Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by Pets Feed
The greyhound is the fastest dog in the world, capable of speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour. This makes it one of the fastest animals in the world, only being outnumbered by very few animals.
Among the wide variety of hunting dogs, it is worth highlighting the Greyhound breed. This is an ideal hunter and runner, capable of detecting and catching even a hare at a short distance. Not every dog can do such a task.
They are a breed that enjoys family companionship and loves routine. They love to eat at the same time each day, sleep at the same time and walk/exercise at the same time.
| Breed name | Greyhound |
| Country of origin | Great Britain |
| Weight | 26 – 38 kg |
| Height (at the withers) | 68 – 76 cm |
| Life expectancy | 14 years |
| Size | Big |
Greyhound photos
Physical characteristics of the Greyhound
The physique of the Greyhound is slim, but the musculature is extremely developed in all parts. The weight of adults is 26-38 kg., Height is about 68-76 cm. Males are more powerful than females.
- Head: long and flat skull. The transition to the elongated muzzle is soft.
- Jaws: massif. Scissor bite.
- Ears: Damn, rose -shaped. In the usual position, they are relaxed, in a suspicious position, they are standing.
- Eyes: fixed obliquely. They are oval and dark in color.
- Torso: stretched and powerful. The back is long with a strong kidney. The chest is deep and well developed.
- Legs: Russian genre. The fingers are strongly arched, the claws are dense.
- Pelage: dense, short and smooth. The sub-point is small. There are such colors: red, black, blue, white, bridged, fawn. Sometimes there are “diluted” colors – all colors with white spots.
Behavior and character
The main character traits of the Greyhound are balance, great adaptability, contact and, surprisingly, laziness. This conclusion is explained by most owners of the greyhound.
The representatives of the race are famous for their aristocratic ways, looking at them, you might think that they are too slow. Instead of walking, such a dog prefers to rest, sitting on his carpet. The Greyhounds considered to be more active belong to the class of runners.
The dog behaves calmly when he stays in the house. Not in the habit of spoiling the furniture and other property of the owners. The Grayhound is not concerned about a change of decor, a move, a new place of residence. If only the owner is next to him.
Avec les enfants
The Grayhound race is great with children, has a large amount of internal energy, likes walks, games, the company of people and other dogs. They need early socialization, like most dogs. It is also preferable to present them to cats at an early age.
With other animals
The Grayhound gets hard with animals, because it is a dog with a hunting instinct. Therefore, it is not recommended to keep cats, dogs of small breeds or other small representatives of fauna in the same house as the greyhound, because this dog can take them for prey and organize a hunt with A sad result.
Health
The greyhound is a healthy dog by nature, but, like all other dog breeds, problems arise from time to time. In order to eliminate them in time, the owner of the greyhound should know what diseases the pet is predisposed to:
- Allergy – most often in greyhounds occurs on drugs, these dogs are difficult to tolerate anesthesia.
- Eye diseases – glaucoma, cataract, etc.
- Musculoskeletal system diseases – arthritis, bone oncology, dysplasia, hygroma, osteoarthrosis.
Life expectancy
With proper care and care from the owner, the greyhound can live 12-14 years. Long-lived Greyhounds are those who celebrated their seventeenth birthday.
Basic care
The greyhound has a very short coat and requires little or no grooming throughout the year. They rarely need to be brushed, two to three times a month.
Always make sure that the animal’s eyes and ears are clean, cut the claws in time and bathe the dog at least once a week.
Also keep in mind that their skin, due to their extremely short coat, is very sensitive to damage – scratches, etc.
Important
Once a day, a Greyhound should be able to run without leash in an open space. Such a walk should last about an hour. To do this, the owner will have to find a place away from the tracks, not crowded. If you let go of the greyhound, for example, in a crowded park or near a street in the city, it can be caught in a car or injure other small animals, taking them for game.
In addition to a long step, two other shorts (12-20 minutes) will be necessary. They are necessary for the dog to meet his natural needs. During short -term walks, the dog can be held on a leash.
Living conditions
Despite the hunter’s instinct and the excellent data of the runners, the Grayhound feels comfortable in an apartment or in a private house. Surprisingly, the greyhound is a bit lazy, it can be difficult to bring it into the street. This does not mean that he does not need walking or physical activity.
Greyhound Fun Facts
- In 1994, Australia recorded the highest speed for a greyhound (67.32 km / h), the dog’s name was: Star Title.
- Greyhound dogs are justifiably called the “cheetah of the canine world.”
- In Belarus, a Greyhound saved his master from death. When a bear attacked the man, the dog distracted the predator, but died in an unequal battle. In memory of the faithful greyhound in the city of Nesvizh a monument was erected.
- There is an ancient legend about “Saint Ginfort.” Once upon a time, a greyhound named Greenfort saved the baby’s life, but was killed himself. Seeing that a snake was creeping up to the cradle, the dog knocked over the child to protect him and tore the snake apart. The baby’s father arrived in time and saw the dog’s bloodied mouth and the overturned cradle. In anger, a man killed the dog, only then he saw a torn snake and an unscathed baby. After this event, the Greyhound began to be called the patrons of all children. The very hero of the legend in the people was called “St. Ginfort.”
Breed history
In ancient times, the Greyhounds were called “crickhound”, which is translated from Old English as “grasshopper hound.” It is not surprising, because this dog has much in common with all known insects.
Regarding the origin of Greyhound, there are several versions:
- During excavations in ancient Egyptian tombs, archaeologists discovered not only drawings depicting dogs exactly like Greyhound dogs, but also skeletons of these animals. Drawings were drawn in the fourth millennium BC, judging by them it can be assumed that such dogs were used when hunting wild animals. There is evidence that the remains of dogs similar to modern greyhound were found during excavations of the tombs of Tutankhamun, Amenhotep and other Egyptian pharaohs.
- The Greyhound is the descendants of dogs that were brought to England by the Arabs in 900 AD. The name of the animals is servants. It is believed that it was from these greyhounds that the Greyhound inherited the ability to hunt “in sight”, and not just with the help of a scent.
- The most truthful version, according to dog handlers, is the hereditary relationship of the Greyhound with Celtic dogs. In the second century AD on the British Isles, Celtic hunters, along with their greyhounds, were far from a rarity, but rather a regularity. Their dogs were able to catch a hare lightly in a few minutes. The greyhound just as easily copes with this task.
In the tenth century, the popularity of the Greyhound dogs and their numbers were at the highest level. It is not surprising, because such dogs were kept in many peasant dwellings, helping commoners to get food in the form of forest game. The greyhound was also valued by the English nobility. Having a pack of purebred greyhounds was considered a sign of wealth.
In 1014, the Forest Law was issued, after which the Greyhound became too expensive for farmers to maintain. After all, the hunting dog no longer returned to the family of the poor. Moreover, these dogs were forbidden to keep the peasants. Therefore, the eleventh century brought the breed some decline in numbers. Gray greyhounds became the privilege of only representatives of high society.
During breeding, the formation of the breed special breeding work was not carried out. But some “injections” into the blood of the English greyhounds were made. For example, in the eighteenth century, a greyhound was crossed with an Old English bulldog. The goal was to improve, strengthen the skeleton.
