Greyhound

Quick facts

	AKC Group:	Hound
	Height:	Male: 28-30 inches, Female: 27-28 inches
	Weight:	Male: 60-90 pounds, Female: 60-75 pounds
	Colors:	White, red, blue, gray, brindle, fawn
AKC recognized in:		1885

Think of the Greyhound as a breed of hunting dogs originally meant for racing and coursing. Combine a deep chest, a flexible spine, a slim built, long powerful legs, and you have the formula for a born racer. This breed has professionally raced all over England, Ireland, and the United States since time immemorial.

It’s a vision to see how the Greyhound gallops with all four feet free and above the ground. Imagine how its muscles contract and extend in two phases with each full stride. This is aptly termed as the “double suspension rotary gallop”. In other words, you’re talking about the fastest running gait which the Greyhound is able to achieve.

Statistics say it has the largest heart in any dog breed. As to percentage, its muscles are the fastest-twitching of all. On the average, the Greyhound races to speeds as fast as 40 miles per hour. Truly impressive!

Incidentally, the term “grey” in the name Greyhound does not refer to its coat color. Rather, it pertains to an Old English word which means “fine”.

Temperament

Greyhound Summary
Affection
Cold Tolerance
Ease of Training
Energy level
Exercise Requirements
Friendliness : Children
Friendliness: Other Animals
Friendliness: Other Pets
Grooming Requirements
Heat Tolerance
Playfulness
Protection Ability
Watchdog Ability

The Greyhound is one fine breed, indeed. It‘s the fastest recorded dog in all history. Until the early twentieth century, its main purpose has been solely for racing. Other than greyhound racing, you can now train this hound to be a household pet.

Originally bred as sprinters and racers, the Greyhound does have its quiet moments. When they’re not busy racing, they’re quite serene and quiet to have around the house.

Strong and powerful as the Greyhound is, it can be such a sweetheart. A gentle and quiet breed, it forms a strong attachment to its owner. If you accept its sensitive nature, then you would recognize that it responds better to gentle and kind commands.

Health and Exercise

Other than the professional and amateur race track, the Greyhound can find its rightful place in your own home. In fact, it is ideal for family life.

Teach a child to treat a Greyhound properly, and it will be gentle and affectionate. Train it to be obedient and disciplined, and you will observe how it responds to your commands and performs its tasks.

Racing Greyhounds do experience some bouts of separation anxiety when they’ve been retired and re-housed. It takes the attention of a kind owner or a second Greyhound to correct this problem.

When you’ve trained them as apartment dogs, they’ll tend to sleep a lot in their pet crates. At any rate, they do need some moderate, regular exercise to keep them healthy and fit.

Health-wise, there are 6 to 8 pups in every litter and 10 to 13 years in an average lifespan. The coat consist more of short hairs which are easy to maintain. People hardly develop allergies to their dog hair, but it is these dogs which are particularly sensitive to household insecticides.

Visitor Comments

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