγονικός) is concerned, (Dr St. Basourakos has referred to that numerous times), it is an alteration of the word ‘Λακωνικός’ It did not exist as a word in the ancient world, hence defending the ancient name of the Cretan Hound you are simply indicating the dimension of your ignorance.  The ancient name is ‘λαγοωθήρας’ (hare hound).  Still, in Crete we have never referred to our dog as a hound. Nowadays, there is a tendency to call every type of hunting dog regardless of the breed it belongs to as a ‘hound’. 
You refer to the origin of sight hounds and their morphology. I am afraid that you should reread Dr St. Basourakos’ model as you did not pay attention to the fact that he classifies it to the category of primitive dogs and in particular to the hound group with the only difference however, that the dog’s existence in the Cretan landscape for more than 4000 years has forced it to adapt to these conditions. Thus, it was not possible for it to maintain its initial morphology of a pure sight hound; also, the first tall sized hare hounds simply did not succeed to breed successfully for the same reason that we previously reported.    .
This is the reason why we have found dogs with various colours, of mixed sizes not only concerning their height but also their length. Personally, I have seen dogs with a smaller length than their height at withers, dogs with an equal length and others longer at 3-4%; also, of various colours which are written in the standard that was published. 
Also, I would propose to you something regarding your discoveries. Have you ever walked on a steep mountain in order to see that to be able to walk one has to balance on their toes, but also when we decide to climb using our hands, we use the tips of our fingers in order to get a grip on the niches of the rocks. The same happens with our dogs; as there is not a flat terrain to easily walk on, it is forced to use the tips of its toes in order to cling on rocks and to climb to such a degree that in almost all our dogs their nails are filed up to the skin. Consequently, it is practically impossible to have enormous feet (as the Afghan hound has) with open arched toes. 
As long as for the Borzoi and the Afghan hound are concerned, I remind you that they have big paws as all hounds that live in deserts because the first need a bigger surface in order not to sink in the snow and the second in order not to sink in the sand- not in order to avoid slipping, as the non-skid system in the dog is found under its paws, on the skin which is undulate and rough (not smooth).
For the Cretan Tracer the situation is different. How on earth will the dog step with its big paws when there is no such space in Crete Mrs. Ginala? Simply it will not slip and it will fall, hence, what is there to do apart from using its toe tips in order to hook as the cat. 
You refer to the nails and say that if it uses them it will slip and fall. Wrong. You have seen how hoofed  animals have evolved, as those which live in the rocky parts were forced to use their hoofs as legs and in particular the sole has become conical in order to get a grip on the niches of the rocks (wild sheep - wild goat). 
Humans have too imitated these animals, as we have made special shoes for the runners with their nails not under the sole but under the toes, that is to say by creating artificial nails. 
Allow us to refer to your statement that we were in a hurry and ‘attack’ you after our cynological awakening in Crete by organizing an exhibition in Heraklion just before the one you organised in Chania; It has been 10 years that here in Crete shows have been organised for the Cretan Tracer on a yearly basis while you and the official dog loving community chose to keep a distance despite the fact that you would always be informed and invited on time. Now, you present yourselves as the saviours who have supposedly discovered a treasure. 
At this point I would like to thank Mr. Mplitsias, Director of the food Company for small animals ‘LEADING PAWS’ who from the very beginning supported us in every way, as he would be present in our shows on a daily basis by offering his excellent quality food PROFORMANCE and by giving suitable advice concerning the right diet for our dog. Another big supporter of our effort has also been Mr. Pervolarakis Georgios, a well known businessman from Heraklion and owner of ‘PERBOLARAKIS’ shops, who we wish to warmly thank. 
I also owe to thank Mrs. Papoutsanis, who came to Crete in June in order to watch our exhibition and is the only person, apart from Dr. Basourakos, who up to today has visited our island in order to study our dog before forming an opinion or before coming to any conclusions. This is indeed an indication of great interest, while yours, Mrs. Ginala is far from being such.
You also make comments on the content of the cassette by Mr. Yannis Christogiannis, who I owe to thank once more for the splendid work that he has done and through which, the whole of Greece but also people from abroad had the chance to see with their own eyes your “sight hound” tracing, flushing, pursuing. Of course, all the above you chose not to watch; all you saw were the dogs which I presented as being out of the standard. Indeed, they were not ideal models, but driven by your passion to accuse anything, you chose to judge 2 puppies that had not completed their development (they were 8 &10 months old). Why did I choose to show these and not others more suitable? Simply because they were the only ones that did not have a problem to pose in front of others. As it is perhaps known to you, the Cretan Tracer is not a particularly friendly breed. Thus, I was forced to present these dogs.
Of course, I will tell you one more thing, because at some point you say that there are not any dogs with a lowered thorax up to the height of the knee, and that we are after a chimera which Dr Basourakos had imposed to us. 7 exhibitions of Cretan Tracers have taken place in Crete, so more than 300 Tracers have been shown and studied and if we consider the dogs which have later been born, we will see that the overwhelming majority has a thorax sufficiently lowered and additionally we will see that in each generation the improvement is spectacular. These are the elements that allow us to know in-depth the course of the Cretan Tracer and to be in a position to certify that the characteristics of the parents are also transported to their descendants. We are already found in the 7th generation and the results are astonishing.
I ,therefore, ask Mrs. Ginala, how is it possible for you to know the morphology of the Cretan Tracer when you were never present in any exhibition and even worse when you have not studied any such dogs, but some which in their majority (because I know what kind of dogs they bring you) are out of the standard. And still more, when was it that you came to Crete to study the dog and you were personally informed about its morphology (while Dr St. Basourakos had been studying it for 40 years before forming an opinion, and that after having visited Crete in order to register and study the existing dogs). I have never seen you in my kennels (which should be the first that you should have visited, because from it 95% of the existing current Cretan Tracers come from- their number after this year's exhibition exceeded 500 registrations) but neither have you ever visited my brother’s kennel so as to have a complete picture. The thorax, therefore, in the majority of the dogs is sufficiently lowered and all dogs that do not have a sufficiently lowered thorax are bred with those that have it; those that have a shorter muzzle than skull are bred with those which are same-sized; thus, we are led to the desirable result. This is the point of breeding and this is what we do. The same attitude is kept concerning all other morphological characteristics of the dog.       
Those who agree with Dr. Basourakos’ study are us who owe the dog as well as other people, such as all archaelogists who have recently discovered tens of skeletons of the Cretan Tracer in the region ofPalaiokastro, in Sitia who not only agree with Mr. Basourakos, but they adopted his work and have used it in their description and in their own study which will be soon published in 2 volumes in the English language. 
Although I shouldn’t, I feel forced to refer to the fact that even during ancient times- the era between 1700-1800B.C, as it appears from the bones of dogs that were found, they have similar anatomic characteristics with the current Cretan Tracers, so that they have the same length of skull and muzzle (and not a longer muzzle, which is a characteristic of the sight hounds) and with a height ranging from 48 to55 cm for the females and from 52-58cm for male ones. And what about Dr. Basourakos’ work?  His average is 56,7 cm. How can that be called but a triumph? We have the same dog that had existed in Crete 4000 years ago, and which had probably belonged to the tracing type and not to the pure hound type. What I say now is a personal conclusion based on the measurements of bones that the archaeologists themselves have published and I request that it is not considered as an effort to replace the conclusions of scientists. 
Another thing that I say in the cassette and is being commented is that the hare succeeds to escape from the dogs after they had flushed it out; but it is only natural for the hare to escape as the dog’s body is square –sized. Here I owe to explain that the adult hare is not caught by the dog in the run- not even by pure racing sight hounds and this happens simply because the hare can develop speed faster than the dog.
If you see the hounds of Africa you will notice that the one who flushes the hare out in the desert is the hunter who shakes the bushes in an attempt to force the hare come out of its hiding place and then he releases his dog, which pursues the hare for some hundreds of metres, following the prey with sight and trying to exhaust it in the run.
Then, in most cases, the hare having become exhausted begins to run around the dog or some natural obstacle (rock, bush) making its last effort to escape; in the end it is arrested by the dog.
The same happens with hunting the gazelle of the desert. Wherever a pack of sight hound dogs is used, then the persecution follows the tactic of a relay race always aiming to exhaust and arrest the prey. Now, if you think that by breeding longer bodied dogs we will achieve to catch the hare more easily, then allow me to say that this is not our own interest, because all we want is for the dog to bring out the hare; the hunter is then responsible for its arrest.  
But if still you wish to try using a sight hound in such a rough terrain, then soon you will realise that not only will the hare escape, but your hound will not be able to develop the speed that you expect. Another factor you must consider is your dog’s weight, which combined with the roughness of the ground it will lead your dog to most possibly break its legs.
Of course, all these are designed by nature, that is why the Cretan Tracer was forced to adapt in such an environment and us that have been using it know the dog well. 
Also, you ask how can a hound dog as that of Egypt give a tracer as a descendant. Maybe you forget certain things:
1. In Crete there aren’t any open plains for the tall and fast sight hound.
2. Archaeological discoveries testify the existence of two varieties of dogs. A small one and a medium sized one.
3. The rough Cretan landscape but also the hunting behaviour of the Cretan people today does not justify the maintenance and breeding but also the survival of a pure sight hound.      
4. The most popular breeds in Egypt which the ancient Cretan people traded were the hound of Egypt and the modern Basenji- or else the dog of Cheops (a most capable tracer and retriever that exists even today)
5. The long-lasting adaptation of this dog to the reality of the Cretan landscape, led to the complete adaptation of the dog in the existing conditions.
6. The majority of discoveries show a dog that chases the wild goat whose natural habitat, as we know, is the steep and inaccessible parts (not the plains) where it climbs when being chased; so a long, tall and fast dog would not be functional. Still, the particular wild animal today is traced by our dogs which discover it in the precipices and in the caves that it hides. It is not possible therefore for a pure long and tall sized hound to endure and breed in this form up to today, because as we understand it is impossible to happen. 
7. Finally, we, owners of Cretan tracers use them in hunting the hare and our forefathers and grandfathers had done so, as well; particularly dogs that are not able to trace are rejected as they do not correspond sufficiently in the hunting process, something our ancestors had been doing as well, so we can say that we are in a position to talk about our dog’s usefulness and its sufficiency in hunting.
We, therefore, understand the reason why Dr. St. Basourakos has classified it in the team of hare houndsand to the type of hound-like dogs. While you named it a hound with tracing….abilities.
Why is it that the name Tracer bothers you? Isn’t it that you follow the usual tactic by K.O.E. (Kennel Club of Greece) which is: destroy whatever others have done instead of us. The cynological course of Greece begins with K.O.E. and any different opinion is arbitrary.
And I refer to K.O.E.  because you Mrs. Ginala had many times referred to the Cretan Tracer in your own magazine  ‘DOGS’ (copy 11 December 1999) that you at that time had been publishing, but also in ‘Kynologia’ (copy 30 December 1997) (referring to height 60 cm at most for females and 70 cm. for males and weight 20 kilos, that has now changed into height 60 cm  at most and weight 30 kilos) and agreeing with Dr St. Basourakos in many subjects. This is a world record! You accomplished in six years time, to publish 3 different articles with different body measurements and opinions on the same dog and in particular in the most recent one you allege that as an expert, you are the one that has the right opinion and who in particular tries to ‘save’ the dog from the villains.
At the time that no one knew anything about you it was a habit for you to use the work of others in order to promote yourself; of course you needed to make certain alliances but today all these are history for you, and you choose to accuse us for deliberate falsification in the breeding process of the Cretan Tracer and you have the audacity to say that we are destroying this ancient dog breed.  Is it that your current place in K.O.E. forces you to change opinion and to follow that of the ‘official’ organisation? 
It is really a shame that you chose to adopt such a behaviour and instead of embracing this enormous effort that we have been making, to choose to keep silent and allow all those who wish to condemn the fate of the Greek breeds. 
Another observation that I have made regards your own observation on the dogs that wait for the others to flush the hare out in order to pursue it. This is an educational error and in particular such a dog provided that it becomes autonomous in a young age, can become an excellent tracer. It must continue being educated on its own, without the presence of an older and more capable tracer, because otherwise it will never become autonomous. If the case is such, we say that the dog should ‘change hands’. 
Another thing you say, is that a long muzzle is not needed in order to have big pituitary with many cells and as a consequence a good sense of smell. Then how do you explain that we don't use Boxers in tracing but dogs with a sufficient muzzle and a same sized skull? Still, you say that the quality of cells is what helps the smell and the intelligence and not the size of the brain. I would suggest you ask a paediatrician. Why is it that up to the age of 2 years we measure the growth of the skull?  
Also I cannot comprehend what you say regarding the black red colour that it is the hunting colour, because you should know that there are also the Gascon Hounds and the Porcelain  Hounds, the Istrian Hounds, etc.which may not have the black red colour but are excellent tracers. Still you talk about: “the dog with symmetries and physiologic proportions and the law regarding elongations and compression and that the dog with a big head and cat feet will also have respectively fat bones and will end up to become who knows how” I ask, “aren’t you aware of Bassets”, and also, why do the long legged  hounds, as you say, have short phalanges and cat feet?
It seems that you do not consider the aspect of the adaptation of the dog in this certain environment and you ignore that the needs were certain. Thus you replaced scientific knowledge with your subjective “eye”. You refer to the dog in the cassette which, as you say, vindicates K.O.E.’s standards. Read the proportions as they were carefully measured and not estimated by the ‘eye’ and when the dog had completely developed in the age of 27 months:
Height: 62 cm. Length: 59 cm. That is to say shorter than its length.                                
Thorax: 2cm in distance from the knee.
Skull: 13 cm. Muzzle: 11 cm. 
Ears: 12 cm. 
Feet:  cat feet- toes slightly arched and lightly open. 
Weight:  20 kilos (based on your ‘standards’ it should weigh at least 30 kilos)
As you can understand you need to carefully measure the dog before jumping into conclusions. That is how all the different measurements are explained; they are based on the ‘eye’.   
Also, provided that you referred to me, to Mr. Babourakis but most of all to Dr. St. Basourakos with such contempt, allow me to address you the same question you asked, as in Greece you say “you are what you declare”. So, what do you declare to be? Which is your scientific training? Obviously none. 
If you had been a scientist you wouldn’t have dared to address your colleague with such offensive and depreciatory remarks and even more you would have studied his work and if still you disagreed you would express yourself in a more decent manner and with scientific arguments. I, myself, who does not have any cynological knowledge, in order to answer your article I had to look up the files of FCI in order to cross various information. Therefore, I realised that deliberately you do not say that the Cirneco and the Potenco of Ibiza although may belong to team 5 but in the hunting breeds for the Spanish and the Italians they belong to the tracer breeds (razze da seguito) just like the Basenji. Only the progenitor of the European hunting breeds, the Cretan Tracer thanks to your “study” is a hound.
Approaching the end of my answer I would like to apologize to all readers, if I had been ironic at some points,  but believe me, I am sick and tired of all those so-called ‘experts’ who only care to criticize from their office and in particular without even having the right to do so. As long as for Mrs. Ginala is concerned I would say to her that if she indeed loves the Greek breeds then she should first study as much as needed and then we will accept her remarks. Until then, however, I consider that she is not in the position to deal with cynological and cynotechnical subjects.
Still, all of us who wish to take part in the cynological history of our country should accept the fact that Dr St. Basourakos is the founder of cynology in our country; it was his work that helped our country exist in an international level. Certainly, it has not been the so-called experts, who promise international recognition for the Cretan Tracer while concerning the Greek Sheep Dog they can not explain why they still did not accomplish to acknowledge it as “official”. What is urgent is to breed the Cretan tracer based on the reality and the scientific knowledge and not based on our personal objectives or our wrong perceptions...... 
I am grateful to the magazine ‘Kynigesia kai Kynofilia’                                       
Faithfully 
Geneiatakis Evangelos
Dog breeder
In charge of Kennel ‘Crete’
for the scientific breeding of the Cretan Tracer
Scientific adviser
Dr St. Basourakos