Greyhound dog breed

Greyhound dog breed

The Greyhound is a breed of dog used for companionship, coursing game and racing. It is one of the fastest land mammals; its combination of long, powerful legs, deep chest and aerodynamic build allows it to reach speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h).

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Appearance

Greyhound pupDogs (males) are usually 28 to 30 inches (71 to 76 cm) tall at the withers and weigh around 60 to 90 pounds (27 to 40 kg). Bitches (females) tend to be smaller with shoulder heights ranging from 27 to 28 inches (68 to 71 cm) and weights from less than 50 to 75 pounds (27 to 34 kg). Greyhounds have very short hair, which is easy to maintain. There are approximately thirty recognized color forms, of which variations of white, brindle, fawn, black, red and blue (grey) can appear uniquely or in combination.

Temperament
Although greyhounds are extremely fast, they are not high-energy dogs. They are sprinters, and although they love running, they do not require extensive exercise. Most are quiet, gentle animals. An adult greyhound will stay healthy and happy with a daily walk of as little as 20 to 30 minutes. Greyhounds are often referred to as "Forty-five mile per hour couch potatoes."

Greyhounds can make good pets because of their mild and affectionate character. They can get along well with children, dogs and other family pets (though are sometimes not safe with smaller pet animals). Greyhounds are generally loyal, tractable dogs with developed intellects. Their talents include sighting and coursing. They do not have undercoats and therefore are less likely to trigger people's dog allergies (greyhounds are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "hypoallergenic"). Not having an undercoat coupled with their lack of body fat also means they are more susceptible to extreme temperature (heat and cold). Most sources recommend that Greyhounds be housed inside.

Most companion greyhounds are kept on a leash because their hunting instinct has instilled a strong desire to chase things (prey drive). Greyhounds can live in an urban setting but require moderate exercise on a regular basis. They enjoy walking and running outside.

Greyhound in flight

History
Popularly, the breed's origin is believed to be traced to ancient Egypt, where a bas-relief depicting a smooth-coated Saluki (Persian Greyhound) or Sloughi was found in a tomb built in 4000 BC. Analyses of DNA reported in 2004, however, suggest that the greyhound is not closely related to these breeds, but is a close relative to herding dogs. [1] [2]

Historically, these sight hounds were used primarily for hunting in the open where their keen eyesight is valuable. It is believed that they (or at least similarly-named dogs) were introduced to England in the 5th and 6th centuries BC from Celtic mainland Europe.

The name "greyhound" is generally believed to come from the Old English grighund. "Hund" is the antecedent of the modern "hound", but the meaning of "grig" is undetermined, other than in reference to dogs in Old English and Norse. Its origin does not appear to have any common root with the modern word "grey" for colour, and indeed the greyhound is seen with a wide variety of coats.

According to Pokorny's Indogermanisches Woerterbuch (p. 441-442) the English name "greyhound" does not mean "gray dog/hound", but simply "fair dog". Subsequent words have been derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *g'her- 'shine, twinkle': English gray, Old High German gris 'grey, old', Old Icelandic griss 'piglet, pig', Old Icelandic gryja 'to dawn', gryjandi 'morning twilight', Old Irish grian 'sun', Old Church Slavonic zorja 'morning twilight, brightness'. The common sense of these words is 'to shine; bright'.

Until the early twentieth century, greyhounds were principally bred and trained for coursing. During the early 1920s, modern greyhound racing was introduced into the United States and introduced into United Kingdom and Ireland in 1926.

See main article at Greyhound racing

Welfare
Photo finish of a Greyhound race in Tampa, Florida, U.S. on February 9, 1939In the late 20th century several Greyhound adoption groups were formed. The early groups were formed in large part out of a sense of concern about the treatment of the dogs while living on the track. These groups began taking greyhounds from the racetracks when they could no longer compete and placing them in adoptive homes. Previously, in the United States over 20,000 retired greyhounds a year were killed; recent estimates still number in the thousands, with about 90% of National Greyhound Association-registered animals either being adopted, or returned for breeding purposes (according to the industry numbers upwards of 2000 dogs are still killed annually in the US).[3]

Accidents and disease are also common killers among racing greyhounds. In 2005, an epidemic of respiratory failure killed dozens of dogs and left over 1200 quarantined in the U.S., particularly in Massachusetts, Colorado, Iowa and Rhode Island.

The vast majority of greyhounds are bred for racing (registered with the National Greyhound Association or NGA), leading American Kennel Club registered dogs about 150:1. Each NGA dog is issued a Bertillon card, which measures 56 distinct identifying traits with the Bertillon number tattooed on the dog's ear, so as to ensure that the dog who races is in fact the dog it is claimed to be. There are several reasons why some National Greyhound Association greyhounds may never race:

The dog is too slow.
The dog has physical defects.
The dog does not have the required temperament.
There are currently two online databases to easily lookup or search for all past and present registered dogs: Greyhound-Data.com and Rosnet2000.com Dogs can be searched by their Bertillon number, race name, and other attributes. Data includes dog photos, race statistics, and pedigree.

Most NGA greyhounds finish racing between two and five years of age. Some retired racing greyhounds have injuries that may follow them for the remainder of their lives, although the vast majority are healthy and can live long lives after their racing careers are over.

Health and Veterinary Care
Greyhounds are typically a healthy and long-lived breed, and hereditary illness is rare. Some Greyhounds have been known to develop esophageal achalasia, Bloat (gastric torsion), and osteosarcoma.[4] Because the Greyhound's lean physique makes it ill-suited to sleeping on hard surfaces, owners of companion Greyhounds generally provide soft bedding; without bedding, Greyhounds are prone to develop painful skin sores. Greyhounds typically live 10 - 13 years.[5]

Due to the unique physiology and anatomy of greyhounds, a veterinarian who understands the issues relevant to the breed is generally needed when the dogs need treatment, particularly when anaesthesia is required. Greyhound (and other sighthounds) cannot metabolize barbiturate-based anesthesia as other breeds can, because they have much less fat than other dogs.

Greyhounds demonstrate unusual blood chemistry, which can be misread by veterinarians not familiar with the breed; this can result in an incorrect diagnosis. Greyhounds have higher levels of red blood cells than do other breeds. Since red blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, this higher level allows the hound to move larger quantities of oxygen faster from the lungs to the muscles. Veterinary blood services often use greyhounds as universal blood donors.[6].

Greyhounds as Pets
With their excellent temperaments and gentle natures, greyhounds, including retired racing greyhounds, make wonderful pets. Generally even tempered and gentle, they are pack-oriented dogs which means that they will quickly adopt human "masters" into their pack. They are most affectionate dogs towards those that they know and trust. To allow different greyhounds to hunt and race together, aggressiveness towards other dogs and people has been nearly eliminated from the breed. Greyhounds bark very little, which makes them excellent suburban pets, and are usually as friendly to strangers as they are with their own family. The most common misconception concerning greyhounds is that they are hyperactive. It is usually the opposite. The greyhound is basically a quiet dog and will spend most of its time sleeping in a favorite spot.

Miscellaneous

Cultural references to Greyhounds

Santa's Little Helper from The SimpsonsSimpson's Santa's Little Helper
A widely recognized greyhound in popular culture is the fictional character Santa's Little Helper from the Fox Broadcasting Company's animated series, The Simpsons.

The character Santa's Little Helper exhibits many of the intellectual and behavioural characteristics of the typical greyhound as a pet. He is portrayed as affectionate, tolerant of other household pets (notably cats), loyal, and not overly active.

Don Quixote
In the novel Don Quixote, by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the protagonist imagined that his flea bitten mutt was a fine greyhound.

Greyhound Bus
The Greyhound Lines bus company, in keeping with their logo, which sports a racing greyhound, Greyhound occasionally airs television commercials starring a talking computer-generated greyhound. The greyhound in these commercial shorts is often noted for his dry, deadpan wit.

Anatomy
The key to the speed of a greyhound can be found in its streamlined shape, large lungs, heart and muscles, the double suspension gallop and the flexibility of the spine (which is often called—incorrectly—hinged). "Double suspension gallop" describes the racing gait of the greyhound, in which all four feet are off the ground twice during each full stride.

Sports
The Greyhound is the mascot of the following sports teams:

College
Assumption College
University of Indianapolis
Loyola College in Maryland
Eastern New Mexico University
Moberly Area Community College (in Moberly, Missouri)
Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Professional
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Ontario Hockey League)
Ohio Valley Greyhounds (United Indoor Football)

Other
Greyhound was the name of several roller coasters in the United States and Canada. None of these rides operate today.
In Australia, racing Greyhounds are commonly known in slang terminology as "Dish Lickers" (e.g., "I just won 50 bucks at the Dish Lickers").

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Greyhound dog breed