The greyhound freed himself from the collar with which he was bound, and pulled out of the basket the head of the calf which he was now defending as his prey. The hunting instinct of the dog won over the human effort to secure the dog. Snijders dealt with the subject of hunting dogs plundering kitchen supplies on several occasions. For the viewer of the 17th century, such images also had a humorous touch. The painting is a slightly altered copy of a painting by Frans Snijders. The original was on the art market in 1906 and has since disappeared. Several copies prove that the composition was very popular. A painting on this subject is described in the inventory of the Marqués de Leganés collection, 17th century. 100 × 159 cm, Oil on canvas.