Greyhound: a dog that can catch a hare in a couple of seconds

For good reason, the greyhound has captivated the attention of many people for centuries. This breed, which is well-known for its blazing speed and elegant appearance, was created to pursue and hunt prey such as hares. Few other dogs can match the speed at which a Greyhound can catch a hare—just a few seconds, to be exact.

But the Greyhound is special in more ways than just its speed. In addition, these canines are renowned for their gentle and serene disposition, which frequently astounds people with how calm and easygoing they are when not hunting. Greyhounds hold a particular place in the hearts of many dog lovers, whether they are kept as pets or as hunting companions.

We’ll go into more detail in this post about the qualities that set the Greyhound apart, from its amazing speed to its gentle nature.

Characteristic	Description
Breed	Greyhound
Speed	Known for incredible speed, can catch a hare in seconds
Temperament	Calm, gentle, and friendly with family
Size	Tall and slim, built for speed and agility
Exercise	Needs regular exercise to stay healthy
Fur	Short coat, easy to maintain
Origin	One of the oldest breeds, originally bred for hunting

A remarkable breed, the greyhound is renowned for its extraordinary speed and agility. It can catch a rabbit in a matter of seconds. This dog, bred for hunting and racing, possesses a graceful and gentle temperament in addition to its quickness. One of the fastest dog breeds, the greyhound is a fascinating companion for people who value athleticism and elegance in their pets thanks to its sleek body and strong legs.

History of the breed

In addition to being referred to as English or British greyhounds, greyhounds are not native to Great Britain. Dogs originated in ancient Egypt. Dogs were brought from Africa to Eastern Europe in the third century BC (possibly by the Celts, who worked as mercenaries for the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt). Greyhounds were introduced to Great Britain in the tenth century AD, and it was there that these canines truly rose to fame.

The greyhound is a powerful, agile, and slender dog.

Greyhounds were originally kept by the English nobility to hunt swiftly moving prey. Dogs can run up to 50 km/h with ease (and they can even surpass 60 km). These four-legged "meteors" can outrun a deer, fox, rabbit, or hare in a race. By the way, the aristocracy in Britain thought that if common people were permitted to own such quick dogs, they would eventually capture all the game. For this reason, the "Forest Law" of 1014 firmly prohibited common peasants from owning greyhounds.

In Great Britain, coursing, a competition between two or more greyhounds sent after a hare, has gained popularity since the 18th century. Originally, the race was held in public spaces like fields and forests, but later on, spectators could watch the entire chase from specialized stadiums. Greyhound racing along a looping track behind a mechanical bait was introduced to the public as a new form of entertainment in the 1920s when animal baiting was outlawed.

It is forbidden to race greyhounds for live prey; instead, mechanical bait is used (a stuffed hare pulled by a fast-moving vehicle on the track).

In Great Britain, greyhound racing is still very popular. This kind of dog sport is almost as popular in Britain as horse racing. There are 28 stadiums across the nation that host these greyhound races on a daily basis. An estimated 3 million people visit these kinds of stadiums annually.

On March 5, 1994, in Australia, a greyhound by the name of Star Title set a record for the fastest dog speed, clocking in at 67.32 km/h.

Every cynological association recognizes greyhounds as official members. The British greyhound was added to the list of breeds by the American and English Kennel Clubs (KC and AKC) in 1885. In April of 1955, the dogs were added to the FCI classification. In 2011, the current breed standard was released.

Appearance standards

The breed classification places the greyhound under number 158 (in group No. 10, section No. 3 "Short-haired sighthounds"). This is a large, elegant dog with a good build in proportion. The FCI standard states that all members of the breed’s representatives must have the following physical characteristics:

The height at the withers of adult males is 71–76 cm, females — 68–71 cm. Males weigh 34–40 kg, females 26–34 kg.

The pronounced voluminous muscles on the greyhound’s body enable it to gain tremendous speed.

These dogs have elongated heads that are flat between the ears and pointed in the direction of the nose.

An English greyhound can only have dark brown eyes.

When a greyhound is at ease and content, its ears should be slightly elevated on the cartilage. However, when the dog becomes agitated and attentive, the ears can fully straighten and elevate above the head.

English greyhounds only have one color for their noses: dark brown or black.

Greyhounds are clearly classified according to their sexual type: males are taller and more muscular, while females are more graceful and light.

Greyhounds have straight front legs and smoothly curved back legs at the knee joint.

The greyhound’s long tail curls into a semicircle when it gets excited.

Greyhounds have short, soft coats that fit their bodies snugly. Baldness may occur on the inside surfaces of the paws and belly. Dogs have soft, elastic skin that is predominantly pink in light color and gray in dark color.

Video: Greyhounds in Motion

Photo Gallery: Acceptable Greyhound Colors

The tips of their paws and chest may have white spots on Black Greyhounds. The picture shows a solid black Greyhound, but the soft fur allows you to see the dog’s pink skin. The fur should be glossy with a solid black color. The red dots, which are white in color, can be anywhere and come in any size or shape. We refer to this reddish-brown hue as fawn. Another name for this tiger color is "mackerel." Greyhounds can have solid blue coats or solid blue with white spots on their paws, neck, chest, and tip of their tail.

Character standards

Intelligent dogs are the greyhound breed. They obey orders without hesitation and quickly pick up on what is expected of them. The dog makes every effort to avoid upsetting its owner. English greyhounds do not tend to be characterful or to try to dominate other dogs in the home. The dogs’ friendliness is one of their primary character traits. They always crawl under your hands to be stroked because they adore affection.

The animal is only active when it is permitted to run and jump. Greyhounds won’t chase after their favorite prey in the yard or park without commands. They act like true aristocrats in the house; they enjoy sleeping or lying down and quietly observing the household.

Greyhounds prefer to lie down on soft surfaces at home, so their owners must set up their own beds; otherwise, the dogs will climb onto couches and armchairs.

They are initially wary of strangers, both humans and animals, but they do not act aggressively. They get along with strangers quickly; as soon as they sense that their owner is approachable, they will approach to introduce themselves.

Greyhounds are not good security or guard dogs. These companion dogs have a very amiable disposition. They are not aggressive or will not bark at intruders; instead, their first line of defense is to flee and hide. They have good relationships with kids. They take pleasure in playing games together. When living in the same home as other pets, they get along well.

Since English greyhounds enjoy company and cannot stand being alone, it is advised to have them in pairs.

For what disqualifications a dog can be rejected

In order to be eligible to participate in dog shows and breeds, a canine society will issue a certificate to those who successfully complete an exam verifying that the standards are met. There are "soft" deviations, meaning that the dog will still be placed in the breed class and its chances of winning competitions will be greatly diminished, but the document won’t be rejected.

Exhibitions are available for a greyhound that satisfies all breed standards, or show-class greyhounds.

The following is a list of strict disvoli, or the reasons a Graihound cannot compete in shows or breeders of the breed:

• violation of the sexual type (too large a bitch or an excessively lightweight male);
• excessive aggressiveness towards people, other dogs;
• excessive cowardice;
• too short blunt muzzle and rounded cranial part of the head;
• overbite or underbite;
• too short tail;
• long hair;
• short legs;
• blue or green eyes, light nose with spots.

Although a puppy’s eyes can be gray or blue, they should darken by the end of the year.

What kind of people is an English greyhound suitable for

It’s important to remember that this is a sporting dog despite its serene demeanor. It has to move a lot by nature. If you do not have the time or desire to go on lengthy walks, you should not own a greyhound. This breed of dog needs to spend at least three hours a day outside. The greyhound should be able to "stretch its muscles" on each walk by running and jumping. The greyhound will rapidly gain weight and start to lose shape without this kind of training.

The best training for greyhounds is to chase and retrieve prey (a stuffed rabbit is shown in the picture).

Greyhound running records are far superior to human ones. In 9.58 seconds, Usain Bolt established the world record for the 100 meters. The same distance was covered by a greyhound in 5.02 seconds. The 400-meter record is held by Michael Johnson, who ran it in 43.18 seconds, much slower than the greyhound’s 21.10 seconds. The greyhound’s 50 seconds for the 800 meters is a far cry from David Rudisha’s 1 minute 41 seconds record. The English borzoi’s 3,500-meter time of 3 minutes, 26 seconds, is far slower than that of record holder Hicham El Guerrouj. Viewtopic.php?id=4972&p=2 at https://forum.zoologist.ru/funny Zoologist

What to remember when buying a greyhound puppy

You should become knowledgeable about differentiating greyhounds from other breeds of sighthounds before purchasing a puppy. This will shield you from fraud when unscrupulous vendors attempt to sell lower-priced dogs at exorbitant prices. This brief reference guide will enable you to spot a fake greyhound right away:

• A greyhound has long legs, but they look proportional to the body. If the puppy has excessively elongated limbs, then most likely you have an Azawakh in front of you.
• Greyhounds do not have long hair at any age. For example, cheaper Afghan hounds are fluffy.

Greyhounds aren’t allowed to have hair like that; the picture depicts Afghan hound puppies.

Although a Hungarian greyhound puppy’s appearance is similar to that of a greyhound, it is stronger and has a blunter muzzle.

African greyhound puppies are in front of us; they do not have such excessively long legs and upright ears as greyhounds do.

When examining puppies, take note of their behavior in addition to their appearance. Young greyhounds are gregarious, playful, energetic, inquisitive, and loving.

Greyhound puppies trust people, are very obedient and affectionate, and pick up commands quickly.

How much do greyhounds cost

Greyhounds are expensive depending on their mother and father’s membership in a prestigious kennel, their participation in and results from exhibitions, and the number of generations of purity they have demonstrated. When deficiencies that could lead to disqualification are found, the cost decreases. Even small departures from the norm are significant; they lower your chances of winning at exhibitions but should not be grounds for rejecting a certificate. Puppies in the elite show class typically cost between 50,000 and 50,000 rubles. Babies of the breed (with small variations from the breed standard) cost between fifteen and twenty thousand rubles.

Purchasing greyhound puppies from nurseries is preferable. In Russia, breed specialists Artefakt, Hepi Hepri, More Majorum, and "Aurora Platinum" focus on this breed. The Jet’s kennel (Great Britain) is well-known throughout Europe.

How to care for a dog

A defined daily schedule, healthy diet, and consistent exercise are essential for greyhounds as they are true athletes. Dogs should walk for three to four hours every day, broken up into sessions of thirty to forty minutes spaced out by two to three hours. The best way to thoroughly chase a dog on a walk is to throw its "prey," which can be a ball or a plush toy.

Greyhounds drink a lot of water, so they need to have constant access to clean water after engaging in vigorous games. Large dogs with higher activity levels should be fed special diets, such as Royal Canin Sporting Life Trail, Hill’s Science Plan Performance, Purina Dog Chow Active, or Babin Tonivet Sport, which are appropriate for greyhounds.

The coat of a greyhound is not erratic. As soon as they get dirty, dogs should be bathed. It only needs to be combed three to four times a week with a soft-bristled brush. Paying attention to the claws is important; they should always be clipped short to prevent them from breaking off and hurting the paw pads when running quickly.

Greyhounds need to be insulated during the cold season because they don’t have a thick layer of fat and long hair.

Are greyhounds prone to diseases

Dogs of this breed typically live between 10 and 13 years. Given how uncommon hereditary flaws are, greyhounds are regarded as healthy pets. Hereditary autoimmune diseases, Perthes disease, patella displacement, and retinal atrophy can occasionally occur. Since many of these illnesses take time to show symptoms, it is best to take the puppy to the vet right away so that he can be checked for any abnormalities.

A greyhound’s active lifestyle comes with risks of its own: when traveling at a fast pace, the dog may trip over a bump or collide with an obstruction, inflicting injuries. Keep an eye on your pet: if your greyhound limps after a walk, licks its paws, cries, or has lumps on its body, it’s time to take it to the vet so they can check for fractures, dislocations, and bruises.

Video: episode of the program "Leader of the Pack" about greyhounds

The impressive greyhound breed is well-known for its exceptional agility and speed. With centuries of selective breeding, they have developed power and precision that is demonstrated by their ability to catch a hare in a matter of seconds.

Greyhounds are excellent hunters, but they also make calm, gentle housemates. Their exceptional blend of agility and laid-back disposition makes them ideal companions for households who value their gentle, loving aspect.

For those who appreciate its speed and gentle nature, the Greyhound never fails to enthrall, be it as a devoted friend or racing champion.

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