[H-GEN] Is this a DNS configuration problem?

[Edwards_Ewan_B at cat.com]

I don't understand what is happening here.  Hopefully one of the 
learned people on this list will be able to give me pointer to some 
doco that will explain what's going on so I can fix it.  I've done 
some googling and not found anything that makes sense to me. :-(

The problem is the time delay in getting an ssh password prompt from a 
machine on the local network.  Here are the three cases I've tried.  
The first case takes approx. 9sec for a response.  The following two 
cases result in an (almost) instantaneous response.

ssh -l <userid> <hostname>
ssh -l <userid> <hostIP>
ssh -l <userid> <hostname>.<domainname>

The following makes me think its a DNS config problem.

dig <hostname>               -> ANSWER: 0 (zero)
dig -x <hostIP>              -> ANSWER: 1
dig <hostname>.<domainname>  -> ANSWER: 1

Thanks in advance for any help.