The Greyhound Breed: History, Heart and Health

History

Greyhounds have a rich history. Their exact origin is uncertain but drawings of artefacts from Turkey (6000BC) and a greyhound-like dog on a funeral vase in Iran (4200BC) indicate that greyhound-type breeds are indeed the oldest recorded. It seems early greyhounds were particularly prevalent and revered in ancient Egypt. Although worthy as subjects for art before that, the Egyptians raised their status massively and many Pharaohs were buried with their greyhounds or had their tombs decorated with them to indicate the regard they were held in. Because of the sacred association of greyhounds, only royalty was permitted to keep them, and they were treated as part of the family. Their status was so high that the birth of a greyhound was second only to the birth of a son. They were never sold but given as gifts to honoured guests from other lands.

A law of Canute, dated 1016, stated that “None but a gentleman” was allowed to keep a greyhound, while an old Welsh proverb had it that “You can tell a gentleman by his greyhound and his hawk”. At the time of the crusades King John would accept greyhounds in lieu of taxes and later Edward III Charles II both had the greyhound incorporated into their seals.

The greyhound is the only dog mentioned by name in many versions of the Bible (Proverbs 30:29-31) “There are three things that are stately in their march…. The Greyhound…”. Much later greyhounds appeared frequently in literature and poetry. They are in fact mentioned in several of Shakespeare’s plays. In Henry V, Henry compares his troops to coursing greyhounds: “I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start, The game’s afoot.”

So, it’s hardly surprising that greyhounds today are such a regal breed. While being incredibly affectionate they tend to consider themselves the equal of humans; the right to the sofa isn’t open for debate in many households owned by a greyhound. When they meet other breeds of dog, they have a tendency to be aloof with them but pull towards the humans. When they meet unfamiliar greyhounds, however, it’s as if they have met someone worth knowing. This can only come from thousands of years of living with humans; not losing their place as active creatures and retaining their essential personality as such.

Appearance

Greyhounds have coats of various colours; in recent years there has been a real prevalence of black greyhounds due to the domination of black sires. Below is a table of the most common colours. The mixed colours vary in the proportion of each colour and where they appear. Greyhounds are only one or two colours and when they have two colours, one is always white. Dun is a colour that always gets a mention but finding someone who owns a dun-coloured greyhound is very rare.

With long legs, narrow head, deep chest, sloping ribs, flexible spine, long toes and webbed feet, greyhounds are the perfect example of aerodynamic design. The deep chest and sloping ribs allow for greater lung capacity, while the long legs mean they can travel long distances in each stride. Their long toes allow them to get a better grip, and the webbing provides even more force as the greyhound pushes into a run. The shape of a greyhound’s pads is unusual compared to that of other breeds and often referred to as a hare’s foot; long and compact. A case of the predator being similar to the prey!

Greyhounds weigh on average between 27 and 38kg and stand up to 75cm tall to the shoulder. They have a single layer of short hair which is easy to maintain and has the added benefit of not triggering many allergies in their human companions.

It is, of course, noticeable how lean greyhounds are. This is for two reasons; they have a fast metabolism, so they burn calories quickly and have fewer fat cells than other breeds. One disadvantage to having low body fat and just a single coat is that greyhounds tend to feel the extremes of temperature. You will notice most greyhounds own an array of coats – this isn’t vanity on the part of a greyhound parent, it’s a necessity.

Greyhounds are sighthounds and, as such, have exceptional eyesight. They can see over half a mile in front of them and have 270-degree vision meaning they can also effectively see behind them.

Personality

There is a common myth that greyhounds are nervous dogs but those who know them well would more likely describe them as watchful and sensitive. They are affectionate and lazy, with only short and sporadic bursts of energy. They make great pets for all make-ups of family. They will happily sleep for more than 18 hours a day and need only short walks and lots of affection.

Over the last 30 years or so, with the introduction of Australian lines to track breeding, there has been a noticeable difference in the temperament of greyhounds in the UK. Before this there tended to be close links to coursing in their ancestry where, many years ago greyhounds were bred to chase and kill. Hence, their prey drive continued to be high into their retirement. That is, of course, not the case now. In Australia there are even examples of where the lure the greyhounds chase is in the shape of another greyhound, so they are just running for fun. This change to the breeding, while still maintaining the impeccable pureness of the lineage, has created dogs that make much better pets, particularly with regard to living with other dogs and even cats.

Health

Greyhounds are known to be among the healthiest breed of dog due to them being bred to be fit to run rather than look a particular way. They tend not to suffer from any inherent conditions although, like any large, long-boned dog, some develop osteoarthritis or osteosarcoma in their old age. Their life expectancy is high for a large breed at around 11-12 years.

A greyhound’s blood levels are different to other dogs which can lead to misdiagnosis unless an owner sees a greyhound-savvy vet. Their red blood cell count is higher than average dogs and they have quite a unique blood type which means they can, and often are, used as blood donors for many other breeds. They have a lower number of blood platelets, and their livers have lower amounts of oxidative enzymes, the latter meaning a vet has to be very careful to administer only certain types of anaesthesia when needed. These are not things to worry about as a greyhound owner, just to be aware of.