he Greyhound is a breed of hunting dog that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, but with a recent resurgence of popularity increasingly as a pedigree show dog and family pet.
It is a soft and intelligent breed that often becomes attached to its owners. It is the fastest breed of dog.
A combination of long, powerful legs, deep chest, flexible spine and slim build allows it to reach speeds of around 70 km/h (43.5 mph).
History
The breed's origin is romantically reputed to be connected to ancient Egypt, where depictions of smooth-coated sighthound types have been found which are typical of Saluki (Persian Greyhound) or Sloughi (tombs at Beni Hassan circa 2000BC). However, analyses of DNA reported in 2004 suggest that the Greyhound is not closely related to these Oriental breeds, but is a close relative to herding dogs. Historical literature on the first sighthound in Europe (Arrian), the vertragus, the probable antecedant of the Greyhound, suggests that the origin is with the ancient Celts from Eastern Europe or Eurasia.
All modern, thoroughbred pedigree Greyhounds, are derived from the greyhound stock recorded and registered, firstly in the private 18th Century then public 19th Century studbooks, which ultimately were registered with Coursing, Racing, and Kennel Club authorities of the United Kingdom.
Historically, these sighthounds were used primarily for hunting in the open where their keen eyesight is valuable. It is believed that they (or at least similarly-named dogs) were introduced to the area now known as the United Kingdom in the 5th and 6th century BC from Celtic mainland Europe although the Picts and other hunter gatherer tribes of the Northern area (now known as Scotland) were believed to have had large hounds similar to that of the Deerhound before the 6th century BC.
The name "Greyhound" is generally believed to come from the Old English grighund. "Hund" is the antecedent of the modern "hound", but the meaning of "grig" is undetermined, other than in reference to dogs in Old English and Norse. Its origin does not appear to have any common root with the modern word "grey" for colour, and indeed the Greyhound is seen with a wide variety of coats.
This may be confusing, however, as the Deerhound and Irish wolfhound are more commonly grey in colour and possibly the true origins of the Greyhound. However, the Deerhound and Irish wolfhound, the latter being a reconstructed breed, probably cannot have had any genetic influence on the much older Greyhound. It is known that in England during the medieval period, Lords and Royalty keen to own Greyhounds for sport, requested they be bred to colour variants that made them easier to view and identify in pursuit of their quarry. The lighter colours, patch-like markings and white appeared in the breed that was once ordinarily grey in colour. The Greyhound is the only dog mentioned by name in the Bible; the King James version names the Greyhound as one of the Four things stately in the Proverbs. However, in the modern version of the Bible this has been changed to strutting rooster, which appears to be a more correct translation of the Hebrew term זַרְזִיר (zarzir).
According to Pokorny the English name "greyhound" does not mean "gray dog/hound", but simply "fair dog". Subsequent words have been derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *g'her- 'shine, twinkle': English gray, Old High German gris 'grey, old', Old Icelandic griss 'piglet, pig', Old Icelandic gryja 'to dawn', gryjandi 'morning twilight', Old Irish grian 'sun', Old Church Slavonic zorja 'morning twilight, brightness'.
The common sense of these words is 'to shine; bright'
Appearance
Females tend to be smaller with shoulder heights ranging from 68 to 71 cm (27 to 28 inches) and weights from less than 27 to 34 kg (60 to 75 pounds).
Greyhounds have very short hair, which is easy to maintain.
There are approximately thirty recognized color forms, of which variations of white, brindle, fawn, black, red and blue (gray) can appear uniquely or in combination.
Temperament
Sensitive, sweet and elegant. Brave and loyal.With meek owneres it can become willful.
The Greyhound is very intelligent, but its character is often undervalued because of its reserved behavior toward its master and toward strangers.
Socialize them at an early age to prevent timidity. As a rule, they are gentle and even-tempered - both racing lines and show lines. Most Greyhounds have a definite prey instinct.
It is instinctive for these dogs to chase anything that moves quickly.
They are extremely fast and some will kill cats and other domestic animals, although this is not the majority (only about 20% of ex-racers are too "keen" on chasing prey to ever be safe with small animals).
About 10% are immediately okay due to low prey instinct, and the rest can be trained to leave cats and other small pets in the home alone.
They seldom present difficulties with other dogs and are normally good with children, though they do not usually like rough-house play, and would not be a good choice for young children who are looking for a play mate.
Indoors, these dogs are calm and sociable to a point where they can even be considered lazy.
They bond strongly with their own people, have tremendous stamina, and do not bark much. Show lines tend to be of a different body style than racing lines, and are often more angulated.
Racing lines are bred for performance, but often a good by-product are friendly, outgoing dogs, who make wonderful pets when their racing days are over.
Greyhounds are not particularly vigilant. Show lines tend to be a bit heavier and bred more for temperament than racing lines, who are bred for speed.
However racing lines also make wonderful pets. There are hundreds of adoption groups all over North America, Europe and Australia to place these gentle, loving dogs when they retire.
Retired racing Greyhounds are not usually difficult to housebreak. They are already crate trained from the track, so it doesn't take them long to learn that they are not to "go" in the house.
The Greyhound needs an even tempered, gentle but firm loving owner who knows how to consistently communicate the rules of the home.
A Greyhound who knows his place in his pack and what is expected of him is a happy Greyhound.
Health
Due to the unique physiology and anatomy of greyhounds, a veterinarian who understands the issues relevant to the breed is generally needed when the dogs need treatment, particularly when anaesthesia is required. Greyhounds cannot metabolize barbiturate-based anesthesia as other breeds can because they have lower amounts of oxidative enzymes in their livers.
Greyhounds demonstrate unusual blood chemistry, which can be misread by veterinarians not familiar with the breed; this can result in an incorrect diagnosis.
Greyhounds have higher levels of red blood cells than other breeds. Since red blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, this higher level allows the hound to move larger quantities of oxygen faster from the lungs to the muscles.
Greyhounds have lower levels of platelets than other breeds .
Veterinary blood services often use Greyhounds as universal blood donors.
Gastric torsion can occur which causes the stomach to twist, heavy vomiting, pain and death within a few hours if not treated with surgery. This condition is common to many deep chested dogs.
Extra Info
Anatomy
The key to the speed of a Greyhound can be found in its light but muscular build, largest heart, and highest percentage of fast-twitch muscle of any breed, the double suspension gallop and the extreme flexibility of the spine. "Double suspension rotary gallop" describes the fastest running gait of the Greyhound in which all four feet are free from the the ground in two phases, contracted & extended, during each full stride
Racing
Until the early twentieth century, Greyhounds were principally bred and trained for coursing. During the early 1920s, modern Greyhound racing was introduced into the United States and introduced into United Kingdom (Belle Vue) in 1936 and Northern Ireland (Celtic Park) on April 18th 1927 and immediately followed by Shelbourne Park in Dublin very soon after.
The Greyhound holds the record for fastest recorded dog.
Aside from professional racing, many Greyhounds enjoy success on the amateur race track. Organizations like the Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA) and the National Oval Track Racing Association (NOTRA) provide opportunities for Greyhounds and other sighthound breeds to compete in amateur racing events all over the United States
Coursing
The original function of the Greyhound was to be a hare coursing dog. Some Greyhounds still fulfill their original function, although artificial lure sports like lure coursing and racing are far more common and popular.
Both the American Kennel Club and the American Sighthound Field Association sponsor lure coursing events in North America.
Greyhounds as pets
Greyhound owners and adoption groups generally consider Greyhounds to be wonderful pets. They are pack-oriented dogs, which means that they will quickly adopt humans into their pack as alpha. They can get along well with children, dogs and other family pets. Rescued racing Greyhounds occasionally develop separation anxiety when re-housed or when their new owners have to leave them alone for a period of time (the addition of a second greyhound often solves this problem).
Greyhounds bark very little, which helps in suburban environments, and are usually as friendly to strangers as they are with their own family. The most common misconception concerning Greyhounds is that they are hyperactive. In retired racing Greyhounds it is usually the opposite. Young Greyhounds that have never been taught how to utilize the energy they are bred with, can be hyperactive and destructive if not given an outlet, and require more experienced handlers
Greyhound Adoption groups generally require owners to keep their Greyhounds on-leash at all times, except in fully enclosed areas.
This is due to their prey-drive, their speed, and the assertion that Greyhounds have no road sense. Due to their strength, adoption groups recommend that fences be between 4 and 6 feet, to prevent them being able to jump.
Greyhounds do shed but do not have undercoats and therefore are less likely to trigger people's dog allergies (Greyhounds are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "hypoallergenic"). The lack of an undercoat, coupled with a general lack of body fat, also makes Greyhounds more susceptible to extreme temperatures, and most sources recommend that Greyhounds be housed inside.
Greyhounds are very sensitive to insecticides. Many vets do not recommend the use of flea collars or flea spray on Greyhounds unless it is a pyrethrin-based product. Products like Advantage, Frontline, Lufenuron, and Amitraz are safe for use on Greyhounds and are very effective in controlling fleas and ticks.
It is often believed that Greyhounds need a large living space, however, they can thrive in small spaces. Due to their temperament, Greyhounds can make better "apartment dogs" than some of the smaller hyperactive breeds.
Welfare
In the late 20th century several Greyhound adoption groups were formed. The early groups were formed in large part out of a sense of concern about the treatment of the dogs while living on the track. These groups began taking greyhounds from the racetracks when they could no longer compete and placing them in adoptive homes. Prior to the formation of these groups, in the United States over 20,000 retired Greyhounds a year were euthanized; recent estimates still number in the thousands, with about 90% of National Greyhound Association-registered animals either being adopted, or returned for breeding purposes (according to the industry numbers upwards of 2000 dogs are still killed annually in the US while anti-racing groups estimate the figure at closer to 12,000.).
Accidents and disease are also common killers among racing Greyhounds. In 2005, an epidemic of respiratory failure killed dozens of dogs and left over 1200 quarantined in the U.S., particularly in Massachusetts, Colorado, Iowa and Rhode Island.
The vast majority of Greyhounds in the USA are bred for racing (registered with the National Greyhound Association or NGA), leading American Kennel Club registered dogs about 150:1. Each NGA dog is issued a Bertillon card, which measures 56 distinct identifying traits with the Bertillon number tattooed on the dog's ear to prove identity during their racing career.
Not all dogs bred for racing are able to do so, due to speed, temperament, or physical problems. Most NGA greyhounds finish racing between two and five years of age. Some retired racing greyhounds have injuries that may follow them for the remainder of their lives, although the majority are healthy and can live long lives after their racing careers are over.
There are currently two online databases to easily lookup or search for all past and present registered dogs: Greyhound-Data.com and Rosnet2000.com Dogs can be searched by their Bertillon number, race name, and other attributes. Data includes dog photos, race statistics, and pedigree.
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