The Pachón Navarro is a Spanish hunting dog (also known as: Old Spanish Pointer, Perdiguero Navarro, Navarro Pointer, Pachón de Victoria, Nafarroako eper txakur) which has the unusual feature of a split or double nose. It was believed that this unusual nose gives it extra sensitivity to smells, a primary reason it was chosen as a hunting dog. Today it is known that this feature is only a cosmetic difference.In two photographs, of what has been called the Double-nosed Andean tiger hound, which were widely published in 2006 and 2007, there are two Andes dogs that are believed to be remotely descended from the Pachón Navarro and who bear an unusual "double nose". It appears to be a normal dog's nose, but with the nostrils separated by a band of skin and fur dividing the nose all the way to the dog's upper lip. In photographs at a Pachón Navarro website, the split nose is much less conspicuous than it is on the Andean dogs.
History
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale, Europe's major kennel club, does not recognize the Pachón Navarro at this time.The Pachón Navarro is thought to have descended from the Talbot and other hounds originating in the 12th century.The breed is believed to have reached its apex of popularity among Spanish nobility of the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming nearly extinct after the Spanish Civil War. A few enthusiasts scoured the country and have re-established breeding stock.The Double-nosed Andean tiger hound found in South America is presumed to be descended from Pachón Navarro dogs brought by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century.
