Many people believe that the Pharaoh Hound is called by that name because it is exclusively found in Egyptian history, but this is not in fact the case. The Pharaoh Hound was originally bred in Malta 3000 years before Christ and transported to Egypt by Phoenician tradesmen. In Malta the dog was used for hunting rabbits and only the most successful were used in the breeding program. It is still being used for its original purpose in its country of origin and in 1979 the breed was declared to be the "National Dog of Malta". The Egyptians favored this breed for hunting gazelle.