Greyhound

The greyhound has the highest percentage of fast-twitch muscle of any breed. Despite this reputation, retired racing greyhounds make for calm and sweet pets. It is also called the English greyhound to avoid confusion with the Italian greyhound. Since its breed registration in 1885 by the American Kennel Club, it has enjoyed a following as a friendly, noble sporting show dog and pet.

History and Origins

The breed is a hunting type and a sighthound whose ancient remains were discovered in modern Syria and dated 4,000 years ago. Originally, however, it was used for hunting desert wildlife by the Egyptian pharaohs 5,000 years ago, and depictions of the dogs have been found in their tombs. It has a history in coursing of deer, foxes, and hare, and racing and companionship in England, Great Britain, and the British Isles.

Greyhounds feature in Greek and Roman mythology and are the only dog mentioned in the Bible (King James Version). They have long been associated with royalty and aristocracy. During the Dark Ages, they nearly became extinct due to famine, but were saved by priests, who bred them for the nobility. Medieval English laws, particularly after the Norman conquest, restricted ownership of greyhounds and other hunting dogs to the nobility for several centuries.

Due to their speed and agility, the breed was used for dog racing, with greyhound racing becoming popular in the 20th century, first in England after 1926 and then in America. Owing to the cruelty of greyhound racing, including overbreeding, these days it is legal in only a handful of countries and a few states in the U.S.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning Greyhounds

Size and Weight

This dog is tall, slim, graceful, and a smooth-coated large dog with powerful, long legs under a deep chest, flexible spine, and slender build. They have a height of 28 to 30 inches for males and 27 to 28 inches for females. Males weigh 60 to 88 lbs, and females weigh 55 to 75 lbs. They both weigh on average about 70 lbs. Most greyhounds in family homes today are adopted as adult racing dogs. They are considered adults at 18 months.

Common Health Issues

Greyhounds tend to be healthy and live long lives of 10 to 14 years. However, there have been some cases of greyhounds developing esophageal achalasia, gastric dilatation volvulus (also called bloat), gastric torsion, heart and eye conditions, osteosarcoma, and corns on the paw pads. There is also a condition called greyhound neuropathy. They can develop Alabama rot, a rare but serious disease with an unknown cause. If they are on hard surfaces, they develop skin sores. Flea collars, flea spray, and other insecticides are not safe to use on them. If they are outside, they will have more health issues from exposure to extreme heat or cold, though they tolerate heat better than cold.

Some racing greyhounds develop an arched back — while they run, they extend their long legs and stretch their spines for a better stride to cover more ground in less time. An arched back makes it impossible for them to do so, although some dogs can run very fast. Recommended health tests for the breed are an ophthalmologist evaluation, a greyhound polyneuropathy NDRG1 DNA test, and a cardiac exam.

Temperament and Behavior

Notably, Greyhounds are docile, quiet, gentle, and loving pets. They each have their own personality, with different traits and behavior depending on whether they were purely show or working dogs. Although many adopted greyhounds are retired racing dogs, they adjust very well as adults to their new homes. They don’t tend to bark or howl, but they are mistrustful of strangers. When they are not sprinting outside, they are couch potatoes at home, mostly relaxing or sleeping for 18 hours a day. However, it is difficult for them to be left alone for several hours, as they need a lot of attention and care. That’s because they enjoy being around people and other pets.

As puppies, they are more demanding than adults, with a need for playtime of 1 to 2 hours a day. Likewise, they need chew toys to learn not to mouth on people.

How To Take Care of Greyhounds

The most important decision in adopting a greyhound is whether it should be a puppy or an adult, because they are different in their needs and behavior. From there, new pet owners can learn about how to care for these dogs at various ages. The breed also has unique health factors that must be considered.

The Best Dog Food for Greyhounds

Most importantly, greyhounds demand a diet higher in fat, calories, and protein than some other dogs. More specifically, they need high-quality dog food for their age.

At first, puppies enjoy puppy kibble and pureed meat. Later, to meet the dietary needs of adults, feed them a mixture of dry food and chopped meat. In particular, they need 250 to 300g of meat a day. Like other pets, you should remember what human foods are safe for them to eat. Some examples of greyhound-safe fruit are bananas, apples, oranges, and watermelons. Also, vegetables they can eat are carrots, green beans, zucchini, cucumber, and cooked potatoes. Additionally, they can eat rice and pasta.

Best Greyhound Insurance

The best insurance for your greyhound is a plan that allows them to see any vet, emergency clinic, or specialist in the country. Importantly, it should have unlimited or no restrictions on coverage. Also, keep in mind that some insurance companies have exclusions for performance dogs.

Maintenance and Grooming

This breed’s short coat goes through light seasonal shedding. It needs no more than a monthly bath and weekly rubdown with a damp cloth or grooming glove. Secondly, nails should be trimmed and ears cleaned regularly. Finally, you should brush their teeth every day with a special toothpaste formulated for dogs.

Training

Greyhounds are playful and have a lot of wanderlust, but they are very smart and easy to train as adults. As puppies, they are more difficult to train since they have difficulty with recall. Like other sighthounds, they have a very strong prey drive and therefore tend to give chase, being able to see far ahead. When you practice letting them go off-lead in a safe area, they will remember to come back. It becomes easier as they get older.

Exercise

Greyhounds enjoy sprinting, with an average high speed of 45 mph. Part of their exercise is mental stimulation, so they could enjoy games or hidden treats. Other than a daily walk, they need an additional 30 to 40 minutes of exercise each day. They do well living in apartments if they get to be walked. If there is no yard, they will require more frequent walking. To burn off excess energy, greyhounds sprint in the backyard or through the house. Walk them in the early morning and evening to avoid sunburn, and wait an hour after feeding them before playing to avoid bloat or torsion.

Puppies

Puppies are born in litters of 1 to 12. Like most breeds, during puppyhood, greyhounds express mouthiness and the tendency to chew on, nip, or play-bite. Mouthy dogs tend to use their mouths to hold or “herd” humans, so they need to learn to redirect to chew toys. Like other mouthy breeds, greyhounds love to play fetch, and they also enjoy chewing on stimulating and rewarding toys stuffed with kibble or treats. This breed needs a lot of attention and training during puppyhood.

Greyhounds and Children

Greyhounds need to be socialized from a young age with other animals and children. Although very people-oriented, the breed prefers quiet and soft-spoken families rather than a family that has very young children. Their skin tears easily, making it difficult for them to be around rowdy toddlers. Rather, they are independent while playing, being more self-motivated than other hunting breeds that require direction.

Types of Greyhounds

The English greyhound belongs to the sighthound group, which includes other dogs that carry the greyhound name. These types of greyhounds, such as the Italian Greyhound and Scottish Greyhound, are separate breeds closely related to the English greyhound in appearance, temperament, and traditional use as a hunting dog.

• Italian Greyhound: A miniature version of the English greyhound, the “Iggy” has a more slender build and weighs no more than 15 pounds when fully grown. Bred to be more of a lap dog than a hunting dog, it’s believed they date back to the Roman Empire and were considered a status symbol during the Renaissance.
• Russian Greyhound: Known also as the Russian Wolfhound and the Borzoi, this wavy-haired breed is larger than a standard greyhound, and may grow as tall as 33 inches and weigh up to 100 pounds. Their size means they can suffer health issues such as arthritis, hip and elbow dysplasia, and heart disease, and their average lifespan of 12 years is shorter than other breeds.
• Persian Greyhound: More commonly known as the Saluki, the Persian Greyhound is one of the oldest known dog breeds. They can be traced back to 7000 B.C. and were favorites of Egyptian pharaohs. Used as a hunting hound by royalty, they are among the fastest dogs in the world. They have longer, coarser fur than other greyhounds, and their silky ears hang lower.
• Spanish Greyhound: Often called the Spanish Sighthound, or Galgo Español, the Spanish Greyhound has a long lineage, appearing on Egyptian tombs and evidence recording their presence in Spain in 100 A.D. Developed to hunt hares, they are smaller and lighter than English greyhounds, and have two coat types (smooth and rough).
• Scottish Greyhound: Originally bred to hunt and course red deer in the Scottish Highlands, these dogs are also known as Scottish Deerhound and are closely related to the Irish Wolfhound. They are a large, heavy-boned hound breed with a wiry coat and can weigh up to 110 pounds and grow as tall as 32 inches at the shoulder.
• Arabian Greyhound: Also known as the Sloughi, these greyhounds were first bred by the Bedouin and Berber tribes in North Africa and are commonly found in Morocco. While greyhounds are generally many different colors, these dogs are usually one shade of grey or tan. As they are considered louder than other greyhounds, they are used in Africa as guard dogs.
• Afghan Greyhound: Better known as the Afghan Hound, this breed is famed for its long, flowing coat of silky hair. It is said by some to be the oldest purebred dog in the world and predates written history. First bred as a hunting dog capable of withstanding the cold temperatures of mountainous Afghanistan, they now regularly feature in dog shows.
• Whippet: Bred to be a smaller version of the English greyhound, reaching up to 22 inches in height, Whippets grew popular with coal miners in Northern England, where they were used in amateur racing competitions and nicknamed the “poor man’s racehorse.” They are known to have the fastest acceleration time among dogs. They’ll want to jog with you, while the greyhound would rather cuddle.

Famous Greyhounds

• General George A. Custer was famous for his love of and ownership of greyhounds. He traveled with about 40 hounds of various coursing breeds.
• The United States’ 19th President, Rutherford B. Hayes, owned a greyhound named Grim.
• Mick the Miller is the most famous racing greyhound in Great Britain. He became an icon of dog racing in spite of his short three-year career, winning 19 races in a row. After his retirement, he became a feature of films and social events as a sports dog hero.