The Greyhound
One of the Swiftest Dogs
The Greyhound dog is one of the fastest in the world
and one of the oldest too. The breed pre-dates Christianity
by several millennia depending on which historian's theories
you choose to believe. Ancient traders, or visiting noblemen,
took the Greyhound away from its native land, perhaps Egypt,
or Greece, to the Orient, Europe and Britain and used it
there as objects of barter or as gifts.
Everywhere the Greyhound was taken, it became
popular as a sporting dog of the gazehound and scenting
type, hunting by sight and by nose. Its quarry was the deer,
gazelle, hare and foxes by sight, and the wild boar by scent.
During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), the Greyhound
was used in the new popular sport of hare coursing. In 1876
the vastly more popular sport of Greyhound racing began and
soon, it spread to Australia and the US where the Greyhound
had already been established for far more than a century.
The invention of the mechanical hare in 1912, added
even more interest in the breed.
Alert, responsive and somewhat sensitive, Greyhounds
are good with children and bond well. They need a larger
home, lots of daily outdoor exercise, and should be groomed
once a week. Greyhounds are very friendly and adapt well, so
adopting an adult dog, retired from racing, or rescuing a
Greyhound, is an superb way of getting one of these
superior, clean, good-natured family pets. |
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A smooth elegant Greyhound dog
Dog - Height: Up to 30 in. (76 cm) at shoulder.
Dog - Weight: 65-70 lb. (29.5-31.8 kg)
Bitch - Height: Somewhat smaller.
Bitch - Weight: 60-65 lb. (27-29.5 kg)
General symmetry and quality is most important.
Life Expectancy: 10 - 13 years. |
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