Greyhound

Posted on 21. May, 2009 by admin in Dog Breeds, Dog Breeds G, Egyptian Dog Breeds, Hound Dogs

The Greyhound is a breed whose origin is somewhat unknown. There are theories stating that the Greyhound is from Egypt. Historians have found different relief’s of a breed of dog with the same body shape as that of an early Greyhound.

Other theories state the Greyhound is from England as they believe the breed was introduced to this area in around the 5th century. It is thought that they were owned by the English nobility for entertainment purposes as sporting dogs.

The Greyhound has a slender and lean build. They have a strong neck and small floppy ears. Their legs are muscular and straight making them by far the fastest dog of all, topping out at a staggering 45 mph. They use their speed to their advantage when hunting as they can out run most if not all their prey. This breeds coat colors also aid in their hunting ability as they have a camouflage type coloring. Their main types of prey were boar, deer and geese. Today this dog is used mainly for racing.

Due to the Greyhounds intensity for their work, it is more difficult to own them as pets as they have a constant hunt instinct. Most commonly after a Greyhound reaches the age of 6 or 7, they are euthanized, but many organizations see to it that this routine is put to a stop. This dog will make an excellent hunter, watchdog and racer and pet.

Breed Group

Hound

Size

Males: 28-30 inches high
Females: 27-28 inches high

Weight

Males: 65-70 lbs
Females: 60-65 lbs

Color(s)

The Greyhound can come in any possible color, as there are 30 approved coat color combinations for this breed. Tan, gray, black, red, brindle, white, blue or fawn. Usually they will be a mixture of two or more of these colors with patches.

Coat

The Greyhound has a very short, hard coat. This can be perfect for racing but when it comes to the colder seasons, this dog will need to be inside at all times as they are wearing a very light coat!

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

The Greyhound is a determined, intense working dog that loves the sport of hunting. They are independent dogs that are sweet and loving but have a very high prey drive. They make great pets for a family with no other animals.

This breed is a bit reserved around people they don’t know but will become very close to their owners and will build a mutual trust with them. Outside of the race track these dogs can become very lazy.

There are two blood lines of the Greyhound, the racing line and the show line. The show line tends to be heavier and a bit less active where the racing line is lighter with more energy. Show lines tend to be more targeted to families and racing lines targeted to work.

As puppies, these dogs will need to be introduced to other people, dogs, smaller animals (cats) and to busy public areas as this will help them become stable adults.

Care

The Greyhound has a very short coat, making them a low maintenance breed to groom. They will need to be brushed about once every 2 weeks to remove dead fur and should be bathed when the owner feels it is necessary. The Greyhound is prone to esophageal achalasia, osteosarcoma, and bloat as they have a drastically deep chest. Also, drugs can easily affect this breed making them a bit more difficult to treat medically.

Training

The Greyhound will need to be trained as early as possible. They will need to be socialized around every situation because these dogs can become quite shy as adults. Firm training will be needed for basic obedience and this must be done in a positive manor as they will not respond well to negative methods. This breed will become very attached to their family and will demand a certain amount of respect for their breed purpose, which is to hunt.

Activity

This breed will need at least 2 hours of exercise per day. Their bodies were built to race and not allowing them to do so is unfair to the dog. Long walks will not be enough for this dog as they need exercise time spent off-leash, preferably in a dog park so they can play with other dogs as well

Racing as a sport would be a fun way for the Greyhound to exercise as it would keep them in shape as well as to serve their breed purpose. They will do well in an apartment as long as they get their daily exercise, but a house with a yard would be preferable so they can run around even at home.

Tags: dog, dog breed, dog breeds, greyhound, hound, hound dog

22 Responses to “Greyhound”

doubleplusgood

22. Aug, 2009

You say that their high prey drive makes them difficult to keep as pets. This is very untrue. The high prey drive only means that they have to be kept on leash at all times when outside so they don’t try to chase anything.
They also need to be muzzled when around smaller animals like cats and small dogs.
Apart from that their prey drive is not a problem at all and they make wonderful pets
me

19. Sep, 2009

We have had two Samoyeds, and both of mine were/are just fine around my cats. The rabbits and squirrels have learned to stay out of the yard however…
Adrian

24. Jan, 2010

The person writing this knows nothing about greyhounds except for history and measurements. Greyhounds are the fastest couch potatoes–NOT lazy! They do no need a yard–they are fine with walks and, as they age, remember that although they are very fast, they are sprinters…so prolonged running/jogging with your dog is not recommended; 4 laps around the park in less than 5 minutes and they are ready for the walk back home! They overheat easily so most definitely have a water source ready for them at all times.
Lorraine Etherington

17. Mar, 2010

They are mostly bred to race and chase the hare so naturally this instinct remains, but some greys don’t make it as racers at all and have no interest in chasing.. these are usually the ones that can be homed with cats and other small animals.

Most owners cannot let their greys off the lead as they can bolt or chase things. However, when given the opportunity to let me grey off the lead in an enclosed area, he mostly potters around the edge. In the garden he has a few sprints, but your article makes it sound like you have to have olympic fitness to own and keep up with these dogs…so untrue.

Most greyhounds are retired and naturally, they enjoy this retirement by lazing around (couch potato is the perfect description for them)… and why shouldn’t they? They’ve spent their life running.
They DO NOT need to be inside at all times in colder seasons, this is rubbish. Like all dogs, it depends on the individual. I have a coat for mine but to be honest, even in snowy icy weather, he is always warm and comfy (greyhounds have a great internal central heating system, as previously commented on, they can overheat easily) so that comment is just bad information.
Roxie

29. Mar, 2010

Comments are greatly appreciated as this article is ‘missing’ information… It’s understandable that all dogs are different, here’s my two cents..

Greys are excellent pets! Our 7 year old happpily lays on his bed, loves his toys and has earned his ‘couch potato’ status. He is one of ‘our pack.’

While my grey raced MANY times, he enjoys watching wild life, he rarely will try to ‘hunt/chase’ wild creatures. He does enjoy barking at deer that walk through our backyard.

I throw a jacket on my grey and some mutt lucks and we go out below freezing for walks and especially if there’s ice/salt on sidewalks.

2 hours of exercise!? He does just fine with daily walks/runs that are around 30 min. He will occasionally get riled up to play in the house but even then he’s very good at not hitting things.

My grey is the same as Lorraine’s. If I let him off of the lead in an open area he won’t run, he follows the edges of the fence and marks every 5 feet…. LOL.

When it comes to medial needs this part was VERY vague. Check with a vet any time you need to treat your grey. It’s not recommended to use flea collars, they’re skin is very sensitive. They will bleed and it takes a long time for a wound to fully heal (thus leaving a hair-less spot)… I know this is rather vague also, but it’s best to talk to a vet with any concerns.

To describe their coat as ‘hard’ does it no justice. It’s very soft and short. I comb my grey every other day. I only bathe him twice a year unless he gets muddy, then he gets hosed off.

Overall greys are WONDERFUL pets, this article really does them no justice. If you want to find out more about greys ask an owner, or contact a local rescue group.
Hannah metcalf

10. May, 2010

Our greyhound is a very loving animal. He loves nothing more than to have his tummy tickled lying on your feet. They need little exercise and our joe sometimes even refuses to go out in the rain! Joe loves food (especially sardines) and enjoys his daily milk. They are entirely grateful for you adopting them and show you endless love. I don’t know what I’d do without my greyhound x
kate

12. May, 2010

I have a wonderfull greayhound. He is very lazy, but does not a 2 hour walk at all. a 10 minute walk will be fine for him. He is so easy, he is fine with cats and small animals, not all are, but he wouldnt harm a fly!! He is just an amzing pet and is not hard at all, except you have to make sure no food is left on the sides or he will eat. But the text is not very well writen, in some ways because i would reccomend a greyhound to anyone as they are lovley natured and fine around kids. They are just amazing easy dogs
Jadine

27. Jun, 2010

Two hours of excersize would leave them eternally panting… 45 minutes of leisurely walking is fine.
CanadianGal

08. Jul, 2010

This article is a load of rubbish. Keep the dog inside in the winter? Absurd. My greyhound loves the snow and will only wear a jacket when it’s below 5C.

My 85lb male does love to run – breifly. A 30 second sprint and a short walk and it’s back to bed.
Jen T

19. May, 2011

Very disappointing article-the author needs to get their facts straight. Very unresponsible. Read “Adopting the Racing Greyhound” by Cynthia Branigan. It was a required read when I adopted my Grey,
Gil

08. Jun, 2011

If you want to know the TRUTH about Greyhounds, contact your local rescue group. This article is loaded with false information!
Susie

11. Jun, 2011

Like all of the above comments I was disgusted by reading this article on the greys…..I have don’t have a grey but have a lurcher which is practically a grey……2 hrs exercise ???? My rexy was have a heartattack !!! 45-1 hr of pottering around the beach with a few sprints and he’s in bed asleep for the day !! If he doesn’t get that exercise he can get a bit too giddy, but so do my 2 terriers !!! Very poorly written article……Wouldn’t use this website if I was looking for another other breed after reading this ! And they are wonderful as pets !!!
GreyDog

13. Jun, 2011

Positively horrible misinformed article about one of the greatest breeds a person could be owned by.
Koreen

21. Aug, 2011

I concur with everyone!! How could a person be so terribly wrong and decide to write an article about something they really know nothing about??? Please get your facts straight before you decide to share them with the world…..
Funky Angel

20. Sep, 2011

I agree with all the above comments…please do not write about something that you know nothing about. Thankfully these wonderful dogs are starting to get the recognition they deserve as loving and gentle family pets and can well do without these mis-informed comments. There are enough people that tragically believe greyhounds are not suitable as pets which means that literally thousands of them are PTS or left to languish in kennels. I have a greyhound and a cat and they both live happily together. She’s getting on a bit now as she’s almost 9 but she’s never needed more than half an hours walk a day and if its raining she needs a rocket to get her off the sofa and outside. She’s gentle, quiet, cheeky and entertaining and until she came to live with me she’d been in kennels for two years waiting to be adopted. Please, if anyone is reading this consider a greyhound as a pet, they are wonderful with children and you wont be disappointed. Short fur that doesn’t need much looking after and if you are allergic to ‘normal’ dogs you most likely wont be allergic to a greyhound as they have a different coat type to other breeds.
Maurice@mauricemizrahi.com

14. Oct, 2011

A friend who was considering a greyhound referred me to this article- Whomever wrote it knows NOTHING about greyhounds. First off, there are no puppies available for adoption. Its only dogs after they trained or raced for a while. We live with our 4 year old 44 kilo (92 lb) male and he is the sweetest and easiest dog we have ever owned. We walk in the morning for 30 minutes and the evening for 30 minutes and 2 other short walks a day.. Once in a while for a treat to the dog park where he really just wants to hang around me. His grooming is easy- A short comb 3x a week and thats it. We live in an apartment.

Whomever wrote this is ill informed and frankly should be ashamed. 40 thousand of these dogs are killed annually because they finished their racing career and need good homes. As they make excellent pets an ill written article such as this is a death sentence and the author and this web site should be ashamed.
GregAUSTRALIA

16. Oct, 2011

I have a beautiful minature Grehound cross and thanks for all the above comments ,they are so helpful and correct .The article had me worried for a while.I love forums.
domsriltz123

23. Oct, 2011

They will need to be brushed about once every 2 weeks to remove dead fur and should be bathed when the owner feels it is necessary. The Greyhound is prone to esophageal achalasia, osteosarcoma, and bloat as they have a drastically deep chest. Also,

Home With Door Hardware
Roslin

23. Dec, 2011

Obviously this person has never owned a Greyhound,
I adopted my Greyhound through a local organisation who take great care to match the Grey with the new owners.
We have a 4yr old cat which moved under the house for 3wks until he worked out that the new addition only wanted to be friends,they are now buddies,the cat had the problem not the Grey.
We meet with other pet Greyhound every couple of weeks so they can run and play together in a fenced park other than that a 30min walk twice a day is enough exercise.
My little girl (24kg) has a soft smooth coat which is quite thin and she does feel the cold. She is a member of our Pack and puting her outside in the cold is not an option.She is also very intelligent and well mannered,Greyhounds make exellent pets and ” The Fastest Friend ” you’l ever make.
charlie

10. Jan, 2012

Really! Where did the author get their facts? A cracker jack box? It’s a shame when someone has no idea what they’re writing about. Our guy (Diesel) is the biggest couch potatoe. They are the best breed if you want a best friend!
Carrie

11. Jan, 2012

I have to agree with almost all of the above comments. My 4 1/2 yr female Grey is the sweetest and most gentle dog I have ever had. She is extremely independent but does listen to positive “suggestions”. They have an unbelievable sense of humor!! Take her for a 2 hour run? She’d pass out. She enjoys leisurely 1/2 hour walks in the woods so she can smell and see new things. She was certified as a therapy dog last February! You should see her with extremely sick children, the elderly & the mentally challenged. Most greys are extremely calm, docile and quiet. To be a therapy dog they have to have that personality. She is NOT lazy. Her job is to be a couch potato who provides love, affectiion and comfort to those in need. She does have her “spaze” periods every evening for about 2 miinutes where she throws her toys and runs around, then she’s down again for the rest of the night. Although she does have a high prey drive and must forever be on a leash or in a fenced area she will not “attack” any living thing. I can easily call her off. I just have to pay attention to her body language. Please, please get your information correct. These gentle and kind dogs need to be saved and your misinformation will scare people off from adopting them!!! They are extremely easy keepers who do well in every environment.
SusieB

25. Jan, 2012

Thank you all for you comments. I lost my dog last October and eventaully want to get another dog. I would like to rescue this time and am very interested in adopging a racing greyhound. I live by myself and this breed sounds like a perfect companion dog. I do love walking on trails so the only disadvantage for me would be the need to keep the grey on a leash but that is a small price to pay for what sounds like a great dog. All your comments just confirmed that. I have bought a book and will contact a rescue organisation when ready. Still missing my last best friend.

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